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Identifying and Treating Common Pests in Modesto

Your Central Valley Guide to Local Pests

Whether you own a residential or commercial property, no building is exempt from the possibility of a pest infestation. From insects to rodents, Modesto has a range of pest problems due to favorable weather conditions that allow pests to thrive. Thankfully, Castle Pest Management can keep your home or business safe from these unwanted nuisances. Our team of licensed, certified, and insured experts can confidently identify and treat a wide variety of pests that invade properties. We are committed to helping Stanislaus, San Joaquin, and Merced County residents and business owners protect their spaces. 

Call (209) 553-7858 or use our online form to schedule a free estimate! We offer same-day services and are available 24/7 for emergencies.

Identify Your Pest

Identification is a key initial step if you wish to get rid of an infestation. This crucial information will help us determine where to focus our efforts, what strategy to implement, and what treatment products to apply for successful control. While the Central Valley has a vast range of common pest problems, you can trust our experienced technicians to accurately identify the pest invading your home or business and carry out the best possible plan to eliminate the infestation.

Learn about the most common pests we treat here:

Ants

Ants are a small nuisance pest known for the large colonies they form in and around properties. While they vary in size, color, and shape by species, all can be identified through their three-segmented bodies, pair of antennae, and six legs. Ant species will frequent a property if there is food they enjoy, like sweets, greases, and proteins. While some ants like the Fire ant are known for painful bites, most are harmless and only a problem when they show up in large numbers while foraging for food. Aside from seeing them marching around, the biggest sign you have ants is the development of large ant mounds, which can be formed outdoors or indoors in secluded areas. 

Common ants in Modesto include: Argentine ants, carpenter ants, pharaoh ants, fire ants, thief ants, and odorous house ants. 

Cockroaches

Cockroaches are indoor pests that plague many homes and businesses. They can be identified by their flat oval-shaped bodies, long antennae and six spiny legs. Depending on the species, they can vary in size, color, and habits. While some prefer to live outdoors, the notorious German cockroach prefers to live amongst humans, surviving off of food left out and finding shelter where there is plenty of warmth. Cockroaches are unsanitary and their presence can be the cause of many health problems through their spread of bacteria. What’s most frustrating about the German cockroach species in particular is how tough total elimination can be due to their rapid reproduction and persistence

Common roaches in Modesto include: German cockroaches, American cockroaches, and Oriental cockroaches.

Earwigs

Earwigs are a common garden pest found throughout North America. They have glossy, flattened bodies that are usually brown to black in color and measure 0.5 to 1 inch long, and they are distinguished by their pair of curved pinchers or forceps, which emerge from the tip of their abdomen. At worst, these relatively harmless insects can create some minor to moderate damage to plants found in gardens. Earwigs can also infest areas of a home, particularly where there is moisture. Homeowners will find them in basements, garages, hot tubs, pools, bathrooms and just about any part of the home where the conditions are right.

Common earwigs in Modesto include: European Earwigs, Maritime Earwig, Ring-Legged Earwig

Pantry Pests

This pest gets its name due to an affinity for invading stored food products in homes and businesses. Most of the pests that people encounter in their pantries are either a moth or a beetle. But it is in their larvae stage that these pests are most destructive, eating anything and everything they come in contact with. The larvae are cream-colored worms that can come in shades of yellow, pink, green or brown and are half an inch long. They can infest grain products, commonly cereals and whole grains, but also can contaminate dried fruits, nuts seeds, spices, and even pet foods.

Common pantry pests in Modesto include: Indian meal moths, powder post beetles, and grain beetles.

Rats and Mice

Rats and mice look similar, so they are often mistaken for one another. While they are related, rats and mice each belong to a different genus and are also different species, meaning they cannot interbreed. Generally, when people talk about these rodents they are referring to domestic rats and mice. Rats are much larger in size than mice, growing between 15 to 17 inches long when including their tail. They are chronic gnawers, are known to leave droppings, and can multiply quickly if there is no intervention.

Common rats and mice in Modesto include: Norway rats, roof rats, and house mice.

Scorpions

Part of the arachnid family of insects, scorpions strike fear in many due to their appearance. While there are slight variations from one species to the next, the basics are always the same. They have eight legs, two powerful pinchers, a venomous stinger, and are covered by a hard-plated outer shell. Scorpions are a foraging pest and often enter inside properties by accident while hunting for water and shelter.

Silverfish

Silverfish are solid, silver-colored insects that are about a half inch long and possess a hard exoskeleton. They earned their name due to resembling fish in both appearance and movements. They have 2 long antennas on their head and 3 prominent “tails” or bristles on their backside. While silverfish can thrive almost anywhere, they prefer dark, moist, and humid areas that have plenty of hiding spots and food. The most common places where silverfish seek shelter are bathrooms, kitchens, laundry rooms, attics and basements. They are also commonly found under sinks, bathtubs, in storage boxes, bookcases, old stacks of papers (magazines, newspapers, etc.), on closet shelves, behind wallpaper, wall voids, window or door frames, and baseboards.

Spiders

Spiders can most easily be identified by their eight legs, multiple pairs of eyes, and web spinning. However, not all spiders live in their webs; some live in burrows and in crevices. While most spiders are harmless, some can be concerning to find indoors, like the black widow spider and brown recluse. Spiders normally come into homes while hunting for food, which come in the form of smaller insects. While they may be beneficial in that regard, having them appear in large numbers on your property can be a problem.

Common spiders in Modesto include: house spiders, wolf spiders, black widow spiders, and brown recluse spiders.

Wasps and hornets

While there are many different species of wasps and hornets ranging in size and color, the majority are distinguished by two pairs of wings, a pinched waist, and a stinger. Their bodies are hairless and their behavior can be aggressive when they feel threatened. You may first notice their presence from the appearance of nests built on the underside of stairs, the corners of windows, eaves, wall voids, and on branches of trees. 

Common wasps and hornets in Modesto include: paper wasps, yellow jackets, and bald-faced hornets.

What Makes Us a Community Name?

  • Experienced, Reputable, Reliable
    We stand behind our work and are committed to providing quality services and solutions.
  • Customer Convenience
    We aim to make the Castle Pest Management experience as easy as possible for our customers. We provide online bill pay and convenient updates regarding your scheduled services.
  • Locally Owned & Part of the Community
    We are proud to be a part of this community and have enjoyed protecting your castles from pests since 2012.
  • 24/7 Emergency Services
    We understand that when you need service, you need it now! We are prepared to help and are often equipped to handle same-day appointments.

  • “You just can’t beat the quality of customer service provided by small, family owned businesses like this.”

    Erikka P.

  • “Mike was friendly, knowledgeable, and very professional. I originally called for a one-time service but signed up for monthly service.”

    Tracey M.

  • “Very professional and courteous.”

    Sam C.

  • “When we first moved into our home my 2-year-old daughter had a close-to-being-bit experience with a black widow. They were all over our property. Since Castle has been coming to spray we have not seen a single spider indoor or out.”

    Jenita C.

  • “They were professional, on time, and did an excellent job for an incredible price!”

    Anjuli H.
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The Castle Pest Management Team

Proudly Serving Modesto and the Central Valley Since 2012

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