Pest Control in Atherton, CA

How is a large estate walked?

A large estate has a long perimeter, with fences, gates and outbuildings. The walk follows the perimeter from the front gate to the house, recording each gate, fence post and gap.

Outbuildings are checked at their bases and at their joints with the ground, and any stored feed is recorded and recommended for sealed bins.

What about the trees and the roof?

Mature trees give roof rats a route to the eaves. Each branch that touches the roof is recorded, and the report recommends that a tree service cut it back.

A hollow tree near the house can hold a nest, and any run from it toward the building is recorded.

How are the wood contacts on a large lot handled?

Fence posts, gate posts, stored timber and the steps of a garden house are the wood contacts UC ANR describes. The walk marks each one and records the height above the soil.

Where a post is set in the soil, the report recommends lifting it onto a support above the grade.

What should an Atherton caller check?

Atherton is in San Mateo County, so the registration check is made for that county. Ask for the licence holder’s name and the business’s San Mateo County registration when booking, and tell the technician about the perimeter and the outbuildings.

Perimeter walks on large estates

A large estate’s perimeter can run for a considerable distance, and the walk is planned in sections. The report lists each section and the buildings within it, so the findings can be read in order.

Gates and their posts at the entrance are checked, since they are used daily and may have gaps.

On a large estate, the perimeter walk can take a full part of the visit. The report divides the perimeter into sections, so each gate and fence line can be followed up on its own.

Large estates often have a gardener’s shed and a set of stored materials close to the house. The walk checks the shed and the stored items, and recommends moving the materials away from the wall.

A long driveway with a gate at its end is a route for rats along the boundary. The report records the gate and the drive edge as part of the perimeter.

Estates, drives and the perimeter

An estate in Atherton is laid out over a large area, and its drive can run a long way from the road to the house. The walk follows the drive edge, the landscaping beside it and the fence that runs alongside. Each feature is recorded with its distance from the house and its relationship to the boundary.

Estates often have stored materials, such as timber for the garden and stone for the paths, close to the buildings. The report recommends moving them off the soil and away from the wall, because a rat or a termite can use the cover and the contact that the stored material provides.