Top 5 Summer Pests in Sacramento

1. Mosquitoes

Mosquito season in Sacramento runs from late spring through summer, and longer near standing water such as Natomas. According to UC IPM, the cycle from egg to adult can finish in a week or less in summer, so a plant saucer or a blocked gutter is enough. Our mosquito control starts with the yard walk, then treats the foliage where adults rest.

2. Ants

Ants arrive as soon as yards start getting watered again in spring and stay active through summer. UC IPM names the Argentine ant as the most common ant in California homes. It says spraying ants indoors will not stop more of them coming in.

Ant control goes after the nest and the entry points outside the house.

3. Spiders

Spiders settle into eaves, garages and door frames through the warm months. UC IPM names the western black widow as the most common harmful spider in California. It says the spider sits in dark, dry, undisturbed places like woodpiles and cluttered garages, so wear gloves when you clear them out.

Spider control starts with taking the webs down, then treating the eaves, door frames and garage corners.

4. Wasps

Yellowjacket queens start nests in spring. By late summer the colonies stop growing, and the foragers turn up at outdoor meals and in open soda cans, according to UC IPM.

Cover food and soda outside and keep garbage in sealed cans. A nest in a wall, a vent or the roofline is a job for wasp and hornet removal, and our guide on what attracts wasps covers where they nest.

5. Fleas

UC IPM says flea numbers climb sharply in spring and early summer, though fleas turn up on pets all year. The adults on the pet are a small part of the problem. The eggs and larvae sit in bedding, carpet and the shaded ground where the pet lies down.

Flea and tick treatment covers the pet areas inside and the yard areas the pet uses. The 12-month plan agreements list major flea infestations as an exclusion.