How to Prevent and Get Rid of Cockroaches in Canada

Cockroaches / January 30, 2023

Cockroaches are common pests that are incredibly hard to get rid of. They are famous for their intense survival skills, so it’s no surprise that there are over 3,500 species of roaches worldwide. Here in Canada however, we have 3 major species that homeowners have to contend with: the German cockroach, the brown-banded cockroach, and the American cockroach.

Below we share the best ways the get rid of roaches for good and all the key information you’ll need to make intelligent decisions about your cockroach problem.

Summary

What type of cockroach is in my Canadian home?
How to prevent cockroaches
Are cockroaches dangerous?
How to get rid of cockroaches

What Type of Cockroach Is in My Canadian Home?

German Cockroach

Possibly the most common household pest globally, German cockroaches are what most people think of when they think of roaches. They are most easily identified by their patterning, sporting two dark parallel bands on the back of their heads and can grow to around 16 mm long. They typically infest kitchens and bathrooms or anywhere with access to water and food, and their favourite snacks include meats, sweets and starches.

Can cockroaches fly?
Though all cockroaches have wings, most species, including German cockroaches, can only use them to glide for a short period of time. However, some less prevalent species are adept at flying.

Brown-Banded Cockroach

Brown-banded cockroaches are smaller than the other residential Canadian species (only up to 13 mm long) and like to hide anywhere they can wedge their slim bodies, such as under wallpaper, in walls or in electrical appliances such as fridges or TVs. You can identify the adults by the distinct tan or light yellow banding across their wings and their small oval bodies.

American Cockroach

The American cockroach is the largest roach we have in Canada measuring up to 40 mm in length. They are reddish-brown in colour and have a yellow band across the back of their head. American cockroaches are notorious for infesting North American sewer systems but can also sometimes be found in the basements of homes. Unlike the other species on this list, they mainly eat decaying matter including plants or small insects, instead of food from your pantry.

Are cockroaches dangerous?
While cockroach bites are rare these creepy crawlies pose other risks to those living in close proximity to them – such as triggering asthma attacks or allergies, transmitting disease, spoiling food and generally creating an unsanitary environment.

How to prevent cockroaches:

All cockroaches need food, water and shelter to thrive – by removing access to these resources you make your home inhospitable to them.

Clean up spilled food immediately and wipe down countertops after each meal
Store food in sealed containers
Don’t leave pet food out for longer than necessary
Take out the trash regularly
Don’t leave dirty dishes out overnight
Fix leaky faucets, toilets and roofs
Reduce humidity in bathrooms, kitchens and basements by using fans or a dehumidifier

Do cockroaches reproduce quickly?
Yes! The female German cockroach only lives for 100-200 days but in that time will lay between 120 and 320 eggs.

How to get rid of cockroaches

Cockroaches are incredibly hard to get rid of because they don’t die easily and they reproduce incredibly quickly. There are many products available designed to eliminate cockroaches however, they are not all created equal! Below we outline the effectiveness of the most common cockroach removal products.

Bombs or Foggers – Not recommended! These “bombs” spray pesticides into the air so that they cover every surface in the room. However, they have not been shown to be very effective against cockroaches, as they miss a lot of the nooks and crannies in which roaches live. Pesticides can also be hazardous to humans if mishandled and should be applied by professionals when possible.

Glue Traps – These traps cause cockroaches to get stuck in them and are a useful tool when it comes to identifying if you have a cockroach problem or where the roaches are coming from. However, it isn’t very effective as a control tactic because they simply can’t catch enough roaches to make a dent in the population.

Gel Baits – Gel baits are one of the most effective means of cockroach control, but are more complicated to use than they may seem. Different cockroaches are attracted to different baits, the baits must be placed in all the correct places to properly target the population and they must be reapplied regularly. Once again, this is why they are significantly more effective in the hands of pest control professionals.

Vacuum- While not a total control method on its own, regularly vacuuming an infested area, especially in little nooks where these bugs may hide can help get rid of eggs and make elimination faster.

Ultimately, the best and fastest way to get rid of cockroaches is by calling on pest control professionals, cockroaches are simply too resilient for the average Canadian homeowner to overcome alone. Professionals will be able to identify your problem correctly and address the issue from the source.

Terminix Canada offers expert pest control services for both residential and commercial properties. We have local pest control experts at locations across Canada including BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. Call us today to learn how we can help.

