How a Combined Rodent and Pest Control Program Works

A combined program pairs PesPro's recurring general pest plan with its rodent control subscription, so insects and rodents fall under one plan. The rodent side adds trapping, monitoring stations and prevention work. Structural sealing is a separate service called rodent exclusion. Each visit produces a service report. Between visits, the homeowner removes food, water and shelter and reports what they see.

Why combine rodent control with general pest control?

Because the two share an inspection, a prevention list and, in California, a license. UC IPM describes integrated pest management as a combination of methods that work better together than separately, with pesticides used only after monitoring shows a need. California treats both as one trade: the Structural Pest Control Act defines household pests to include rodents, vermin and insects, all under the Branch 2 license.

PesPro's general pest control plan runs bi-monthly or quarterly and covers ants, spiders, silverfish and earwigs. Its rodent control program is a subscription that combines trapping, monitoring and prevention. Neither covers termites or mosquitoes, which PesPro does not treat.

What happens during the first inspection?

The program starts with an inspection, and the Structural Pest Control Act requires it. Under section 8514, a Branch 2 company may not begin work or issue an opinion on household pests until it has completed one. The inspection covers attic, crawl space, garage, kitchen, exterior and yard, and answers three questions.

Which rodent is active, and where does it travel? UC IPM notes that roof rats run along fence tops and utility lines and nest in attics, while Norway rats burrow along foundations. Traps go on those routes.
Which insects are present, and what feeds them: ant trails, spider harborage, moisture against the slab.
Which openings are larger than a quarter inch? UC IPM and LA County Public Health both say to seal them. These go on a separate written scope for rodent exclusion.

You receive a free written quote for the program, with the exclusion scope priced separately.

Where do the traps and monitoring stations go?

Traps go where the rodents already travel, and monitoring stations go where the technician needs an early warning. LA County Public Health prefers snap traps inside a structure, because poison bait can leave a rodent dead in an inaccessible spot, causing odors and flies. UC IPM advises setting traps at right angles to the wall, trigger end nearly touching it, about 10 to 20 feet apart for rats. A heavily infested home may need a dozen or more.

Monitoring stations are mapped and numbered so each finding ties to a location.

Interior insect monitors: glue boards under sinks, behind appliances and in the garage, to catch activity early.
Exterior rodent stations in tamper-resistant boxes along fence lines, at utility penetrations and near fruit trees. Whether one holds a snap trap, a non-toxic monitoring block or bait depends on the rules below.

Each visit, the technician checks every station, records the result and moves placements as activity shifts.

What are the rules for bait placement in California?

Bait is the last tool, and California restricts it heavily. The Department of Pesticide Regulation reports that since January 1, 2025, most uses of first- and second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides are prohibited statewide. Residential use is prohibited, and Branch 2 structural companies may use these baits only at exempt sites such as agricultural production and food processing plants.

UC IPM adds that in California almost all bait used around structures must sit in bait stations within 50 feet of the building. Stations must be tamper-resistant wherever children, pets, nontarget mammals or birds could reach the bait.

Three rules follow:

Rodent-proofing and trapping come first. LA County Public Health and UC IPM both say to rodent-proof before any outdoor baiting.
Every station is tamper-resistant, labeled, mapped by number and recorded in the service log. Indoors, snap traps replace bait, as LA County recommends.
When a program ends, uneaten bait is removed and disposed of, as UC IPM directs.

For the full trade-off between sealing, trapping and bait, read rodent exclusion vs. baiting.

What is in the service log?

The service log records what was found, what was done and what still needs fixing. Homeowners receive a service report after the visit. Commercial accounts and property managers get digital service logs that owners, boards and health inspectors can read 24/7. A complete entry contains:

Date, technician and areas inspected.
Each station and trap checked, by number, with results and any new activity.
Materials applied: product name, active ingredient, exact placement.
Exclusion or sanitation items corrected, and what the homeowner still needs to fix.

Section 8538 of the Business and Professions Code requires written notice to the owner and any tenant, naming the pest, the pesticides and their active ingredients. For a periodic contract it also states the treatment frequency. A Branch 2 company must deliver it before the application, and again if the pesticide changes.

How often does the technician visit?

The general pest side runs bi-monthly or quarterly. The rodent side is front-loaded, with more trap checks in the first weeks. The CDC advises checking traps daily, and notes that cautious rats may take several days to approach a new trap. It considers the rats gone after a week with no catches and no new signs.

Once catches stop and the stations stay clean, rodent monitoring folds into the recurring visit. Pressure rarely stops near river corridors, hillsides and dense vegetation, so the rodent program is a subscription, not a one-time job. If something flares between visits, same-day service is available for an extra fee, depending on the route that day.

What should the homeowner do between visits?

Remove what the technician cannot, which is food, water and shelter, and report what you see. UC IPM warns that sanitation must be ongoing; without it the benefits of other measures are lost and rats quickly return.

Bring pet food and water bowls in at night, and pick up fallen fruit promptly.
Keep garbage in cans with tight-fitting lids, and store pet food and pantry goods in rodent-proof containers.
Thin dense vegetation and ivy, and lift stored items at least 18 inches off the ground or remove them. Hillside lots need this most; see why rodents enter hillside homes.
Leave traps and stations in place; moving one breaks that location's record.
Do not set out your own poison. It confuses the catch data and, indoors, risks the dead-in-the-wall problem.
Send photos of droppings or gnaw marks with the date and location.
Do not sweep or vacuum dry droppings; LA County says to wet them with disinfectant first. Cleanup steps are in the LA County rodent control guide.

Frequently asked questions

Can I add rodent control to an existing general pest plan?

Yes. Rodent control is quoted after an inspection, because species, activity level and visit frequency set the scope. The written quote is free. Trapping, monitoring stations and prevention then run alongside the recurring general pest visits. Sealing, if needed, is quoted separately as rodent exclusion.

Does the combined program include rodent exclusion?

No. The rodent control subscription covers trapping, monitoring and prevention. Rodent exclusion, the structural sealing of gaps, vents, utility penetrations and foundation cracks, is sold as an add-on or as a standalone service. What gets sealed is covered in rodent exclusion in Los Angeles.

Is rodent control covered by the 30-day guarantee?

Yes, in the first tier. If the problem reappears within 30 days, PesPro returns for a third visit at no extra cost. That tier covers rodents, cockroaches and bed bugs. For all other pests, another visit within 30 days costs 30% of the original price. Full terms are on the guarantee page.

Will a technician still use rat poison at my home?

Only as a last resort. California prohibits most uses of anticoagulant rodenticides, including at homes, and LA County Public Health prefers snap traps indoors. UC IPM lists bromethalin, cholecalciferol and zinc phosphide as the active ingredients still registered for rat control. Any bait used sits in a tamper-resistant station within 50 feet of the structure and appears in your service log.