Residential & Dining Enterprises (R&DE) is committed to maintaining safe, clean, and pest-free residential and dining spaces through a proactive and environmentally responsible Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program. Our approach emphasizes collaboration between residents, staff, and professional contractors to ensure every interior space remains comfortable and pest-free year-round. 

Our program focuses on preventing pest issues before they start through regular monitoring and maintenance, educating residents and staff on early recognition and reporting, and coordinating timely response from licensed pest-control professionals. All treatments use environmentally safe, state-compliant solutions that protect both people and local wildlife.

All pest-control practices meet or exceed California State regulations (updated January 1, 2024), ensuring our methods are effective, sustainable, and safe.

Prevention is the best approach, so please review this information from our contracted pest management experts to learn how to prevent or alleviate pest problems.

Common Household Pests

Ants prefer different foods according to species and environmental conditions. Some ants favor sweets, others favor meat, and still others zero in on seeds and plants.

Good housekeeping is crucial, because ants will go elsewhere if there is no food and water to attract them. Ants venture indoors looking for food, especially during the winter rains and summer heat.

To temporarily resolve ant problems, spray the ant trail using a bottle filled with a household cleaner such as isopropyl alcohol, or a 50/50 mixture of vinegar and water. If you eliminate the chemical markings on their trail, fewer ants will follow it in from outside. Also, keep all food in sealed storage containers to eliminate ants from your counters, floors, and garbage.

If the problem persists, submit a Fix-it request or report the problem to your Housing Supervisor or Housing Service Center.

Mosquitoes. There are about 20 species of mosquitoes in Santa Clara County, including the common house mosquito (Culex pipiens), cool weather mosquito (Culiseta incidens), Western encephalitis mosquito (Culex tarsalis), the summer salt marsh mosquito (Aedes dorsalis), and the winter salt marsh mosquito (Aedes squamiger).

Mosquitoes are the most dangerous insect in the world. Some mosquitoes are capable of transmitting diseases such as West Nile virus, dengue, fever, and malaria causing close to one million deaths per year. Mosquitoes need water to lay eggs and can do so in as little as a bottle cap of water. Under ideal conditions, they can reach adulthood in less than a week.

The best way to prevent mosquitoes in your area is to drain, remove, or turn over anything that can hold water. This includes flowerpots, planter bases, bird baths, toys, cans, rain gutters, pet dishes, buckets, and tarps. Visit Santa Clara County Vector Control for more information. 

Rats and mice for food and shelter indoors during the rainy season. To prevent rodent infestations, clean up food sources and close off pest entry points. Outdoors, make sure to keep your residence and surrounding property clear of trash and debris. Use of patio areas as storage will provide a place for rodents to live. Indoors, keep doors closed, remove trash, and vacuum all cracks and crevices from floor to ceiling. To enter a building, mice only need 1/4 inch crack and rats only need 1/2 inch crack.

The rodent population is growing across California, which is a concern shared by communities throughout the state. Recent changes in California law, now the most stringent in the nation, have significantly restricted the use of certain rodenticides known as anticoagulants. These measures were enacted to protect wildlife such as raptors (hawks, falcons, eagles, and owls) and predators like mountain lions from secondary poisoning through the food chain.

While these laws serve an important environmental purpose, they have had an unintended consequence: an increase in rodent populations statewide. This year, rodent activity has been more noticeable across California, not just at Stanford. Changes in weather patterns, construction, and broader environmental conditions have made rodents more active everywhere.

As a result, it’s expected that rodents will be more visible outdoors and may occasionally seek warm, dry areas for shelter. Stanford, like many other communities, continues to adapt its management practices to respond effectively and responsibly to these changing conditions.

Additional Pest Information

Bed bugs usually bite people while they sleep since the bedbug is a nocturnal feeding insect. Evidence of bed bug bites comes from blood spots on bed clothing and skin irritation from salivary secretions. Read "What You Should Know about Bed Bugs" for important information about prevention of bed bugs and R&DE’s response to this problem.

Cockroaches can go for weeks without food or water, and they breed and hide in cardboard boxes and trash. Discourage roaches by keeping your home neat and clean. Store food in containers that roaches can’t penetrate. Do not bring cardboard boxes into your home without checking it out first.

Fleas live primarily on warm-blooded animals, especially feral cats. They pierce their host’s skin for blood meals and lay their eggs on or near their host animals. You can discourage fleas by vacuuming on a regular basis; pay special attention to corners, dark crevices, and under rugs and furniture.

Raccoons, skunks, gophers, feral cats, and squirrels can typically be live-trapped and removed. Call your Housing Service Center and ask them to contact the pest-control representative. Caution: Skunks in particular are potential rabies carriers.

Snakes are mostly beneficial and should not be disturbed. However, if you don’t want snakes near your residence, our contracted pest-control representatives have implements for collecting them.

Spiders, looking for warmth, move indoors during the winter, so be careful to shake out anything that has been stored outside, especially items that have been placed against exterior walls. To make your residence less attractive to spiders, eliminate the insects they eat and vacuum their webs. Spray spiders directly with a household cleaner such as Windex. This can be effective if you can locate their hiding place.

Tropical rat mites are small pests barely visible to the naked eye. These mites occasionally enter homes and bite humans once their host rat has left the area but they cannot survive more than a few weeks. The first sign of their presence appears to be small red spots on the skin. While these bites can cause skin irritation and itchiness, Stanford Environmental Health & Safety has confirmed that they do not carry or spread disease. Read this vector control guide for more information.