Frequently Asked Questions

No.  This is a common question and commonly misunderstood.

When all ants hatch, they are fully grown.  Some ant species are small and one size (monomorphic), such as the Odorous House Ants which are all very tiny, usually less than 1/8 inch.  While others have many sizes (polymorphic), like Carpenter Ants that range from 1/4 inch to 3/4 inch.   

For further information, click on the links below.

Carpenter Ants     Odorous House Ants

Generally no.  Most questions about winged ants arise when the Carpenter Ant Queens are swarming in the Springtime, usually the first warm day in May and they may also swarm again in June and July. 

When Queen Carpenter Ants are swarming outside and remove their wings to get inside, they have to have a location with 100% humidity to survive and start laying eggs.  If you have damp rot in your house, they would be able to survive.  If you have winged ants emerging inside the house, then you may have a colony already established inside a wall void or another area in your structure.

Yes.  Odorous House Ants are particularly difficult to get under control, especially if you have been having problems with them for an extended period of time.  Like multiple years. 

Our program for dealing with Odorous House Ants is spraying inside and out and many times leaving small bait stations where you see ant activity.  These can be moved by you if you are seeing them in a different location.

For further information, click on the link below.

Odorous House Ants

There are a number of different bees, hornets and wasps and they all sting.  But when it comes to who are pollinators, bees are the major ones.  Yellowjackets are only incidental pollinators. 

Some people have a concern in killing Yellowjacket nests thinking they are going to have an effect on pollination, but they play a very minor roll in pollination. It is better to kill a Yellowjacket nest, especially when so many people are allergic to their sting.  There has been a few occasions where the first time of ever being stung has been deadly.

Something to keep in mind is that in the Fall they will get particularly nasty, stinging with no provocation.  The reason why is that their throats are closing down and they are dying, not allowing them to eat and they are justifiably mad.  You will know when they are in the process of dying out because they will begin to fly low to the ground.

Only the queens will winter over in places like woodpiles, tarps and debris filled gutters just to name a few hiding places, until it warms up and she wakes up to begin a new nest.

For further information, click on the links below.

Yellowjackets     Baldfaced Hornets

The quick answer is no.  With the rate they reproduce, you can start with a healthy pair that can become 3,000 in a calendar year.  It can take roughly 8 weeks for rats and 6 weeks for mice, from newborn to breeding mature adult.  They have no breeding season, but breed thought the year whenever there is an opportunity. An old rat lives to be roughly 12-15 months of age.  They don't live a long life but they explode in population quickly.   The male/female ratio is 1:1, providing equal opportunity for breeding.  Considering those factors, it is impossible to out trap or out bait their production numbers. 

Locating ALL rodent entry points of the roofline, foundation and at times sewer pipes or any compromised areas around the perimeter should be properly excluded before trapping would be productive.  Don't use spray foam or silicone caulking, they will chew right through it in minutes.  Somewhere between 40-80% of the time (my experience), rodents will not approach a trap until you force a behavioral change by preventing entry and exit into the structure. 

They may have to depleat a stored dry food source before approaching the traps.  The two examples I use are 35 lbs of cat food stored in an attic and 2,500 lbs of dog food stored between floors of a two-story home (both in Sequim).  So stop feeding animals so they can graze and stop feeding birds.  This will stop the ongoing food supply.  It is also hard to compete with an existing food source, so trapping may not be productive until it has been depleted. 

After exclusion is complete, we trap until all remaining rodents in the structure are eliminated (1-2 months on average) the goal is to trap out what's left in the structure, and you're done.  At this point treating with a disinfectant and reinsulating are appropriate.  The goal is to eliminate the rodent problem within the structure.  It is futile to try to control the activity outside your home.

In reality, dead bugs are the proof that the chemical is working. 

Like I always say, all we can do is kill them.  It is your responsibility to vacuum them.

No.  Most of our chemicals have an attribute that once it dries, it adheres to the surface. 

