Unwelcome House Guests : Rains Bring Rats, Ants--and Mosquitoes

The recent record rains have forced rats and ants out of their homes and into yours.

Officials said the rains flooded the pests’ nests and caused them to seek shelter elsewhere. And, in what county officials are calling the most prolific year for mosquitoes in a decade, the skin-piercing insects are hatching in pools, ponds and puddles.

“With all the rain we’ve had, there are probably lots of containers in back yards that people have not yet emptied,” said Gil Challet, manager of the Orange County Vector Control District which eradicates disease-carrying pests.

While mosquitoes have been known to carry such diseases as encephalitis and malaria, he said, there have been no such outbreaks in Orange County since 1984.

“Mosquitoes need water in which to breed,” Challet said, “so the more water there is, the more potential there is for breeding.”

During the first three months of 1995, Challet said, the district received 464 complaints of mosquito infestations, more than twice the 179 received over the same period last year. In fact, he said, this year has been the most prolific for mosquitoes since 1985, when the onset of a long drought dramatically diminished their numbers.

This week, the county hired eight new temporary workers for the annual battle against mosquitoes.

While a team is assembled every year, Challet said, the county’s bankruptcy forced the district to hire this year’s mosquito-abatement team a month later than usual, saving about $12,000. The team will respond to complaints about mosquitoes through September, he said, by spraying breeding grounds with insecticides, urging residents to empty back-yard water containers and stocking unkempt swimming pools with dozens of minnow-like “mosquito fish”--locally bred members of the guppy family known for their voracious taste for mosquito larvae.

“We give them a week to clean up,” Challet said of the 1,000 swimming pool owners known by the county to be recalcitrant in their pool-cleaning responsibilities. “If they don’t, then we put the fish in so we don’t have to repeatedly go back. People complain about it, but we give them every opportunity” to comply.

For pests such as ants and rats, Challet said, homeowners are on their own. Some area exterminating companies report a 20% increase in recent requests for dispatching ants.

And for those willing to trap rats out of existence, “business is pretty good right now,” said Tom Meany, president of Orange County Pest Control Inc. in Laguna Niguel.

“We’re getting lots of rodent calls,” he said. “Crazy things happen with rats.”

He said a company in Irvine had 12 computers crash after rats chewed through their cables, and a Laguna Niguel customer had the electrical system on a Mercedes-Benz ruined by rats.

Meany declined to identify either client.

What he will do--and frequently does--is try to educate people on dealing with interior pests. “The word exclusion is the key,” he says. “It’s in all the books--keep them out and they can’t bother you.”

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Pest Tips Winter rains have created a bumper crop of spring and summer pests. Here’s how to spot, treat and prevent infestations. Ants Signs * Ants scouting counters for food * Ill-fitting plumbing, electrical outlets * Loose sliding glass door frames Treatment * Regularly inspect interior/exterior of house * Set out baits * Apply insecticides around perimeter of home Preventive Tips * Trim overhanging trees * Seal plumbing, window frames and other exterior entries to house * Avoid leaving dirty dishes in sink, pet food on floor *

Rats Signs * Rat droppings * Fruit eaten on tree * Exterior holes larger than a quarter Treatment * Set out traps * Rodent-proof home * Seal exterior holes larger than a quarter Preventive Tips * Trim shrubbery away from house * Stack firewood about 18 inches above the ground * Pick ripe fruit off ground and trees *

Mosquitoes Signs * Standing water * Swarming * Nearby creeks, channels and lakes Treatment * Apply repellent * Burn citronella candles * Contact county mosquito abatement officials Preventive Tips * Empty outside containers; cover or turn upside down * Level or repair easily flooded areas * Avoid outdoor work at dusk or dawn when mosquitoes are most active *

Who to Call Generally, inspections and treatments can range from $125 to $200. For mosquito abatement, contact Vector Control at (714) 971-2421. Sources: Orange County Vector Control District, Orange County Pest Control, Inc., Western Exterminator; Researched by DAVID HALDANE and APRIL JACKSON / Los Angeles Times