Tag Archives: customized pest control

Terminix Canada: 10 Most Frequently Asked Pest Control Questions

Residential Pest Control / May 25, 2021

Over the years, Terminix Canada have been asked a wide variety of questions about our pest control services. Questions include everything from our pest extermination methods to our pricing and the products we use.

Terminix Canada is committed to providing you with the best pest control services possible. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of questions most asked by our highly valued customers. Our pest control technicians take great pride in helping each and every one of our customers find the solutions to the pest problems that affect them.

1. Is It Worth It To Hire An Exterminator?

DIY pest control options are many. However, they all have complications. Ultimately, lots of knowledge, training and preparation go into treating pest problems in a safe and effective manner. With over 90 years of industry experience, hiring professionals like Terminix Canada guarantees you receive the correct course of treatment. Additionally, it ensures you never jeopardize a building, property, or fellow tenants. Our professional exterminators help customers to properly identify pests, identify the correct pest control solution, and choose the right course of precautionary action for future prevention. Our pest control is customizable with technicians treating each infestation on an individual basis. We carry out humane and environmentally friendly pest control services, and produce long-lasting results.

2. I Know I Have A Pest Problem But I’m Not Sure What Pest It Is. How Do I Find Out This Information?

Terminix Canada always tries to make the pest extermination process as simplistic and straightforward as possible. Our Pest Library assists you in identifying what type of pest is infesting your home or business. This valuable resource also offers tactics to help remove pests while preventing future infestations.

If you’ve tried researching the specific pest on our website already, and didn’t find what you’re looking for, locate your nearest Terminix Canada branch and give them a call. Our knowledgeable staff can either identify it over the phone, or arrange a free inspection that will assess the damage and behavioural patterns of the pest. After that, we’ll identify the source and provide recommendations for treatment solutions.

3. How Much Do Pest Exterminators Cost?

Like any professional service, the cost of pest extermination varies significantly depending on the size and severity of a pest infestation as well as local branch availability. Therefore, it’s impossible to provide one ballpark cost that fits all. In every case, our customized pest control services start with an initial inspection. Terminix Canada customers can either choose our Annual Pest Program or individual pest control services.

For individual pest control services, our pricing plans differ by province and local branch availability. For individual pest control service pricing, locate your nearest Terminix Canada branch and give them a call. As for our Annual Pest Program, this includes one comprehensive interior and exterior inspection and treatment, and seasonal follow-up treatments. These can be scheduled quarterly or bi-monthly depending on your requirements. To book our Annual Pest Program, visit our Branch Locator, find your nearest Terminix Canada branch and give them a call.

4. How Much Should I Pay For An Exterminator?

The cost of hiring a pest exterminator will differ depending on the size and severity of a pest infestation. Therefore, we cannot accurately calculate a ballpark payment for you. We understand that finding the right pest control specialist to let into your home can be tricky. This is because there are lots of companies competing for your business. In every case however, you should be paying for quality customized pest control like the kind Terminix Canada provides. When researching pest control companies online, some qualifying questions you can ask include:

5. What Is The Most Common Pest In Canada?

Some of the most common home invading pests in Canada include ants and cockroaches. Canada is home to five major species of ants – carpenter ants, fire ants, pavement ants, pharaoh ants, and red harvester ants. Additionally, the Great White North is also home to four major species of cockroach too – American cockroaches, brown-banded cockroaches, German cockroaches, and oriental cockroaches. If you’re trying to identify a particular pest that has made your home theirs, visit our comprehensive Pest Library resource. It includes the identification information you need for all major pest species in Canada plus simple remedies to take out common household bugs and pests plaguing your property.

6. How Much Does Terminix Canada Usually Cost?

The cost of Terminix Canada pest control will vary depending on the size and severity of a particular pest infestation as well as local branch availability. Due to this, we cannot provide one ballpark cost that fits all. In every case, our customized pest control services start with an initial inspection to determine the scope of the pest control required. Nevertheless, Terminix Canada customers can either choose our Annual Pest Program or individual pest control services.

For individual pest control services, our pricing plans differ by province and local branch availability. For individual pest control service pricing, locate your nearest Terminix Canada branch and give them a call. As for our Annual Pest Program, this includes one comprehensive interior and exterior inspection and treatment, and seasonal follow-up treatments. These can be scheduled either quarterly or bi-monthly depending on your requirements. To book our Annual Pest Program, visit our Branch Locator, find your nearest Terminix Canada branch, and give them a call.

