Portland’s Best Pest Control Blog

There is so much information on horticulture, gardening and nursery websites that it can be daunting to dig through. Soil pH, Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium, and a whole aisle of brightly colored pesticide products on the shelf at the hardware store, it is tempting to just start buying bottles for the heck of it.

Many gardeners scorn bugs eating vegetable plants. Garden pests can be devastating if you’re like me and you love vegetables, plants & trees.

You might ask yourself what are the best soil amendments when your garden and trees start looking sad. The best soil amendments are different than plant fertilizers because they feed the soil. A healthy soil food web is always the best way to get good garden pest...

Humans love feeding birds. Sometimes we find ourselves asking how to keep rats away from bird feeders. Putting out sunflower, millet, and other seeds is certain to attract adorable songbird visitors. Seeds contain perfectly proportioned packets of fats, carbohydrates, protein and nutrients. Nature designed seeds to give the plant everything needed to germinate and survive.

Seeing a rat in your backyard during the day? Wondering what keeps rats away outside naturally? This article reviews the basics of outdoor rodent control using IPM so you can get back to enjoying your backyard. How to Control Rodents Outdoors NaturallyIn most cases, a...

In Portland, we want the best rodent control. But we also want to be careful with poisons and traps. This article examines what contributes to the scary Portland rat problem and how to control it the smart way. Learn why it's important to control the Portland rat...

In Portland rat control is incredibly important. We have a multitude of gardens, aging garages and old homes that are totally vulnerable to city rats. This article describes why ignoring rats might create more problems for the environment later, and what we can do...

In Portland, humane rat removal is something folks are interested in. But what does humane rat removal actually mean? For many, this means live trapping and releasing a rat far away from their home. This is one strategy to get rid of rats from your home. If you choose...

If you’ve ever had to get rats or ants out of the home, you know it can be a nightmare. Don’t let pest control be an afterthought. Follow these 5 simple tips to keep your home naturally pest free. Whether it’s spiders in the basement or a squirrel in the attic,...

Rats are a pain in the butt. And a dangerous pest. Many folks would prefer to simply use some smells that rats hate to repel them for good. Although they’re not a silver bullet by any means, rat repellents can be part of a good Integrated Pest Management strategy for...

Rats are extremely smart. So before you try to trap rats outside, you need the best techniques that don't teach rats to avoid your traps. Luckily, you found the page that has your answers here. Trapping Rats OutdoorsTraps should always be part of a good IPM strategy...

Out of the corner of your eye, you see a wiggling brown blob on the feeder. Wait, that's not a bird. It's a big fat rat. If you're wondering if the bird seed is attracting rats, and how to stop it, you're not alone. We wondered the same thing, so we compiled data from...

This guest-post was originally written by our fellow eco-friendly Pest Control operator Erik Johnson of Grove Pest Control out of Calgary Canada. Enjoy!Cleaning is the number one weapon against mice in the house. You can clean the mice right out! Maybe not literally,...

Humans love feeding birds. Sometimes we find ourselves asking how to keep rats away from bird feeders. Putting out sunflower, millet, and other seeds is certain to attract adorable songbird visitors. Seeds contain perfectly proportioned packets of fats, carbohydrates, protein and nutrients. Nature designed seeds to give the plant everything needed to germinate and survive.

You may have noticed convoys of Portland pest control trucks patrolling the highways and backroads of the metro area. Or maybe you’ve recently had to call one yourself. Pest control is something most of us have grown up with. But what is the definition of pest? One species that’s a pest to one may not be to another. For Portland pest control, our two main urban “pest” species are rats and ants. Why do we define rats and ants as pests?

Frustrated with ants that never go away? After the fifth trip to the hardware store for ant control baits & sprays, you might ask yourself: “What pesticides do pest control companies use?” This article will summarize a few chemicals and how they’re best utilized. I’ll also make some recommendations for pollinator safety.

Zebra mussels, wild boars, and Burmese phythons are famous examples invasive animal pests. In the Everglades wildlife biologists report the pythons have slurped up to ninety-five percent of the small mammals there. And thats just in twenty five years of pythons being escaped in the Everglade ecosystem.

If you’re in Portland, sugar ant control in the springtime can be a struggle. Kitchen windowsills, sinks & showers are their favorite haunts. Sugar ants aka odorous house ants are tiny pests that get into food and crawl over people & pets. This article will walk you through the integrated pest management approach on how to get rid of sugar ants.

There is so much information on horticulture, gardening and nursery websites that it can be daunting to dig through. Soil pH, Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium, and a whole aisle of brightly colored pesticide products on the shelf at the hardware store, it is tempting to just start buying bottles for the heck of it.

In Portland spider habitat is abundant. Outdoors, they’re an important part of the food chain. Indoors, their presence is not appreciated. With the right information we can begin to rethink some of our fears and misunderstandings about spiders. This article will help us make the right decisions for pollinators & wildlife. Let’s look at a few techniques on how to make peace with the spiders around your home.

The ancient Sumerians are usually referenced for the first recorded pest control using sulfur compounds to control insects & mites. The most detailed sources say that sulfur dust was actually rubbed on the body to control insects & chigger mites. I searched around curious to learn more, but didn’t find an original source to confirm this. The original statement was almost implying it was first used as agricultural use of a pesticide.

Axious about climate change? Wondering what climate change will do to trees, plants, and your landscaping? We'll explore these questions and offer which local Portland trees we think will be worst and best for climate change resilience. How Does Climate Change Affect...

Humans have introduced so many exotic species, so long ago we now think of many as natural. Some become disruptive, but others find a place within their new ecosystem. What are some examples of beneficial invasive species? Why do we love some exotic species, when we...