Searching for Bay Area Apartment - How to Avoid Pests? (San Jose: apartment complexes, rental)

[ChocoRabbit]

I'm looking to move into an apartment around the Bay Area. This will be my first actual apartment, and I'm concerned about pests, especially cockroaches, which I am extremely afraid of. Can anyone give tips on where in the Bay Area there are comparatively less cockroaches and other insects? In San Francisco itself? Or perhaps San Jose or another part of the Bay? If anyone has knowledge on what sort of apartments to look for or even specific apartment complexes, that would be appreciated as well.

[Ruth4Truth]

How much of an actual apartment can you afford in the Bay Area? Let's start there. And where will your job site be? Commuter distance is a major factor in deciding location.

[roadwarrior101]

Before we owned a place, we rented several apartments in both San Francisco and the Silicon Valley. We never encountered a pest problem. Of course, we tended to rent higher end apartments from large rental companies (e.g., Avalon) and selected units on a higher floor.

[nobodysbusiness]

Never saw a cockroach in SJ or Santa Cruz

[SFBayBoomer]

I have lived in the SF Bay Area my entire life, with the exception of a few years in Europe, yet I have seen exactly 3 live cockroaches in my life. The first time was in Honolulu, in a cupboard of someone's kitchen during a time of extremely high humidity.

And later, twice at ethnic restaurants in the SF Bay Area, just as we were getting ready to eat.

The one that bothered me the most was when my husband and I were just settling into a planned, lovely sunset dinner at Gaylord India in San Francisco at Ghirardelli Square, a and I noticed a cockroach scurry across my purse. That time made me feel nauseated, and we left immediately. Yes, roaches are extremely creepy creatures.

Other than those food-related places in the 1980's, I have not ever encountered cockroaches. Just keep a clean kitchen and I doubt you'll ever see a cockroach in the Bay Area in a home. I'm not saying there aren't any in restaurants, but I wouldn't be concerned in a person's home.

You may have some odorous ant problems some seasons, though, in the SF Bay Area. According to the local ACE garden expert, nearly everyone is having ant problems right now. My fruit tree is dropping treats for the critters now.

No carpenter ants or fire ants, though.

[davdaven]

I've rented in San Jose, San Francisco, Novato, and Berkeley here in the Bay Area. Never saw roaches in any of them, but I don't leave food and trash out. Only pests I've had to deal with are ants, and that's no different at my house in Richmond.

[tikkasf]

I have lived in apts,duplex in east Bay and SF.......never any cockroaches. Spiders or ants is all that I have ever had. As for spiders, daddy long leg variety have been most common,

[jade408]

Originally Posted by tikkasf

I have lived in apts,duplex in east Bay and SF.......never any cockroaches. Spiders or ants is all that I have ever had. As for spiders, daddy long leg variety have been most common,

For me, I don't get ants, very very rare. I have gotten moths, a few spiders, and occasional fruit flies! But no roaches either.

[Oakformonday]

Probably one of the best ways to avoid vermin and pests is to not live above a restaurant. I had roaches in my apartment in lower Nob Hill in San Fran. I was clean but some of my neighbors were not. The building sprayed monthly but it was overrun. FYI, roaches can be anywhere in the Bay Area. I don't have them in Oakland but I've heard some buildings have them. I live in a densely populated neighborhood called Adams Point.

[evening sun]

The only roach I saw in San Francisco was at a bar. All the places I lived or worked were roach free. You need to give us your budget & job location for more help.