Starting the year indoors
A pest checklist does not have to begin in spring. Going through closets, cupboards and the garage is indoor work that can fit any month, so the list below starts there and moves through the rest of the year. Each season carries a handful of jobs; pick a weekend and work through them, or spread them over a few evenings.
Winter
- Sort the hall and linen closets. Take everything out, vacuum the corners and floor, and look at folded wool or silk for small holes before putting things back.
- Go through paper storage. Old magazines, mail and paper bags can give insects shelter; recycle what you do not need.
- Inspect the laundry area. Pull the washer and dryer forward if you can, vacuum behind them, and check the floor for droppings.
- Look over the garage shelves. Move items stored on the floor up onto shelves or into bins with tight lids.
- Check the attic access. Lift the hatch, look across the insulation with a flashlight for disturbed areas or nests, and make sure the hatch closes snugly.
Spring
- Wash the window tracks. Clear dirt and dead insects from sliding window and door tracks, and check that weep slots in the frame are open.
- Inspect the screen doors. Tighten closers so the door shuts on its own, and patch any tear.
- Look at the exterior trim. Check wood trim, fascia and window sills for peeling paint, soft spots or small holes.
- Trim ground cover back from the walls. Leave a strip of bare ground or gravel along the base of the house where you can see it.
- Check irrigation lines and sprinkler heads. Look for leaks, and adjust any head that wets the wall of the house.
Summer
- Clean out the kitchen's lower cabinets. Empty them, wipe the shelves, and check the backs for gaps around pipes or cables.
- Wipe the top of the refrigerator and the range hood. Grease and crumbs there can be overlooked.
- Check outdoor dining and cooking areas. Clear spilled food, empty drip trays and keep outdoor trash lidded.
- Look under outdoor furniture and planters. Lift them and check underneath for nests or insects sheltering there.
- Inspect the hose bibs and the area beneath them for leaks that keep a patch of ground damp.
Fall
- Check exterior lights near doors. Clean out dead insects from fixtures and replace cracked covers.
- Look at the roofline from the ground. Note any gaps at the eaves or loose vent screens and plan to have them fixed.
- Clean out the gutters, if the house has them, so debris does not collect and stay damp.
- Inspect the garage door seal and side door. Replace a seal that is cracked or no longer meets the floor.
- Wash and store outdoor cushions and covers in sealed bins rather than open on a shelf.
Checks that fit any month
- Wipe counters and the stovetop at the end of the day.
- Keep cereal, flour, rice and pet food in containers with tight lids.
- Take kitchen trash out before bed.
- Have a dripping faucet or a leak under a sink repaired when you notice it.
- Write down any pest you see, with the date and spot.
When to call a company
Bring in a professional when something keeps returning despite your own work, when you find damaged wood, or when you cannot tell what you are looking at. Before the call, have your notes ready: what you saw, where, when, and what you have already tried. Ask for the proposal in writing, with the target pest, the treated areas, the products by name, the number of trips and the price, and ask what each label says about re-entry for people and pets.
License types the Structural Pest Control Board issues
California's Structural Pest Control Board issues three license types. Applicators and Field Representatives may work only for a registered structural pest control company. An Operator may own and operate a company or act as qualifying manager for another owner.
The branch question
Ask each company: "Which Structural Pest Control Board branch covers this work, and what is your license number and the registered company you work for?" Write the reply down with the date and the person's name. Ask also for proof of liability coverage and workers' compensation before anyone starts.
Drinking water in El Centro
According to the City of El Centro, its water source is the Colorado River by way of the All American Canal and Imperial Irrigation District facilities such as the Central Main Canal. The city receives two sources of water from the Central Main Canal, and IID conducts source water testing.
Reviewing each season
At the close of each season, take a few minutes to note which jobs you finished, which you put off and what you found. Keep the company's reports, product names and receipts with those notes. Read back over them before the next season's list, and carry forward anything still open.