Emergency pest control is for problems that threaten health, safety, or a deadline you cannot move. Rats inside living space, a wasp nest at a doorway, bed bugs days before a move, or live cockroaches in a restaurant before an inspection all qualify. For these, PesPro's 24/7 emergency line at (323) 472-5329 is answered around the clock. Same-day service is available for an extra fee when a route allows.
Which pest problems count as emergencies?
Four situations justify an emergency call, because each gets worse with every day of delay:
- Rats or mice inside rooms where people sleep or eat.
- A wasp or yellowjacket nest at a door, window, or play area.
- Bed bugs found days before a move or a unit inspection.
- Live cockroaches or rodent evidence in a restaurant facing a health inspection.
A tenant vermin complaint belongs here too. California Civil Code 1941.1 makes keeping a rental free of vermin part of the landlord's habitability duty, and PesPro coordinates that work through its property manager programs. A single ant trail, spiders in the garage, or an occasional outdoor cockroach can wait for a scheduled general pest control visit. PesPro does not treat termites or mosquitoes.
What should I do in the first hour if there are rats in my home?
Keep people and pets out of the room, seal your food, and do not sweep or vacuum droppings. Then call.
- Leave droppings alone. The CDC says not to vacuum or sweep rodent urine, droppings, or nesting material, because that can put virus-carrying droplets into the air. To clean a small spot, air the room out for 30 minutes and wear rubber or plastic gloves. Soak it with 1 part bleach to 9 parts water for five minutes, then wipe with paper towels.
- Record the evidence. Photograph droppings, gnaw marks, and smudge marks along walls. Tenants should send them to the landlord the same day.
- Skip poison baits indoors. UC IPM warns that all rodenticides are toxic to pets, people, and nontarget wildlife, and that California prohibits most uses of first- and second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides. UC IPM calls snap traps the safest and most effective way to trap rats; set them along walls.
The rodent control program combines trapping, monitoring, and prevention, and rodent exclusion seals the entry points afterward. UC IPM calls exclusion the most successful and longest-lasting strategy for rat control around structures.
What should I do about a wasp nest at my front door?
Stop using that entrance, keep children and pets inside, and do not spray the nest yourself. UC IPM says calling a professional is the easiest and safest way to eliminate a nest.
- Do not swat or run. UC IPM says that if a wasp lands on you, wait for it to leave or gently brush it away. If wasps start stinging, leave the area as quickly as possible.
- Do not spray at night from the doorway. UC IPM notes that wasps are most likely to be in the nest at night, but stinging incidents are still likely. Partially intoxicated, agitated wasps turn up some distance from the nest, even the day after a treatment.
- Treat a sting the NIOSH way. Wash with soap and water, scrape the stinger out with gauze or a fingernail, never squeeze it or use tweezers, apply ice, and do not scratch. NIOSH warns that people allergic to venom may experience anaphylaxis, which requires immediate emergency care.
The wasp removal guide covers species identification and which nests to treat first. PesPro's wasp and bee control covers wasp, hornet, and yellowjacket nests, with live bee relocation when feasible.
I found bed bugs days before a move or an inspection. What now?
Stop moving furniture and bags, skip the fogger, and call the same day. UC IPM notes that people bring bed bugs home on luggage, clothes, bedding, and furniture. Leave everything in place until the plan is set.
- Bag and heat. Seal clothing and bedding in bags, wash hot, and dry on the hottest setting. UC IPM says at least 10 to 15 minutes in a dryer on the hottest setting kills bed bugs.
- No foggers. UC IPM says consumer aerosol foggers are not effective against bed bugs and could harm your health, and that insecticides alone will not control an infestation.
- Document and notify. Photograph live bugs, shed skins, and dark fecal spots on seams, and notify the landlord in writing the same day. The AB 551 guide for LA apartments covers what the law requires of both sides.
PesPro's bed bug treatment requires property preparation first, which the bed bug prep checklist walks through. Follow-up visits are part of the quoted plan.
My restaurant has an inspection coming and I saw cockroaches. What do I do first?
Treat live activity as a closure risk, not a points problem. LA County Public Health starts every inspection at 100 points: 90 to 100 earns an A, 80 to 89 a B, 70 to 79 a C. Any facility with a critical violation may be subject to closure regardless of score. Two scores below 70 within twelve months make the facility subject to closure and further legal action.
- Write down what you saw, where, and when. Dated notes become your corrective-action record for the re-inspection.
- Cut off food and water. Seal open product, break down cardboard, take out trash, and dry floor drains and prep sinks overnight.
- Do not fog or broadcast-spray the kitchen. PesPro's restaurant programs use only food-safe, EPA-registered methods: gel baits, insect growth regulators, mechanical trapping, and exclusion, with no broadcast spraying near food surfaces.
PesPro's restaurant pest control is built backward from the DPH inspection checklist, runs pre-opening or after close, and keeps service logs formatted for inspector review. After a failed inspection, same-day emergency remediation is available for an extra fee, and cockroach follow-up visits are part of the quoted plan. See also the health code compliance guide.
How do the 24/7 line and same-day service work?
The emergency line at (323) 472-5329 is answered around the clock, including when the El Monte office is closed. Office hours for routine bookings are Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 6 PM, and Saturday, 9 AM to 3 PM. Phone service is available in English and Spanish. Have ready what you are seeing, where, and since when. The written quote is free.
Same-day service is a separate decision with an extra fee, and availability depends on the route. Ask on the call whether a slot exists for your address. The same-day pest control guide covers which problems justify the fee and which can wait.
Every PesPro service carries a 30-day guarantee. If cockroaches, bed bugs, or rodents return within 30 days, the third visit is included at no extra cost. For all other pests, another visit within 30 days costs 30% of the original price. For anything that can wait, the contact page books a regular visit.
Frequently asked questions
Is same-day pest control the same as emergency service?
No. The 24/7 emergency line is a phone service, answered at any hour so the problem can be triaged and the visit booked. Same-day service is a scheduling option with an extra fee, offered when a technician's route can reach your address that day. A 2 AM call may lead to a same-day visit or to the first available appointment.
Does PesPro charge extra for emergency calls?
The written quote is free. Same-day service carries an extra fee, so ask about it when you call. A visit on the regular route carries no same-day fee. Treatment prices depend on property size, pest type, and service frequency. Bed bug and cockroach jobs are quoted after inspection because infestation severity drives the scope of work.
What pests does PesPro not treat, even in an emergency?
Termites and mosquitoes. For termite inspections, PesPro recommends contacting a termite-specialty company, and mosquito concerns go to your local mosquito and vector control district. PesPro covers rodents, cockroaches, bed bugs, ants, spiders, fleas and ticks, wasps, hornets, and yellowjackets, plus commercial and multi-unit programs.