Do I have rats? – How to Identify a Canadian Rat Infestation

Fall Pest Control / November 01, 2022

Roof Rats vs Norway Rats

There are two main species of rat that bother Canadian homeowners: the roof rat and the Norway rat. The two have very different habits and habitats so it is crucial to identify which rat you’re dealing with to properly remove and exclude them from your home.

Roof rats are only found in cities along the west coast of British Columbia such as Vancouver but Norway rats can be found in suburban and urban areas across Canada including Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa and Halifax. Neither are native to Canada – the Noway rat is thought to have originated in Nothern China (oddly not in Norway as the name would suggest), and the roof rat likely originated in India. However, this was long ago and for centuries rats have thrived off human civilization, following us around the world populating all continents (except Antarctica).

The Norway rat is also called the brown rat as they are generally brown or grey in colour. Whereas the roof rat is also called the black rat since they are darker in colour ranging from black to brown. Roof rats are also smaller, growing to about 20 cm long (excluding the tail) whereas Norway rats can grow to about 30 cm long.

With all that said, Norway rats and roof rats can still be hard to tell apart visually, the easiest way to identify them is based on their habitats. Roof rats as the name suggests are strong climbers and enjoy living in tree tops, attics and roofs. Norway rats, however, are burrowers living in tunnels they dig in the ground and making their way into basements or garages.

Did you know?
Alberta has been essentially rat free since 1950 when their provincial Rat Control Program was established.

Do I have rats?

Just because you haven’t seen a rat doesn’t mean they’re not around. Rats are nocturnal and will come out when you’re not home or are sleeping, that’s why it’s important to look for other signs of infestation.

Possible signs of a rat infestation:

Pellet-shaped droppings
Damaged food packaging
Chewed holes in walls
Scurrying sounds in the walls at night
Unexplained musty smells

Are rats dangerous?

A rat infestation is a health hazard as rats are known to carry a multitude of diseases, leave toxic droppings in their wake and spoil food. They can also cause significant structural damage by chewing through walls, wires and ducts.

Additionally, rats reproduce at rapid rates, meaning a small rat problem can quickly become a major infestation. Rats continue to mate and give birth year-round but their biggest breeding seasons are in the spring and fall. The average Canadian rat will give birth to 3-6 litters a year of 7-8 young! They will go only to live for 6 months to a year, becoming sexually mature only a couple months after birth.

Did you know?
Rats can move each one of their whiskers individually. They use these whiskers to sense their environment similar to how humans use their fingers.

How do I prevent a rat problem?

As the temperature continues to drop throughout the fall and into the winter many rodents and other creepy crawlies will be driven inside Canadian homes. To prevent rats and other wildlife from moving in it’s important to inspect the outside of your home and close any holes. As well as eliminate any possible food sources by cleaning food preparation stations immediately after use, cleaning up spills or crumbs, and sealing garbage bins.

The garage should not be overlooked in this inspection as it is a prime location for Norway rats to nest. Make sure to declutter and close boxes to dissuade nesting, seal garbage bins, and ensure there is a good seal between the garage door and its frame. For more information on how you should be preparing your garage for winter check out this article.

How to prevent rat problems - infographic

How do I get rid of rats?

If you already have rats living in your home, it’s crucial you call rodent pest control professionals like Terminix Canada to take care of the problem and properly sanitize your space.

How to Check for Bed Bugs

Bed Bugs / September 02, 2022

The Greater Toronto area including Oakville, Mississauga, Brampton, Markham, Scarborough and Oshawa has become a hotspot of bed bug activity and cases have only risen since the COVID-19 pandemic started. People started opting to visit each other in their homes instead of public spaces, bringing the unwanted hitchhikers along with them.

Toronto area homeowners who suspect they may have bed bugs should act quickly to identify the problem and determine if they need to call a pest control service to complete a bed bug removal treatment. Bed bug infestations grow notoriously fast and treating a smaller infestation is significantly easier than a large one. Unfortunately the less conspicuous nature of smaller infestations makes them harder to identify. In this article we will go through the key indicators of an infestation and walk you through how to do your own mattress check to determine if you are sharing your sleeping quarters with bed bugs.

Can bed bugs fly?

