Chino Hills Pest Control

Common Pests in Chino Hills and How to Manage Them

Chino Hills’ warm climate, irrigated landscaping, hillsides, and nearby open spaces support many types of insects and rodents. Some are temporary outdoor visitors, while others can establish themselves inside homes or cause property damage.

Correctly identifying the pest is the first step toward choosing an effective treatment. Here are some of the pests Chino Hills homeowners commonly encounter.

Argentine Ants

Argentine ants are among the most common household pests in Southern California. They frequently enter homes in search of food and water, particularly during hot, dry weather or after heavy rain.

To help reduce ant activity:

• Clean food spills and crumbs promptly.
• Store food and pet food in sealed containers.
• Repair plumbing and irrigation leaks.
• Trim plants away from the structure.
• Seal openings around doors, windows, pipes, and utility lines.
• Avoid spraying ant trails with repellent products when baiting is being used.

Argentine ant colonies can be extensive, so simply killing the visible ants may provide only temporary relief.

Spiders

Most spiders found around Chino Hills homes are harmless and help control other insects. Spider activity often increases where insects, webs, clutter, and protected hiding places are available.

Black widows can occur in Southern California and typically hide in dry, sheltered, undisturbed locations. Wear gloves when moving firewood, storage boxes, outdoor furniture, or other materials that have been sitting undisturbed.

Despite frequent reports, brown recluse spiders are not established in California and are not considered a common Chino Hills pest.

To reduce spiders:

• Remove accessible webs.
• Reduce clutter in garages and storage areas.
• Seal openings around doors and windows.
• Repair damaged screens.
• Reduce the insects that spiders use as food.
• Keep outdoor lighting away from doors when practical.

Cockroaches

Several cockroach species can be found in Southern California. American, Oriental, and Turkestan cockroaches usually live outdoors but may enter garages and homes through gaps, drains, or openings around utility lines.

German cockroaches are different because they live and reproduce indoors, commonly around kitchens and other areas with food, warmth, and moisture. Proper identification is important because the treatment methods vary by species.

Helpful prevention measures include:

• Repairing plumbing and irrigation leaks
• Sealing gaps around pipes and doors
• Keeping trash containers closed
• Cleaning grease, crumbs, and spills
• Avoiding pet food left out overnight
• Removing unnecessary cardboard and clutter

Pesticides alone may not solve a cockroach problem if food, water, shelter, and entry conditions remain.

Crickets, Earwigs, and Other Occasional Invaders

Crickets, earwigs, millipedes, and similar pests often live outdoors and enter homes accidentally. Activity may increase when outdoor conditions become unusually hot, dry, or wet.

Removing leaf litter and debris, correcting excessive moisture, installing door sweeps, and sealing exterior openings can reduce these pests. Exterior treatment may be appropriate when large numbers repeatedly gather around the structure.

Rats and Mice

Rats and mice can enter homes through gaps in roofs, vents, garage doors, utility openings, and other exterior areas. They may contaminate stored food, damage insulation, and gnaw on wiring or building materials.

Possible signs include:

• Droppings
• Gnaw marks
• Noises in walls or attics
• Damaged food packaging
• Rub marks along walls
• Nesting material
• Openings around the building exterior

Effective rodent control generally combines exterior exclusion, trapping, sanitation, and monitoring. Sealing entry points is especially important because trapping rodents without correcting how they entered may allow the problem to return.

Rodent control is a specialized service and is not automatically included with standard general pest-control treatment.

Drywood Termites

Drywood termites live inside wood above the ground and do not require soil contact. Common signs include hard termite pellets, discarded wings, swarmers, small kickout holes, and damaged wood.

Because drywood termites can remain concealed behind walls, ceilings, siding, and other finishes, determining the extent of an infestation can be difficult. Treatment may involve a localized application, wood replacement, or whole-structure fumigation, depending on the findings.

Subterranean Termites

Subterranean termites generally live in the soil and enter structures through mud shelter tubes or concealed openings. Signs may include shelter tubes, damaged wood, and seasonal swarms.

These termites require different treatment methods from drywood termites. Fumigation does not control a subterranean termite colony in the soil. Treatment may involve trenching, drilling, and applying an appropriate termiticide to the soil.

One-Time and Quarterly Pest-Control Service

Tiger Termite Control offers one-time service for specific pest problems and quarterly service for continuing management of common household pests.

Standard general pest-control service commonly covers ants, spiders, crickets, earwigs, silverfish, centipedes, millipedes, American cockroaches, wasps, and hornets. Termites, rodents, fleas, mosquitoes, gophers, and certain other pests require a separate evaluation and service plan.

There are no long-term contracts for quarterly general pest-control service, and customers may cancel at any time.

Chino Hills Pest-Control Professionals Since 1997

Tiger Termite Control is a family-owned company based in Chino Hills. We have provided termite and pest-control services to local homeowners since 1997.

If you have a pest problem, save a specimen or take clear photographs when possible. Let us know where the pest was found and how frequently you are seeing it.

Call Tiger Termite Control at (909) 597-6953 to request service.

Updated September 2026.