Blog

Winter in Maple Leaf communities brings beauty and chill — and a hidden risk under many homes: moist, poorly controlled crawl spaces that invite ant activity and can lead to costly damage. While ants are a normal part of the outdoor ecosystem, certain species — most notably carpenter ants — seek out damp or decaying…

The holiday travel season brings joy, family reunions and packed suitcases — and it also raises the risk of bed bug encounters for residents of dense urban neighborhoods like Belltown. With increased hotel occupancy, short‑term rentals and lots of foot traffic through apartments and high‑rise buildings, bed bugs can hitch a ride home on clothing,…

The holidays bring cheer, company, and an expanded array of treats — but they also bring the highest risk of pantry pests. Flour moths, weevils, ants and the occasional opportunistic rodent are drawn to the increased food traffic, new packages and forgotten tins tucked away for seasonal baking. Madrona Pantry Organization focuses on stopping holiday…

West Seattle’s steep ridgelines, pockets of remnant forest, and network of urban neighborhoods create a distinctive landscape that strongly shapes how small mammals respond to winter stress. In the Pacific Northwest’s generally mild but wet winters, rodents — native species like voles, deer mice, and Douglas squirrels, as well as commensal rats and house mice…

Ballard’s tree-lined streets and inventory of early-20th-century Craftsman homes give the neighborhood much of its character — but those same architectural features that make these houses charming also make their attics prime real estate for rodents when temperatures drop. As autumn turns to winter and outdoor food sources shrink, mice, rats, squirrels and the occasional…

December brings holiday travel, higher guest turnover, and extra luggage traffic — all of which raise the risk of bed bug introductions to short‑term rentals. For Fremont Airbnb hosts, staying ahead of bed bugs during the busy season means combining vigilant inspection, preventative housekeeping, clear guest communication, and a plan for rapid, professional response. A…

Walk down the narrow, shaded alleyways of Rainier Beach on a warm evening and you may notice something unsettling: the telltale scatter of roaches slipping between trash bins, under wooden pallets, and into the crevices of building foundations. For many residents and business owners this time of year brings an uptick in sightings — not…

Phinney Ridge is a leafy, tight-knit neighborhood where homes and decks are integral parts of daily life, but its Pacific Northwest winters bring a familiar challenge: rodents seeking shelter and sustenance. Damp, cool conditions combined with the neighborhood’s proximity to parks, greenbelts and mature landscaping make under-deck and on-deck storage especially attractive to mice and…

When the holidays arrive in Wallingford, kitchens fill with the warm aroma of baking: sugar cookies iced in festive colors, buttery shortbread, and family recipes handed down through generations. For many households, those cookies are more than treats — they’re gifts, party staples, and a few weeks’ worth of comfort. But along with tins of…

Laurelhurst’s mix of mature trees, waterfront properties and older homes creates a unique urban-forest edge that roof rats (Rattus rattus) exploit year-round. While these rodents are typically associated with warm, arboreal habitats—moving along branches, gutters and utility lines—short, sharp cold snaps in December can trigger notable shifts in their behavior. For residents and property managers,…