No – bed bugs cannot fly nor can they jump. Phew! They are also quite slow maxing out their speed at about 3 to 4 feet per minute. This is likely why most bed bugs don’t stray more than 30 feet from where they are feeding.

What do bed bugs look like?

Bed bugs are very good at staying hidden and come out to feed only when you are resting. This is why actually seeing a bed bug isn’t the most reliable way to tell if there’s an infestation. It is also easy to mistake them for carpet beetles or other insects. If you have already noticed a creepy crawly around your home look for these key traits to know if it may be a bed bug.

2 – 5 mm long depending on the age
Flat oval shaped body
Adults have consistent reddish brown colour
Young nymphs are either colourless or a light yellow colour all over

TIP

Look for uniform colouration all over the body. Many other beetles, including carpet beetles have speckled patterns on their backs.

What do bed bug bites look like?

Contrary to what you may think, noticing red bites on your skin is not a concrete sign of bed bugs. Small red bumps could be caused by other insects such as mosquitos, or be related to eczema or hives. The reason their bites are so hard to identify is because everybody’s body reacts to them differently and on some people they are not visible at all. This is why the best way to tell if you have bed bugs is a mattress inspection.

Can I starve out bed bugs?

Bed bugs can live for months without a blood meal and in some laboratory experiments they have survived over a year without eating! Trying to starve out bed bugs is not an effective solution to an infestation.

How to check for bed bugs?

To perform a bed bug mattress check you’ll want to use a flashlight and a rigid flat tool such as a credit card or paint scraper to help pry open and illuminate small cracks. Bed bugs like to hide in very small spaces and this is where you will find the clearest evidence of them. Bed bugs are primarily found in mattresses and in the cushions of furniture that is used frequently. Start your search there and then expand to other common hiding spots as listed below.

Common Bed Bug Hiding Spots:

Seams and tags of mattresses
Seams and joints of upholstered furniture
Between pillows
Between carpeting and the walls
In the folds of curtains
Around the the edge of the ceiling especially in the corners
Around electrical sockets

As you do your search look for the following:

Blood stains
Black feces spots
Eggs & Molted skins

Blood Stains

Small reddish brown blood splotches are created when a bed bug gets crushed, usually from someone sitting or lying down on it. Look for them on your sheets and mattress especially.

Feces spots

Black spots about the size of a pen tip are a sign of bed bug feces. They also bleed like a marker would on fabric. Look for them everywhere in your search on your sheets and mattress and in all the crevices in which bed bugs might hide.

Eggs & Molted skins

Eggs are also roughly the size of the tip of a pen (1mm) and pale yellow in colour. You may find them whole or crushed as they are molted and discarded when a bed bug matures. Look for these in all the bed bug hiding spots listed above.

If you do spot some of these signs it’s time to contact your local pest control experts. They will be able to confirm whether you have bed bugs or not and work with you to find a solution that fits your situation. Bed bugs are notoriously hard to control and an infestation can grow rapidly so time is of the essence.

Terminix uses safe & non-toxic bed bug treatments to effectively eliminate bed bug populations of any size and severity. We offer expert pest control services across Canada including BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. Call us today to learn how we can help.

How to Dine Wasp Free this Summer?

Residential Pest Control / August 09, 2022

Canada is home to hundreds of species of wasps that are most active from April through September. Unfortunately, this coincides with perfect patio seasons leaving many homeowners annoyed with these uninvited guests. Read on to discover our best tips on how to dine wasp free this summer!

Summary:

How to identify wasps
Risks wasps pose to your family and home
How to prevent wasps
How to treat a wasp nest

What are wasps?

The most common Canadian pest wasps are hornets, yellow jackets and paper wasps, all of which sport distinctive yellow and black patterns on their bodies. They can be easily distinguished from bees, just remember: bees are fat and fuzzy and wasps are skinny and smooth.

Most wasps are social creatures and live in nests with hundreds or even thousands of individuals, the appearance of such nests changes depending on the species. Some wasps prefer to nest out in the open creating football-shaped hanging nests attached to tree branches, railings or eves. Single-layer nests where the honeycomb shapes are exposed are also common near vents and soffits of the home. Other species prefer to be more secretive and build in protected areas such as tree hollows or wall cavities.

Tip: Wear shoes when walking in the garden! Some solitary wasps such as mud daubers build their homes in the ground and may attack if provoked.

When are wasps a problem?

