How do roof rats get from the trees into a Valley Village attic?
Roof rats are climbers. UC IPM describes them nesting above ground in shrubs, trees and ivy, and also in attics, wall voids and cabinets, and running along fences, wires and branches to get there. A mature palm or a wall of ivy next to a roofline is effectively a ramp.
UC IPM's practical advice is to trim palm frond skirts, thin oleanders and keep about three feet between any branch and the roof. They also eat avocados and citrus right on the tree, so fruit that is not picked can keep them nearby. The roof rat control page and the guide to roof rats, palms, citrus and attics go further.
Does the Tujunga Wash affect pests in Valley Village?
The Tujunga Wash is usually dry. It carries real flow only during and after storms, and those fall between November and April. For most of the year it is a long, open corridor along the neighborhood's west side, and homes beside it share a boundary with a strip of landscaping, fencing and concrete that rodents and other animals can follow.
A wash is also where storm water arrives all at once, so after a wet spell ants can move indoors to get out of the rain. Argentine ants may come in from winter wet as well as summer dryness, and a technician will ask which season you first noticed them. The Argentine ant control page lays out how bait works.
Are gophers a problem in Valley Village yards?
They can be. Pocket gophers leave crescent or horseshoe-shaped mounds, and UC IPM notes that irrigated lawns, beds and gardens keep soil workable all year, so mounds can appear in any month. A tidy front lawn on a watered schedule is exactly the sort of yard they like.
The usual method is trapping, with a probe used to locate the main burrow before traps go in. Because a gopher is out of sight, the visible mound is only a clue to where the tunnel runs. See gopher control for the steps, and the guide on pocket gophers and landscaping for the background.
Which vector district covers Valley Village, and what do they treat?
Which district serves a particular Valley Village address was not confirmed, so check the district map rather than assuming. The Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District lists Los Angeles City and treats mosquitoes, midges and black flies only. Westerly portions of Los Angeles City fall under the Los Angeles County West Vector Control District, which does mosquito abatement.
Neither one handles rats. Rodent questions go to the LA County Vector Management Program, (626) 430-5450, and the guide on which vector control district covers you explains the three districts in plain terms.
When do termites swarm in Valley Village, and what should I do if I see wings?
Two kinds of termites matter in Southern California, and their swarms follow different calendars. Drywood termite swarmers fly in the daytime in summer and fall, typically late summer or early fall in coastal and southern regions. Western subterranean termites swarm on calm, sunny days right after the first autumn rains, and may also swarm in spring, especially in southern California.
Keep a few of the insects in a sealed bag or jar, note where you found them, and avoid spraying the area before a technician has looked. Wings lying on a windowsill or in a spider web are common evidence. A termite inspection separates the two kinds, which matters because drywood termites live in dry attic wood while subterranean ones work from soil contact. Treatment differs, and the guide to drywood and subterranean termites explains how.
What can I do in my yard before a technician visits?
Start with what you can control cheaply. Trim branches back to about three feet from the roofline, trim palm frond skirts, pick fruit off avocado and citrus trees and keep trash in tight-fitting lids. Those steps follow UC IPM's roof rat advice and they take away the food and the ramps in one afternoon.
For ants, trim plants that touch the building and look for where the trail enters, but do not wipe it away if a technician is coming. For gophers, mark the fresh mounds so the burrow can be found with a probe. None of this replaces treatment, but it gives the technician a clearer picture and shortens the visit.