7. Does Terminix Canada Provide Any Guarantees?

While Terminix Canada cannot provide specific pricing to customers due to pest infestations differing by size and severity, our company prides itself upon long-lasting results and value for money. Providing both residential and commercial pest control services, all services are customizable with a 100% customer satisfaction guarantee. This is due to our government-licensed technicians always using tried-and-tested methods of pest control to deliver the effective results our customers expect. As an added bonus, if pests come back between treatments, so will we – at no extra cost. This is all part of our ongoing pest control treatments and 100% customer satisfaction guarantee.

8. What Does Terminix Canada Charge For Pest Control?

The cost of Terminix Canada pest control will vary depending on the size and severity of a particular pest infestation as well as local branch availability. Due to this, we cannot provide one ballpark cost that fits all. In every case, our customized pest control services start with an initial inspection to determine the scope of the pest control required. Nevertheless, Terminix Canada customers can either choose our Annual Pest Program or individual pest control services.

For individual pest control services, our pricing plans differ by province and local branch availability. For individual pest control service pricing, locate your nearest Terminix Canada branch and give them a call. As for our Annual Pest Program, this includes one comprehensive interior and exterior inspection and treatment, and seasonal follow-up treatments. These can be scheduled either quarterly or bi-monthly depending on your requirements. To book our Annual Pest Program, visit our Branch Locator, find your nearest Terminix Canada branch, and give them a call.

9. Does Terminix Canada Have Any Pest Control Discounts Or Promotions?

Yes, from time to time, Terminix Canada provides email subscribers a series of exclusive pest control promotions and discounts. To sign up to Terminix Canada’s email list, complete the form located in the footer of our Home Page. Once you complete this form, you’ll be subscribed to the Terminix Canada email list where you’ll be eligible to receive exclusive promotions and discounts.

10. Does Terminix Canada Provide Commercial Disinfection Services?

Terminix Canada provides industry-leading commercial disinfection services too. Disinfectix™ by Terminix Canada is a site disinfecting service designed to help business owners protect their property. Serving property, facility, maintenance, procurement, office and operations managers, Terminix Canada technicians use certified Vert-2-Go SABER disinfecting products by Wood Wyant. These powerful antibacterial disinfectant cleaners are trusted for hospital, industrial and institutional use. Additionally, they’re certified for reduced environmental impact.

Moreover, Terminix Canada can install automated hand sanitizer dispensers at commercial premises too. As part of our service, we install automated hand sanitizer dispensers, refill gel hand sanitizer solution on a frequency tailored to facilities, perform dispenser maintenance, and perform annual battery maintenance for a complete solution. For more information, make sure to visit our Commercial Disinfection Services page.

Still Got Questions?

If you have a question for us that wasn’t included in this blog post, locate your nearest Terminix Canada branch and give them a call. Whatever your pest concerns, big or small, we’d love to hear from you.

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The Best Ways To Keep Your Deck Safe From Termite Damage

Residential Pest Control / May 25, 2021

Termites become the biggest issue for many people come summertime. Once the weather warms up, underground termite colonies come out to feed on wood sources that they couldn’t access during the winter, causing termite damage to your deck and other outdoor areas.

One of the sections of your home that is most vulnerable to termite damage is actually your deck. All that wood right out in the open is just asking for trouble if termites are around. Think about it this way, your wooden deck is practically an open buffet for those buggers!

If you’ve determined that your deck is suffering from termite damage, it’s crucial that you take the necessary steps to eradicate the termites as soon as possible. Termites aren’t just an annoyance, but can actually cause serious, costly damage to your deck and home. Because once they’ve made their home in your deck, there’s nothing stopping the colony from expanding and invading your home.

Luckily, there are steps you can take to try and ensure your deck doesn’t become victim to termites this summer. The below tips will help to prevent termite damage to your deck. Has the damage already occurred? We will also help you find the best termite treatment available near you.

1. Preventing Termite Damage

If you are looking to avoid a termite infestation on your deck in the first place, you have to understand that it’s not a one and done solution. You will have to take on care, regular maintenance of your deck. Untended decks that suffer damage from dry rot and/or UV rays will accrue openings that termites can easily enter and enlarge for their colony to live in.

Keep Up With Regular Maintenance

If your budget allows for it, it’s a good idea to paint your deck every two years. By this, we mean that you should take the time and effort to apply a complete coat of wood sealer specifically made for your deck’s type of wood. The upside of this prevention technique is that even if you don’t have the threat of termites nearby, it’ll prolong the life of your deck, keeping it looking new for longer. If you happen to spot any damage on your deck in the period between these two years, use your leftover wood sealer to quickly fix those some holes or cracks in the wood.