One of my clients asked me not to spray their front door threshold because she had a terrible time getting it washed off.  We now try to avoid thresholds, especially the dark colored ones for just that reason.

Most definitely.  Rain is gentle and will slowly remove chemical over time.  When it comes to pressure washing with the high velocity, yes it will remove all our chemical.

No, unless there is some information that you need to tell us.  If you will not be home, please give us a call 2 days before your scheduled day to let us know so we will be prepared. 

We basically service each house the same unless you are having trouble with an additional pest other than the one we have on record.

The chemicals we use are non-toxic to mammals.  As a general rule fish can possibly be affected, so for that reason we do not spray around ponds or creeks. 

For the safety of our technicians, we have a dog policy that requires all dogs to be restrained from areas we must be.  We have all been bit by dogs.

I always tell my clients that it won't hurt them either, nor their children.  I chuckle to myself that they ask about their pets, but not their children.

No, not really. It is completely up to you.

That depends.  Have you actually been medically diagnosed?  There is a list that people are placed on that have been determined chemically sensitive.  If you think you are...then you may or may not be affected. 

Our chemicals are basically odorless and are applied outside along your foundation.  If you are concerned and if you desire to have your pest dealt with, then the best choice is to be gone when we apply the chemical.  Once dried the chemical does not move nor emit into the air.  During the warmer months in the Summer, it can take as little as 10 minutes or less to dry.

Some do and some don't.  The chrysanthemum based synthetic pyrethroids and the reduced risk pesticides that we use are stable in the environment and carry a 2-3 month residual. 

Over the years we have tried orange and mint based chemicals, which have a good quick knockdown but have almost no residual.  The mint and orange based chemicals also have very strong odors, whereas most of the chemicals we use have little to no smell at all. 

We are always looking for new chemicals that are environmentally friendly, yet are effective at eliminating and stopping pests.  

It takes around an hour or so for the initial start because of the time it takes to explain our programs, to discuss the issues you are having and how to remedy them, fill out paperwork and then to actually do the spray service.

After the initial service, it doesn't take that much time to spray the foundation and watch for any further pest problems, such as spiders.  I would estimate somewhere between 10 to 20 minutes, depending on how many structures and how difficult it is to access your foundation.

Of course it depends on how warm it is outside. 

During the Summer months, it can take as little as 10 minutes or less.  On those warm days, I have to pay attention where I started spraying, because by the time I am back to where I started, it has already dried.

When we first purchased Angeles Pest Control I found from the chemical company that chemical generally will last up to 2 months.  It will last longer when it is not very sunny like in the Spring and Fall; but during the sunny months, it can actually breakdown faster than 2 months.  Three things breakdown the chemical:  Sun, Wind & Rain.  The Sun will break it down the quickest.  Spraying every 2 months during the season is sufficient enough.  If a problem arises before we return for your next scheduled service, we come back at no additional charge.

As for the time of day that we arrive, our workday ends when we are done with our work or when it is too dark to spray.  Although in summer it does stay light as late as 9:30 PM.  We do try to keep it to no later than 7:30 PM.

Generally no, with the exception of work being done around your house that would make it too difficult for us to spray. 

The reason why we don’t reschedule is because our maintenance program is based on predetermined dates of when we are already in your area servicing surrounding homes.  It is more cost efficient since we are in your area at that time and that is why it is cheaper to be on the regularly scheduled program instead of on an on-call basis where we charge a significant amount more. 

The answer is no. 

The program you are on is based on 4 services per year.  If you do not have 4 sprays per year then you are regarded as an on-call client and you must call us each time you want service.  Because we are scheduling a date when we are not in your area, the cost is considerably greater.

We charge a base fee for the main structure and add additional fees if other structures on the property are being sprayed too.

As of last year, we have finally accepted credit cards and debit cards for payment.  Once we have your information on our bookkeeping, then any future services after being performed will be charged usually the Saturday following the service.