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Pest control blog: page 13

Identification guides, what treatments cost, and what the public records say about pests and the companies that deal with them.

Articles

Worker pushing a hand truck of boxes across a loading dockOriginal data

Pest Control, Not Farming, Applies 87 Percent of California’s Rat Poison

Structural pest control made 87.4% of California rodenticide bait applications in 2023; agriculture 0.1%. It also applied 97% of restricted SGAR use.

October 5, 2026Inspector examining stacked pallets in a warehouse aisleFor pros

Of 13,085 EPA Pesticide Cases, 39 Hit Pest Control Firms

EPA recorded 13,085 FIFRA cases from FY2010 to 2026; 39 were against pest control businesses ($806,935). 3,036 involved imports.

October 5, 2026Hydrologist lowering a probe into a groundwater well head in a farm fieldOriginal data

Neonicotinoids Are in More Than One in Four Groundwater Samples

Clothianidin was found in 28.6% of US groundwater well samples since 2015, imidacloprid 12.9%; fipronil 1.3%. Highest levels well below health limits.

October 5, 2026Barn owl perched on a fence post in a sunlit meadowOriginal data

California Cut Second-Generation Rodenticide Use by 85 Percent. Wildlife Exposure Barely Moved

California cut structural second-generation rodenticide use 85% after 2021, but 68.7% of tested wildlife still carried residues in 2024; 39 of 41 mountain lions.

October 5, 2026Mother lifting a toddler away from an open low cupboard in a family kitchenOriginal data

Boric Acid Poison Calls Rose 69 Percent in a Decade

Boric acid exposures to US poison centers rose 69% from 2014 to 2024, 90% in children 5 and under. Pyrethroids lead at 18,057.

October 5, 2026Call centre agent wearing a headset typing at a deskRats and mice

Rat Poison Calls to Poison Centers Fell 22 Percent in a Decade

US poison centers recorded 8,452 rodenticide exposures in 2024, down 22% from 2014. Anticoagulant cases fell 66%; bromethalin nearly tripled.

October 5, 2026Field worker in a high-visibility vest sampling marsh water with a long-handled dipperOriginal data

California Mosquito Control: Larvicides Dominate, Naled Up 63 Percent

Larvicides were 77.5% of California public health pesticide applications in 2023; aerial naled rose 63% to 106,621 lb. County and ingredient data.

October 4, 2026City worker in a high-visibility vest clearing leaves from a storm drainOriginal data

California’s Fipronil Is 99.7 Percent Pest Control, and It Reaches Streams

Structural pest control is 99.7% of reported fipronil use in California. Fipronil was detected in 16.9% of 2,489 California stream samples.

October 4, 2026Gloved hands drilling a small hole into a concrete patio edge beside a house wallTermites

Tenting Fell, and the Alternatives Did Not Replace It

California fumigations fell by 24,092 from 2016 to 2023; termite baits quadrupled, but borates, orange oil and termite-only liquids did not grow.

October 4, 2026Scientist pipetting water samples into small glass vials at a laboratory benchOriginal data

Insecticides in US Streams Rarely Come Alone

Of 14,675 US stream samples tested for 4 neonicotinoids, 26.1% held two or more. One sample held 10 pest control insecticides.

October 4, 2026Grey heron standing in shallow water at the edge of a reed bedOriginal data

Pyrethroids: 6 Percent of the Weight, 99.9 Percent of Aquatic Toxicity

Weighted by EPA aquatic benchmarks, five pyrethroids carry 98% of pest control's aquatic toxicity from 4.1% of its pounds. Bifenthrin alone: 44.7%.

October 4, 2026Farm worker walking along a sunlit almond orchard rowOriginal data

After the Rodenticide Ban, Ten Licences Make Two Thirds of Use

Ten licences made 66% of California's remaining second-generation rodenticide use in 2023; in Merced County it was still 49% of rodent baiting.

October 3, 2026