Pest Control in Oildale

Oildale at a glance

Oildale is an unincorporated community of 35,520 people just north of downtown Bakersfield across the Kern River, west of the Kern River Oil Field and east of Highway 99. It covers about eight square miles.

What that means for pests

Many Oildale homes are older, smaller houses with raised floors, detached garages and sheds. Crawl spaces, older wood and gaps around foundations give termites, rodents and spiders plenty of places to live. A thorough inspection, crawl space included, is a good first step; see termites. Older wooden fences and sheds can hide colonies too.

Oil fields and open land

Oildale sits beside some of the largest oil fields in California, with open land, pipes and equipment yards nearby. Open ground and brush along the edges of town shelter rodents, scorpions and black widows that move toward homes in the heat. See spiders and scorpions.

Spy planes and a river town

Previously called Waits and North Side, Oildale was founded in 1909 when Samuel Dickinson subdivided his land, and its post office opened in 1916. Most of the original U-2 spy planes were built at a secret factory near Meadows Field, disguised as a tire factory. The Kern River nearby, along with irrigated yards, means mosquitoes can breed in summer; tip out standing water each week and see mosquito control.