Exterminators keep busy this summer in Las Vegas

It's scorpion season out there, so be careful.

Marc Simon, who owns Payless Pest Control, said scorpions are crawling throughout the valley looking for food and water.

"We had a mild winter this year, and scorpions, along with a lot of other pests, were able to multiply and they're out there now and keeping me busy," he said. "I look for scorpions under rocks or under a vase or potted plant. When I find them, I kill them. However, before I do that, I always talk to the homeowner about their children and pets, and that dictates what I use to destroy these pests."

A scorpion sting is painful and there will be swelling, numbness and tingling at the site of the bite. Ice usually brings down the swelling and an antihistamine or hydrocortisone cream can relive swelling and itching.

Simon notes that scorpions are always going to return and the best way to keep them at bay is to service the home regularly throughout the year. He creates a barrier around the base of the home with pesticides that repel scorpions so they go somewhere else. Others die after walking over an area that has been sprayed because the solution enters their bodies via the membranes of their feet.

When Simon isn't fending off scorpions, he's busy killing Norway rats, also known as roof rats.

"Those rats are all over the valley and the crazy thing is they're not native to this part of the country," he said. "Those rats have come in from out of state.

"Keep in mind that nothing is made in Las Vegas. All housing material is shipped in from somewhere else, and the rats hitch a ride. Primarily, they come in from Arizona. Many also arrive via palm trees and other plants."

Rats nest in palm trees and attics, according to Simon. They like palm trees because of the tree's berries but prefer living in a home.

"I have found rats nesting inside a sofa and it's going to get worse before it gets better because they're multiplying faster than we can exterminate them," he said. "But once I get inside the home, they're easy to find. When a rat leaves his nest, he goes to the bathroom as he moves along and then uses that trail to return to his nest. I shine ultraviolet light on the floor and follow the rat trail to the nest. It works every time."

Curtis Smith of Agent Pest Control said 20 percent of his customers have some type of rat problem. They either see the rat, the rat droppings or, worse, hear them in the attic.

"When I go after these rats, I set traps in the attic," he said. "Outside, I set bait stations and try to kill them before they get inside. I return in a week to check the attic traps and remove the ones that were caught.

"After removing the rat from the indoor trap, I reset it because the trap now has a rat scent and those still running around will be more inclined to return to that scented trap. Outside, the rats eat the bait and wander off and die within a day or two. If the bait is gone from the trap, I replace it with more bait. It all works."

Smith also deals with pigeons that sit on roofs and make an unhealthy mess around the home and driveway. Pigeons can be hard to control and their droppings can carry many diseases, insects and parasites.

"The pigeons are sitting on the roof because they probably built a nest there," he said. "They find a nook or opening where there is shade and some covering. I arrive and put a screen over that nook so they can't get into it anymore. Then I place repellent gel around the edges of the screen. Pigeons don't like the feel of the gel when they walk on it so they fly away and don't return."

The federal government carefully regulates the pest control industry, and most products are approved by the Environmental Protection Agency, according to Simon. They are nontoxic to pets and children and don't wash away in the rain. A green movement within the industry has pesticides being made with herbs and plants that are natural enemies to pests and will kill them.

Both Smith and Simon have some advice for homeowners: Clean the kitchen every night, put away all dishes, and don't leave any food out on the table. Vacuum the house regularly. Pick up fruit that falls from fruit trees and minimize the amount of bird seed that drops to the ground if there is a bird feeder in the backyard. Keep all pet food inside the house and consider pouring that 25-pound bag of dog food into an aluminum garbage can as rats and mice enjoy eating through paper and plastic.