Keep Deck Dry

Stagnant water also serves as a beacon for termites, as wet wood is much more appealing to them then dry wood. To avoid puddles from forming on your deck, try not to place any heavy planters or other decoration or equipment that may form an indent in the wood. On top of that, you can keep a gap underneath your deck to help facilitate good airflow, which will help your deck dry quicker after rainfall or power washing.

Pick Termite Resistant Wood

If you don’t yet have a deck built and are still in the research stages, then it’s a good thing you stumbled on this article! There are certain steps that you can take in the building process to help dissuade termites. Selecting the proper materials when beginning to build your deck can help keep it termite free. Hardwoods and pressure-treated woods are harder for termites to penetrate, and quite simply don’t taste as good to them. Many of these woods are also specially treated with withstand other harsh conditions that may age your deck quicker, such as rain and heat.

Place Deterrents Around Your Deck

Hopefully your deck is made out of materials termites don’t like, as we previously stated above. However, if that’s not the case, you can still deter termites from entering your yard. Place treated cedar mulch or sand around your deck. It’s easier to maintain than grass is, and will help to keep termites away.

2. How To Identify Termite Damage On A Deck

Identifying termite damage to a deck is actually a lot harder than it sounds. For one thing, termites are subterranean by inclination. This means that they’ll burrow into the wood from underneath, leaving almost no visible damage to the surface of your deck.

What this means is that you need to get a little creative to determine if damage has been done. Tap along the wood of your deck to check for hollow areas. Once you hear a clear sound of hollowness in your wood, you should cut off the surface of the deck plank to check what is underneath.

If you notice a pattern of damage along the wood grain, that almost certainly means that you have a termite infestation. In this situation, you need to do something about your termite infestation, right now. You must take immediate measures to eradicate the termites. Termite damage can accumulate quickly and have serious consequences to the structural integrity of your deck or home.

Other signs of termite damage you can look out for include:

  • small holes
  • damaged wood that crumbles easily
  • piles of dropping that can be spotted outside of their tunnels

3. Finding The Best Termite Treatment

The good news is help is here! Terminix Canada has helped thousands of households enjoy summertime fun without worrying about their deck collapsing beneath them from excessive termite damage. Our expert exterminators provide the best termite treatment measures across Canada. It would be our pleasure to help eradicate your termite troubles.

To learn more about Terminix Canada’s termite treatment plans and how to prevent termite damage to your deck, contact your local Terminix Canada. We have offices located all across Canada. Give us a call today to get started on effective and affordable termite treatment.

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Queen Victoria, Ants And Termite Extermination: What Do They Have In Common?

Ants / May 25, 2021

No, our blog title isn’t a spoof – there truly is a link between Queen Victoria, ants and termite extermination. Sure, we don’t take days off to commemorate insect queens like we do for our human monarchs of old. However, there are a number of uncanny similarities between the two!

For starters, ants, termites and Queen Victoria are rulers of their colonies, and they both oversee the comings and goings of their respective civilizations. Furthermore, there are several other factoids about both Queen Victoria and queen ants that we bet you weren’t aware of.

They Were Both Single Mothers, And They Were Both Raised By Single Mothers

While a traditional non-traditional household might look more like the house of Queen Victoria (minus the whole Queen of the United Kingdom thing), an ant family has some interesting resemblances as well. After mating with a male, the queen ant is left to raise her some 300,000 eggs on her own.

Of course, we use the term ‘raise’ quite loosely. An ant’s definition of raising a brood mainly consists of the daughters cleaning, feeding and grooming the queen. But still, 300, 000 kids looks quite intimidating on the online dating profile!

Termites Propose To Their Future Kings, As Did Queen Victoria To Prince Albert

Just like human monarchs, termites will often necessitate both a king and a queen termite to govern a colony. Unlike the ant colony where the male ant dies after mating, in the termite community, both the male and female termites have offspring, and govern a colony together. Colonies are founded when a potential queen joins a mating swarm and picks out her most eligible suitor, thus, asking‚ him to join antennae in holy matrimony.

The Ant’s Measure Of Success Is Determined By The Size Of Her Empire

Queen Victoria, much to the envy of all the insects of the Commonwealth, expanded her empire to be the largest of any empire in the history of the world. That is, the largest of both insect and human empires. Similarly, the primary function of an ant colony is to grow their queen’s empire to its fullest capacity.

