--- title: "San Tan Valley Pest Control | Platinum Pest Management" description: "San Tan Valley pest control for homes near washes and open desert. Bark scorpions, pack rats, black widows and crickets. Free inspection and written quote." url: https://platinumpestaz.com/service-areas/san-tan-valley/ publisher: Platinum Pest Management LLC --- # San Tan Valley Pest Control for Homes Near Open Desert Homes in San Tan Valley back onto open desert, washes and the San Tan Mountains, so bark scorpions, pack rats and black widows are part of life here. San Tan Valley pest control from Platinum Pest Management covers Johnson Ranch, Copper Basin and the rest of this Pinal County community. ## At a glance - San Tan Valley is a Pinal County community of large subdivisions, such as Johnson Ranch, Circle Cross Ranch, Pecan Creek and Copper Basin, surrounded by open desert and washes. - Arizona bark scorpions are the pest San Tan Valley homeowners most often call Platinum Pest Management about, especially in homes that back onto washes or open desert. - Pack rat nests near San Tan Valley homes can harbor conenose bugs, also called kissing bugs, which bite people at night. - Bark scorpions found in San Tan Valley bathtubs and sinks usually got trapped there, because the species climbs rough walls easily but cannot climb smooth surfaces. ## San Tan Valley pest control on the desert edge Most of San Tan Valley is large subdivisions laid out along Hunt Highway and the roads that feed it, and much of it went up during the 2000s. Many of those neighborhoods were built on graded desert or former farm fields. Plenty of homes back onto washes, open desert or the slopes around San Tan Mountain Regional Park. Each of those edges is a route for desert pests. Scorpions, pack rats and crickets live in the washes and open ground, and they move into the block walls, garages and yards next door. For that reason our San Tan Valley service puts extra attention on the walls and yards that face the desert. ## Why bark scorpions are the top concern in San Tan Valley Arizona bark scorpions are the pest San Tan Valley homeowners ask us about most. During the day they hide under rocks, loose bark and yard debris, and at night they hunt. Block walls, landscape rock and stacked pavers near the house give them the same kind of cover the wash does. Because this species climbs well, it turns up on walls and ceilings, and it often gets trapped in bathtubs and sinks with sides too smooth to climb. Treatment centers on block wall voids, the weep screed, door and garage seals, and the crickets and roaches that scorpions feed on. Homes on the desert edge need several visits before sightings drop off, and our [scorpion treatment](https://platinumpestaz.com/services/scorpions/) page walks through the full process. ![Bark scorpion glowing blue under ultraviolet light at night](https://platinumpestaz.com/assets/img/scorpion-blacklight.jpg) *A handheld black light turns up scorpions on walls and in rock beds after dark, because their shells glow under ultraviolet light.* ## Pack rats, black widows and other San Tan Valley pests Pack rats come out of the same washes. Their nests can hold conenose bugs, sometimes called kissing bugs, which feed on the rats and will bite people at night if they get indoors. Removing a nest close to the house matters for that reason. Our [pack rat removal](https://platinumpestaz.com/services/rodents/) work includes trapping, and the technician points out the gaps to seal. Western black widows build tangled, irregular webs close to the ground, often in garages, irrigation boxes and the space around pool pumps. Field crickets collect around garage lights from August into fall and slip inside under worn door seals. Our [black widow control](https://platinumpestaz.com/services/spiders/) and [cricket control](https://platinumpestaz.com/services/crickets/) pages cover both. Harvester ants clear wide, bare circles around their mounds in dirt and gravel yards, and their sting is painful. Desert subterranean termites are a concern in every San Tan Valley neighborhood as well. See [ant control](https://platinumpestaz.com/services/ants/) and [termite inspection and treatment](https://platinumpestaz.com/services/termites/) for how we handle each. ## Service across Johnson Ranch, Copper Basin and the rest of San Tan Valley Our San Tan Valley service area takes in Johnson Ranch, Circle Cross Ranch, Pecan Creek and Copper Basin, along with the smaller neighborhoods off Hunt Highway. Homes that back onto washes or sit near San Tan Mountain Regional Park get the closest look at the first visit. San Tan Valley shares a border with Queen Creek, with Gilbert farther to the northwest. For those areas, see [Queen Creek pest control](https://platinumpestaz.com/service-areas/queen-creek/) and [pest control in Gilbert](https://platinumpestaz.com/service-areas/gilbert/). ## How our technicians treat San Tan Valley homes - **First visit:** A free inspection of the yard, walls, garage and interior, followed by a written quote - **Desert-facing walls:** Treatment of block wall voids, the base of the wall and the weep screed on the side facing the wash or open desert - **Entry points:** Door sweeps, garage door seals and pipe gaps checked, with worn ones pointed out for the homeowner to replace - **Products:** EPA-registered products, applied by licensed technicians according to the label - **Schedule:** Monthly or bi-monthly while scorpion activity is high, quarterly once it settles, or a one-time treatment - **Between visits:** No extra charge for a return visit and re-treatment if covered pests come back Call (480) 518-1942 to book a [free inspection](https://platinumpestaz.com/free-inspection/) in San Tan Valley. Same-day and next-day appointments are often available. ## Frequently asked questions ### Why does my San Tan Valley home have so many scorpions? Most San Tan Valley neighborhoods were built on graded desert or next to washes and open land, which is bark scorpion habitat. Once houses go in, the walls, rock beds and watered yards give them shelter, moisture and insects to eat. Homes along a wash usually see the most, and regular exterior treatment brings numbers down over several visits. ### Do you service homes in Johnson Ranch and Copper Basin? Both are in our service area, along with Circle Cross Ranch, Pecan Creek and the other subdivisions along Hunt Highway. The first step is a free inspection, followed by a written quote. Plans can run monthly, every other month, quarterly or as a single treatment, depending on what the inspection finds. ### How should a pack rat nest near a San Tan Valley home be handled? Leave the nest alone until the rat can be trapped. The material can hide conenose bugs, and a pack rat will usually rebuild if only the nest is removed. We trap the rat, clear the nest and point out gaps in sheds and garages that should be sealed. Clearing woodpiles and junk from along the walls makes the lot less inviting afterward. ### How do washes behind the house affect pests? Washes hold more trees, brush and debris than the open desert around them, and they carry water after storms. Scorpions, pack rats, crickets and ants all use them, and a home that backs onto a wash sits right at the edge of that habitat. We focus treatment on the wall and yard facing the wash and point out gaps along the base of that wall that should be sealed. ### Does monsoon season make pests worse in San Tan Valley? Summer storms fill the washes, flood burrows and send scorpions, crickets and roaches looking for higher, drier ground, which often means a garage or patio. Standing water left behind can breed mosquitoes. Keeping exterior treatment current through late summer matters most for homes along washes, and our post on the [monsoon season pest surge](https://platinumpestaz.com/blog/monsoon-season-pest-surge/) covers what to expect. ## Contact Platinum Pest Management - Phone or text: (480) 518-1942 - Office: 3944 E Ellis St., Mesa, AZ 85205 - Hours: Monday to Friday 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 7 a.m. to noon, closed Sunday - Arizona pest control business license #9562 - Free inspection: https://platinumpestaz.com/free-inspection/