Rain, low temperatures cause pests and rodents to infest homes in East Bay

Houses in the East Bay are infested with pests, rodents and even wild animals seeking shelter from the rain and extreme cold.

Mario Martinez, owner of All N One Pest Eliminators, serviced 10 homes in East Bay on Tuesday where infestations have been found ranging from ants and cockroaches to mice and rats.

“All day long, people were calling in a frenzy, rats were running around the residential area,” he said.

His pest inspector, Rodney Douglas, said rodents don’t just hide in basements and attics. This winter, he saw many more uninvited guests right in the open, in people’s living quarters.

“They go for pet food, they go through pet doors,” Douglas said.

In Lafayette, Gilbert Jamez, owner of Ratman Pest and Termite Control, sees the same problem among his clients.

Wildlife also moves. Raccoons, opossums and most often: skunks. Martinez recently pulled a family of five baby skunks out from under a house.

“They love to burrow, they love decking, and they love to dig holes under foundations to get under houses,” Douglas said.

At Bill’s Ace Hardware in Martinez, owner Bill Waigal is bracing for a surge in customer numbers over the next few days when the rain stops and homeowners have the opportunity to patch up any areas of their home that rodents have entered.

“I always like to point out that people start off the less toxic route,” said Bill Whygal, owner of Bill’s Ace Hardware in Martinez and Concord.

He recommends using steel wool, and if you’re using old-fashioned traps, “peanut butter usually works, and we’ve recently found regular walnuts for baking. Buy them from grocery stores and put a few pieces in there and the mice will generally go for it,” he said.

People want to avoid using toxic chemicals outdoors against pests and rodents when it rains or is about to rain because these chemicals end up in our storm drains and then into our rivers and streams.

“The main thing is to use your products in a safe way,” Waigal said.

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