Crickets are wonderful creatures that remind us of beautiful meadows at night. Hearing them chirping is a great experience outdoors. However, things become very different when they move inside. Nobody likes to hear crickets chirping non-stop in the kitchen for hours. There are different types of cri

In structural pest control, we deal with various pests that exhibit different behaviors. Some pests that crawl, such as cockroaches and bed bugs, tend to hide in sheltered locations, either temporarily or permanently. While the terminology used to distinguish different hiding places can be helpful,

The dark rover ant (DRA), Brachymyrmex patagonicus, is a small invasive ant species that has become increasingly common in parts of California. First detected in the state in 2010 (Martinez et al. 2011), it is now found across Southern California and parts of the lower Central Valley (Taravati 2018)

Red Imported Fire Ant (RIFA) baits are among the most effective tools for controlling these invasive and aggressive pests. Designed to target entire colonies, baits combine a slow-acting toxicant with an attractant that worker ants collect and share with the rest of the colony, including the queen(s

Red Imported Fire Ants (RIFA) are invasive insects known for their painful stings and the significant damage they can cause to human health as well as pets, wildlife, and even agriculture. Managing these invasive ants is primarily done using liquid insecticides and granular baits. Here we will discu

Not all bed bugs are alike. In addition to the common bed bug (Cimex lectularius) and the tropical bed bug (Cimex hemipterus, currently rare in the U.S. but occasionally reported in Florida), there are other species that may inhabit or frequent human dwellings, including bat bugs and swallow bugs. B

The Formosan subterranean termite (FST), Coptotermes formosanus, is a very destructive pest found in Taiwan, Hawaii (Oahu), and Southern U.S. states. It was first reported in California in 1992 in La Mesa, San Diego County. Like many other FST eradication efforts worldwide, FST eradication was not s

You can get licensed to perform pest control under various licenses in California. These licenses are issued by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (CDPR), the California Structural Pest Control Board (SPCB), or the California Department of Public Health (CDPH). The exact license you n

By: Siavash Taravati, Ph.D. Published: 29 Sep 2019 California Structural Pest Control act (Structural Pest Control Board \[SPCB\], Nov. 2015) states that: “It is unlawful for any individual to engage or offer to engage in the business or practice of structural pest control, as defined in Section 850

By: Siavash Taravati, Ph.D. First published: 26 Sep 2019 Are you planning to become licensed in structural pest control or help your technician in getting licensed? California Structural Pest Control Board (SPCB hereafter) governs licensing of individuals and businesses involved in structural pest c

By: Siavash Taravati, Ph.D. Published: 14 August 2019 There are three species of lice that exclusively feed on humans: 1) Head louse 2) Body louse 3) crab/pubic louse. Head louse (Pediculus humanus capitis) and body louse (Pediculus humanus humanus) are thought be conspecifics (member of the same sp

Published: 10 June 2019 This is one of the grey areas of pest control laws in California. Both the Structural Pest Control Board licensees and Qualified Applicator License (QAL) holders are legally allowed to do perimeter spraying for business to control ants and other pests immediately around struc

Published: 2 July 2019 By: Siavash Taravati & Jung Kim Collaborator: Jung Kim Red Imported Fire Ant (RIFA, Solenopsis invicta) is an invasive species from South America which arrived in California sometime between 1997 and 1998. RIFA bites and stings people and pets and its control may require profe

First published: 5 April 2019Read about various California individual pest control licenses Drywood termites belong to the family Kalotermitidae while subterranean termites belong to Rhinotermitidae or Termitidae. Many times, Pest Management Professionals (PMPs) find piles of dead, winged termites i

First release: 29 Sep 2018Disclaimer: This document may be outdated. Readers should get the most updated regulatory information from federal, state, county, and city resources. Remember, laws change all the time!Pesticide label is the law! You probably have heard this over and over. Although all of

Whole-structure fumigation or simply "fumigation" (not to be confused with use of ‘total-release foggers’ or ‘bug bombs’) is a process in which structures (e.g. houses, vehicles, ships) are covered with tarpaulins (Fig 1.) and a lethal gas, sulfuryl fluoride (SF), is released beneath to kill drywood