Get matched with top pest control specialists in Oakley, ID

Make it easier for your inspector to do a thorough assessment by preparing your home ahead of time. That includes:

• Noting any signs of pests around the home

• Removing obstacles in the way of the attic, basement, plumbing, garbage, and other key areas that inspectors will need to access

• Keeping children and pets away from inspection areas

You can easily find sprays that claim they are safe for pets and kids. However, we’d rather not use them in our own homes if we’re worried about pet safety: They still include pesticides and other chemicals, and are best avoided in any food prep areas like the kitchen, or any spots where children and pets may place. That’s why sprays didn’t end up in our suggestions for the safest options.

Technically, yes, chinch bugs can fly. However you won’t usually see them in flight. Chinch bugs like to stick close to the ground and they usually move around by hopping or crawling (which is why they can be hard to see). Since they don’t get much chance at flying, they’re pretty bad at it and only fly for short distances—like to nearby yards.

Both insects can damage wood, but there are key differences between termites and carpenter ants that tell them apart. Carpenter ants tunnel through moist wood, leaving behind smooth tunnels and sawdust-like piles, as they don't eat the wood but rather carve it for nesting. In contrast, termites actually consume wood, creating irregular galleries filled with mud and dirt, and leaving behind mud tubes as their signature. In terms of appearance, carpenter ants have segmented bodies with heart-shaped heads and larger front wings, while termites have more oval bodies with straight antennae and equal-sized wings.