Last fall, One Call Services was contacted by a Fremont homeowner who had ongoing pest challenges, roaches in the bathroom, rodents in the laundry room, and fruit flies in the kitchen. The homeowner had contacted several pest control companies, but the infestations continued to recur.
Ultimately, a thorough inspection determined the splintered truth, a sewage block caused by a small leak in a basement pipe three months prior. The homeowner had mopped up the water and thought the mess was resolved, but unbeknownst to the homeowner, the contamination was absorbed into the subfloor, beneath the baseboards, and into the tile crevices.
The wet, organic-rich environment was the perfect breeding ground for pests. It wasn’t until a comprehensive Fremont Sewage Damage Cleanup and sanitation was completed by One Call Services, which included the professional decontamination of affected floors and walls, that the pest activity ceased.
This is a real scenario that illustrates a common and dangerous oversight. Sewage contamination is one of the most common hidden causes of pest infestations, and without proper cleanup, no amount of spraying or trapping will resolve the cycle.
How Sewage Contamination Attracts Pests
Sewage material, from a backed-up toilet, a flooded drain, or a broken pipe, contains copious amounts of biological material, attracting large numbers of pests. Here is what makes it a pest magnet:
- Food
Sewage is composed of the organic waste that pests covet: food, feces, grease, and other biodegradable material. This becomes a buffet for a whole host of insects, including cockroaches, ants, drain flies, and rodents (mice and rats). - Moisture
Even after you wipe away the water, moisture is still left in baseboards, drywall, under tiles, and in floor cracks. This creates perfect environments for pests to breed and nest, especially in sheltered and dark areas like crawlspaces or basements. - Odors
The smell of sewage is horrible to us, but an open invitation to many pests. These odors signal the presence of food and water. Pests like rodents and insects have very sensitive noses and can smell these odors from blocks away. - Harborage Areas
Sewage contamination often occurs in areas that are not easy to reach, such as behind appliances or inside walls, providing pests ample space to nest and breed.
Pests Commonly Attracted to Sewage
When sewage contamination has not been treated or cleaned properly, a number of pests can develop. Some of the most common pests include:
Cockroaches
Cockroaches are attracted to warmth, moisture, and food waste, all of which are found in sewage. They often appear weeks after sewage is present, particularly in bathrooms, kitchens, and laundry rooms.
Rodents
Rats and mice are well known to follow sewer lines, but they are also capable of getting in through very small entry points. If they can smell sewage odors or damp insulation, they will most definitely try to get inside to nest.
Drain Flies
These small insects breed in the organic sludge left behind in floor drains, beneath toilets, or wherever else sewage debris has been left. They reproduce fast, and once they are inside the home, they thrive, causing ongoing problems.
Ants
When one thinks of ants, the first thought is sugary food. But ants are also attracted to sewage situations, as they are drawn to the moisture and protein-rich waste. Ant infestations in apartments often occur when minor sewage events are not properly sanitized.
Why DIY Sewage Cleanup Does Not Work
Most homeowners think that if they mop up the obvious mess and spray disinfectant before calling in professionals, the job is done. The area may be cleaned after mopping, but liquid waste from sewage is much more complicated when you consider health risks and contamination. Even a seemingly clean area can lead to major issues, including:
- Missing contamination that has seeped into porous materials like wood, grout, and drywall
- Not sufficiently disinfecting the area, leaving behind biohazard bacteria and odors
- Leaving pest-harboring borders that still serve as food and housing for future infestations
- Serious health risks such as exposure to E. coli, Salmonella, hepatitis A, and parasites
Only a professional Sewage Cleanup Company in Fremont has the training, equipment, and protective gear to handle and mitigate all biohazards and pest attractants in your home.
Where Are the Hiding Places for Sewage Contamination?
Even if the surface looks clean and you thoroughly mop up visible sewage, contamination often penetrates deeper. Common hidden areas include:
- Under tile, carpet, or hardwood
- Inside walls and wall cavities
- Under appliances and cabinetry
- In floor drains
- In the subfloor
- Behind baseboards and molding
This is why it is important to call professional Sewage Cleanup Services in Fremont, who have the proper detection equipment, biohazard-safe extraction tools, and disinfectants to deliver commercial-grade results.
How Professional Cleanup Prevents Pest Infestations
A qualified and certified provider of Emergency Sewage Cleanup Services in Fremont follows a multi-phase approach to restore the damaged area in your home or business. This includes:
- Extract all waste – All standing sewage is removed using industrial vacuums and pumps.
- Dry out the structure – Trapped moisture is dried out to prevent mold and pest-friendly conditions.
- Decontaminate – All impacted areas are disinfected with EPA-registered products.
- Eliminate odors – HEPA filters, ozone, or hydroxyl generators remove pest-attracting odors.
- Inspect property– Moisture meters and thermal imaging verify that impacted areas are dry, clean, and pest-deterrent.
Because Sewage Cleanup Services remove all contamination, health hazards, and pest attractants, they eliminate the conditions that allow infestations to persist. When you are searching for Sewage Cleanup Services Near Me, a local company like One Call Services means the team knows how to react to these conditions quickly and properly.
Takeaway: Remove Contamination to Solve the Infestation
The connection between sewage and pests is obvious, yet not often talked about. If you have had a sewage backup, overflow, or leak, the real danger may come weeks later when pests return to contaminated areas left with bacteria, moisture, and odor.
Don’t wait until that happens. You need immediate, complete, and professional sewage cleanup services to ensure you do not create conditions for long-term infestations, and to make sure your home or business does not become a habitat for pests.
At One Call Services, we know that sewage problems can be devastating and hazardous. That is why we provide 24/7 Emergency Sewage Cleanup Services in Fremont, to ensure your property is clean, safe, and pest-free as soon as possible.
As a leading sewage cleanup company near me, our certified staff manages everything from waste extraction to full decontamination to odor removal. With years of experience in the Fremont area, we know how to respond to local conditions, and because we are based in Fremont, we treat your property as our own, with urgency and care. Contact us today to get started with sewage cleanup.
