Pest Control in Shafter

Shafter at a glance

Shafter is a city of 19,953 people about 18 miles west-northwest of Bakersfield along State Route 43. According to the Census Bureau, it's the population centre of California: half the state lives north of it and half south.

What that means for pests

Shafter is surrounded by almonds, pistachios, cotton, grapes and alfalfa. When fields are harvested or disked, mice and rats move toward the nearest buildings, so fall is a busy time for rodent control. Sealing gaps before harvest season helps a lot; see rodent control.

Heat and irrigation

Hot, dry summers send ants looking for water, and irrigated yards near dry fields become magnets. Treating around the foundation and keeping mulch away from walls reduces invasions; see ant control.

Railroad dock to city

Shafter began as a loading dock on the Santa Fe Railroad and was named after General William Rufus Shafter, who led US forces in Cuba in the Spanish-American War. Lots were sold from 1914, and the city incorporated on January 11, 1938. Minter Field opened in 1941 and hosted about 7,000 troops in World War II. Newer homes on the edges of town back onto farmland, so regular perimeter service is common; see general pest control.