But it is the inner workings of the ant colony that is most impressive. Ant colonies will maintain a hierarchical structure, where certain ants are responsible for the security and welfare of the queen, while others are responsible for gathering food, and taking over other colonies, thereby expanding the empire. So just like Queen Victoria will have her servants, her soldiers, and her civilians, so will the ants. Well, sort of.

There Were Numerous Assassination Attempts On Queen Victoria

Unbeknownst to most, there were quite a number of assassination attempts on Queen Victoria’s life. In 1840, an 18-year-old named Edward Oxford was the first of seven people who tried to assassinate Queen Victoria. In 1842, a fellow called John Francis tried twice to kill her, and failed both times. Also in 1842, John William Bean took a shot at it (no pun intended). And then there were two more, one in 1849, and one in 1850. Not that you were looking for one, but if you needed to hire a private assassin, you may want to steer clear of these guys!

In the same way, you shouldn’t have to call your ant or termite extermination pro back to finish the job they were supposed to have finished in the first place. That’s why it’s always beneficial to choose your pest control provider carefully. You should be paying for quality customized pest control like the kind Terminix Canada provides.

So what is the similarity between Queen Victoria and the insect queens? That far too many times, under-qualified people have tried and failed to bring down particular empires, and we don’t want the same thing to happen to you.

Leave Ant And Termite Extermination To The Professionals At Terminix Canada

At the end of the day, it takes an organized army to bring down an empire. That is what our ant and termite extermination pros do. Is your home overrun by ants or termites? Terminix will protect it with a plan that works for you. For our ant and termite extermination services, please book a free consultation with us today.

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The Entomological Society Of America Now Classifies Termites As Cockroaches

Cockroaches / May 25, 2021

Most people really hate cockroaches, and who could blame them. Most people also aren’t very fond of termites, but normally that’s the only thing that groups these two pesky pests together.

Until now.

In the biggest reclassification (not really) since International Astronomical Union (IAU) deemed Pluto wasn’t deserving of a planetary title, termites have now been deemed cockroaches.

Termites Are The New Cockroach

No, really. According to the Entomological Society of America in their updated master list of insect names, termites are the new cockroach. Recategorizing the termite order is backed by many decades of genetic evidence that the wood chippers should be part of the cockroach order, Blattodea.

Since the 30’s, gossip of termites getting lumped into the cockroach order has exists. It was back then that researchers first discovered that the microbes in termite guts are also present in wood-eating cockroaches. Weird coincidence, right?

As technology has advanced and the genealogical relationship kinks were ironed out, so began the argument that termites are simply a part of the hydra-like family tree of cockroaches. The first suggestion of reclassification came from termite biologist Paul Eggleton of the Natural History Museum in London. In his study, Death Of An Order, published in 2007, positioned termites on the tree near the Cryptocercus cockroach.

Chemical ecologist and cockroach enthusiast Coby Schal at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, North Carolina, has stated that termites are nothing but social cockroaches. For example, Macrotermes termite colonies can grow to three million strong, fairly easily. This despite them having just a single queen and king.

Deciding whether to demote the entire termite order was an unusual conundrum, says Whitney Cranshaw of Colorado State University in Fort Collins. He was a part of the naming committee members put to a vote to make the final decision.

“Probably some of us, including myself, didn’t want to make the change because we liked it the way it was,” said Cranshaw. Namely, it was a lot easier for his students to memorize termites and cockroaches as a part of two distinct orders. However, that didn’t stop him from voting in favour of the change regardless.

“It’s what’s right,” Cranshaw shrugged.

What Hasn’t Changed? How Terminix Handles Termite Control!

This reorganization is all fine and dandy for the good people of the science committee. However, at the end of the day, does this change anything? How does this affect pest control?

The bottom line is that it doesn’t. Regardless of whether you want to consider termites cockroaches, or whether you prefer to continue separating the two pests, Terminix Canada is still here to stop both bothersome insects in their tracks.

Whether you are experiencing a cockroach outbreak or a termite infestation, it’s important that you quickly call in the experts. Both pests can cause serious, expensive structural damage to your home. This damage is no easy fix if you wait too long to deal with the problem.

Like mice, if you notice one termite around your home, there’s likely another hundred nearby that are better at hiding.

Likewise, for cockroaches, immediate cockroach control is imperative in preventing infestations from reaching critical, untenable levels. They multiple rapidly, so a small pest problem can quickly turn into a sizeable cockroach infestation if given the chance. 

Get the best termite (and we mean termite) control and cockroach control across the country from Terminix Canada. With over 90 years of experienced, you can trust that our expert exterminators will work fast, efficiently, and effectively. Contact us today to receive a free consultation and solve your pest problem.

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