10 best pest control companies in Cerritos, California

Common pests such as cockroaches, fleas and flies can easily infest homes in Cerritos. You can try DIY measures to prevent potential pest problems, but you may need to call in a pest control company if you already have an infestation. These skilled pest control professionals in Cerritos can pinpoint the problem and treat it safely and effectively.

Pest infestations pose risks to your home and family. Insects and small animals can spread disease, damage the structure of your home and contaminate food.

Hiring pest control professionals can significantly lower the damage from an infestation. A technician will locate nesting areas, and create an extermination plan, using methods such as sealing entrances, capturing pests or applying pesticides. The right pest solution can take care of your pest infestation for the long haul.

Find the best local pest control company for you in Cerritos

Look for pest control companies in Cerritos with at least 3.5 out of 5 stars on Google Reviews and a good rating on Better Business Bureau (BBB). Use the filters below to help you find the right company for your needs.

What are common pests in Cerritos?

Different pests infest different areas. Here are some indications of common pests in the Cerritos area.

• Termites: Termites feed on the cellulose fibers found in wood. They may be present in your home if you notice droppings, mud tubes, termite swarms, cracked or bubbling paint or wood that sounds hollow when you knock on it.
• Mosquitos: Standing water draws mosquitoes, so you’re at a higher risk of an infestation if you live in a wet climate or have bodies of water nearby. Mosquitoes are active at night — as the sun goes down, they emit a high buzzing noise and feed. You may not notice a bite until a few hours later, at which point the area around the bite appears raised and becomes itchy. Mosquitoes can carry diseases such as West Nile, dengue fever and malaria.
• Rats: You may have rats if you see a rat, hear skittering in your walls or ceiling or find droppings about half an inch long. Rats will also nibble into food wrappings and bite into walls and doors to create access points.
• Cockroaches: Cockroaches are active at night and tend to run when you turn on a light. Still, you may catch a cockroach or two on the run if you have an infestation. Their nests tend to be around kitchens, basements and bathrooms. Cockroaches often leave brown smudges on walls and floors, and droppings that look like small black specks around your home. Cockroaches can spread disease through contamination and exacerbate respiratory problems.
• Flies: It's common to see a few flies inside your home in the summer, but an excessive number likely signals an infestation. Flies leave feces resembling clusters of black dots by sinks, shelves, or trash. Finding maggots, which are fly larvae, in your trash also indicates an infestation.
• Ants: Many different types of ants can invade your home. Carpenter ants are attracted to wood, while fire ants like greasy food. Both types sting, unlike pavement ants, which can also frequently find their way inside. If you see a trail of ants in your home, it signifies a larger infestation nearby.
• Bees: If you see more bees than usual inside or around your home, have dark stains on your walls or hear humming inside the walls, you may have a bee infestation. You might also notice a strange smell coming from your walls. This happens as bees die or honey seeps into the walls, causing the growth of mold and fungi. Bees can easily harm your family or your pets, as bee stings often cause allergic reactions.

How can you prevent pests in your Cerritos home?

While an infestation will typically require professional help, the best way to avoid pest infestations is to take preventative steps.

Schedule regular preventative pest control

Bugs and small animals are troublesome and can cause extensive damage to your home and health if left unchecked. Consult with a pest control service about taking proactive measures to keep pests from invading your home. They may recommend sealing cracks and holes, setting traps or spraying the area with pesticides.

Cover, seal or eliminate food sources

Pests mainly seek food, so making food hard to reach will keep them on their way. Keep food a minimum of half a foot off the floor and a bit away from the walls. Always ensure sinks, food storage areas and counters stay clean and sanitized between uses. Get rid of food scraps and other trash regularly, and keep your trash cans and dumpster areas neat.

Keep up with yard maintenance

Insects and small animals can hide in leaves, trash, standing water and tall grass. Keeping your yard clear of debris and your lawn and foliage well-maintained is one of the simplest ways to stop an infestation before it starts. If professional lawn maintenance is needed, find out if national lawn care services such as TruGreen cover your region.

Seal off pest entrances

Closing off entry points will discourage insects and small animals from coming inside. Rats, for example, can squeeze into holes as little as a half-inch in diameter. Don't neglect gaps in your roof or siding, and remember to seal up broken window frames. Some pest control services specialize in pest prevention.

What are questions to ask your pest control provider?

Ask the following questions to make sure you get a pest control expert that can address your specific needs.

Are your technicians properly licensed and insured?

Under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) oversees the use of pest control chemicals. Moreover, the EPA requires restricted-use pesticide applicators and their supervisors to hold certifications according to the agency's standards and the laws of the affected states, territories and tribes.

A Qualified Applicator License or Applicator Certificate issued by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation is required for pest control technicians to practice in California.

What treatment schedule do you recommend?

A pest expert's recommended treatment frequency will be determined by factors such as the pest type, infestation severity, treatment type and property location. Generally, pest control professionals do not recommend only a single treatment, since insects are often at different stages of their life cycle, and may have laid eggs in difficult-to-reach places.

Pest control experts often recommend regular treatments, with some carried out only during the warmer months and others continuing throughout the year. To prevent infestations from taking hold, they might also propose preventive treatments every two or three months to stop new infestations from forming.

How long will it take to get rid of pests?

How long it takes for your pest issue to disappear depends on the infestation type and severity, as well as the insect's life cycle. When the pest control professional applies the first treatment, you may notice a decline in activity, but pests could resurface after hatching, requiring additional treatments. On the other hand, you might see increased activity following the first treatment, as it can force pests from their hiding places. Fortunately, this should decrease within a few days' time.

Can I remain in my home during pest control treatments?

You should be able to remain in your home for certain portions of the pest control treatment, such as sealing entry points. Should your service provider use a pesticide, you'll most likely need to leave your home along with your family and pets while you wait for the pesticide to dry. This can typically take a few hours.

Certain pest control treatments can take a while. For termite fumigation, the pest control company erects a tent over your entire home for three days to apply the pesticide. You'll have to vacate your home during this process.

Are your treatments safe for my family and pets?

A service professional will know how much of a particular product to use, how long it takes to dry and when children and pets can safely re-enter the area that's been treated. Before applying any treatment, they should educate you on what you must remove from the affected space, such as animals, food and plants.

Do you offer any “green” pest control methods?

Certain pest specialists provide environmentally conscious methods for treating infestations. This means they use techniques with a lower environmental impact than traditional methods. Eco-friendly pest control methods may include sealing potential entry points where pests can gain access, using catch-and-release traps or applying pesticides made from natural sources.

What do I do if pests come back?

Many pest control services have guarantees and warranties in place if pests return before a certain date. Companies may offer a one-time treatment or recurring treatments to resolve a stubborn pest problem. Ask your service provider what options they offer.

Our methodology for selecting pest control companies

The Homefront Local team employs a proprietary scoring algorithm that evaluates companies based on key factors you value, such as average customer review ratings and trustworthiness indicators. Our method for determining trust involves a comparative analysis of the number of reviews a company receives compared to its local competitors. This leads to companies that have earned more trust from your local community being awarded a higher score. We review national pest control companies against our full pest control methodology. We score pest control companies based on service options, safety and certifications, service guarantees and customer service.