General pest control for Long Beach homes: ants, roaches, spiders and the seasonal rest

The idea behind a modern pest program is to stop insects at the edge of the home rather than treat the living space. Ants, roaches, spiders and earwigs nearly all live outside and walk in. A band of treatment around the foundation and at the entry points intercepts them where they travel, and it means less product is used inside where people live, cook and sleep.

Inside, we rely on baits and crack-and-crevice applications that put product into voids and hiding spots instead of on open surfaces. Gel baits for roaches and ants are especially useful because insects carry the bait back to their nests. That approach is more effective than spraying baseboards and keeps exposure low for children and pets.

Pest activity follows the weather, and a good program shifts its focus through the year rather than repeating the same visit.

• Late winter and spring: ants move after rain, subterranean termite swarms, spiders start building, earwigs in damp beds
• Early summer: ant pressure rises sharply as soil dries, silverfish and crickets appear in garages
• Late summer and early fall: peak ant invasions during heat waves, drywood termite swarms, black and brown widows in full activity
• Late fall and winter: cockroaches and rodents move indoors with the first cold nights and rain, ants return after storms

Pest control works best when the house is less inviting. Keep soil, mulch and ivy a few inches below the bottom of stucco and siding so there is a visible gap. Trim shrubs and branches so they do not touch walls or the roofline. Fix dripping hose bibs and sprinkler heads that keep the foundation wet, since moisture attracts ants, roaches, silverfish and earwigs alike.

Inside, wipe up crumbs and sticky spills, store pet food in sealed containers, and do not leave pet bowls out overnight if ants are active. Seal gaps where pipes enter under sinks. When you see a new ant trail, avoid spraying it with a store-bought aerosol, because repellent sprays split Argentine ant colonies and scatter them. Let us know instead so the baits we place can do their work.

Argentine ants are the number one complaint across the city, from the courtyard apartments of Alamitos Beach to the ranch homes of Los Altos. Their colonies connect under sidewalks and yards for blocks, and a hot August week or a heavy rain can send them into kitchens all at once. In neighborhoods with alleys, like Belmont Shore and Bluff Park, American cockroaches come up from storm drains and sewer lines and wander into garages and laundry rooms.

Homes in Bixby Knolls and Los Cerritos with mature trees, dense shrubs and ivy see more spiders, earwigs and sow bugs because the landscaping holds moisture and shelter against the walls. In the 1950s tracts of El Dorado Park Estates and Lakewood Village, block walls and wood fences along the back of the lot are favorite spots for black widows. Older raised-foundation homes in Wrigley and Rose Park have crawlspace vents and gaps that let crickets, silverfish and roaches move in from below.