Seasonal Pest Planning: Check Conditions, Keep a Record

1After rain or a leak: look for water

Check doors, sinks, and ground near the building for standing water or leaks you can see safely. Note wet wood and pipe repairs. Water can draw pests, but a wet spot does not prove one is there. Report the place and date of a needed repair, then check that it was done.

• Photograph a leak or pool before cleanup so the maintenance team can find it.
• Keep wood and stored items away from wet surfaces where feasible.
• Get skilled help for roof, electrical, or crawl-space work.

2When food or plants change: check ways in

After fruit drops, trash storage changes, or plants reach a wall, inspect the building perimeter from the ground. Close food bins, pick up fallen fruit, and note torn vent screens or gaps at doors. If rodents may be using a gap, make a plan to remove them before closing it. For termite concerns, record wings or pellets with the location and date rather than assuming a quiet month means no activity. Lewis and colleagues measured western drywood termite activity in five infested logs in a California test structure and found more activity in warmer conditions. Logs in a test structure do not establish when termites will be detectable in a particular house.

• Watch any ant trail long enough to see where it enters and what food it reaches.
• Record rodent gnaw marks or droppings without dry sweeping or vacuuming them.
• Send a repair request for a gap with its exact place and a photo.

3At a move or site walk: update the log

Ask residents or staff what they saw and where. Check past reports, traps, leaks, and repairs. Note if a sign is new or has come back in the same place. For buildings with more than one unit, UC IPM calls for a shared log of complaints, checks, repairs, and pest work. That gives the next visit a history.

• Record the date, place, pest or sign, photo or saved bug, action, and result.
• Check monitors in consistent locations when monitoring is part of the plan.
• Check the signs before booking treatment; do not schedule pesticide use by date alone.

4Let each result set the next check

A fixed leak, a closed gap, or a new trap catch gives you a reason to look again. Put the next date by the first note and compare what you find. A new catch after a repair may mean another route remains; an empty trap is only one observation. If signs keep coming, share the log with a qualified provider to confirm the pest and revise the plan. Use the interactive pest season calendar for a broad view, then act on the signs at your site.