Wasps are beneficial to have around as they feed on other smaller insects, however when they get too comfortable near your home they can also pose a great threat. Unlike bees, wasps can sting repeatedly and are especially dangerous to those who are allergic, even proving fatal at times. They are also very territorial, making a nest near your home very hazardous. If there is no nest on your property but wasps are still intruding on your outdoor summer fun try out the tips below to ward off the unwanted guests.

How to safely remove a wasp nest

Wasp nest removal is very dangerous and it is not recommended that homeowners attempt it themselves. The safest and most effective option is to call in a pest control company. This is not only because of the risks of a wasp attack but also because their nests are often located in hard-to-reach locations sometimes requiring ladders.

If you do proceed with removing a wasp nest yourself you will need full protective gear, these hard-to-reach locations mean a quick escape is often impossible. As for the treatment, there are two main methods: homemade soapy water or store-bought pesticide spray. Soapy water is a great low-cost option that is effective if the whole nest can be drenched easily, whereas pesticide spray can be more convenient for hard-to-reach locations. Either method should be used around dusk when wasps are the least active and will likely take several days to completely resolve your issue.

How to prevent wasps

Close Holes

Wasps are attracted to safe spaces where they can hide or build a nest. At the beginning of the season clear any clutter on and around your outdoor dining area and close up any holes that you can in the side of your home, shed or deck.

Avoid Wood

Certain wasps use wood to build their nests and so will return to sources of wood again and again. It’s best to avoid patio furniture and decks made of wood but often that is not a viable option. In these cases, staining or painting wood acts as a good deterrent against wasps and other pesky insects.

Food

The number one thing that attracts wasps to your summer BBQ is sweet smells: the caramelizing ribs on the grill, a freshly opened can of soda, the perfume of your guests or the flowers in your garden. Wasps, like many insects, have an extremely keen sense of smell and can pick up on even trace amounts of foods and other odours. After dining make sure to clean up thoroughly, sweep up any fallen food and wash any spills with soap and water.

Pet food can also attract wasps so make sure not to leave pet bowls out on the porch.

Garbage

In the same way that food attracts wasps so does the smell of garbage. If possible keep garbage bins away from the patio area, if not make sure to secure them with strong lids to keep the smell in.

Yard waste can also attract wasps as it rots, so make sure that your yard is clear.

Grow Wasp Repelling Plants

Flowers and fruit trees are beautiful but give off a sweet smell that not only attracts wasps but also bees and other insects. Instead, decorate with plants that naturally repel wasps such as citronella, spearmint, pennyroyal, thyme, sage, lemongrass, clove or eucalyptus. The oils produced by these plants repel wasps and, as a bonus, many of these plants are delicious herbs that can brighten any summer dish.

Tip: Wormwood is another effective wasp-repelling plant however can be poisonous in small bodies so is not recommended if there are children or pets around.

Essential Oils

Instead of gardening, some of these plant oils can also be bought in stores. Eucalyptus and mint essential oils are commonly sold online and in health food stores. Simply combine some oil and water in a spray bottle and treat areas where you often see wasps. There are also wasp repellants that can be bought from home improvement retailers for the same use.

Avoid perfume

Perfumes often give off sweet smells that attract wasps so avoid wearing them when you plan to dine outdoors. This also goes for strongly scented soaps, shampoos or lotions. Instead, try wearing a dab of the above-mentioned oils, which double as a wasp repellant.

Traps

Wasp traps contain a sweet liquid that lures wasps through a hole that they then cannot leave through. These traps should be placed off to the side of an outdoor dining area so that wasps are attracted to the trap and not your family’s dinner. Wasp traps can be quite effective when placed properly but make sure to keep them out of reach of children and pets.

If you’re still having issues with wasps in and around your dining area it is possible you have a nest on your property that you are not aware of. A pest control expert will be able to safely locate and remove any wasp nests in and around your home.

Terminix exterminators use the safest and most effective methods to rid your home of wasps for good. We offer expert pest control services across Canada including BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. Call us today to learn how we can help.

The Risks of Bird Feeders

Birds / July 18, 2022

Backyard bird feeders can attract beautiful birds and help us feel closer to nature, a rare opportunity for those of us who live in cities. However, bird feeders can also be harmful to both humans and birds if not properly cared for. It is important to understand how to minimize these risks if you want to use a bird feeder.

Bird Diseases

Bird feeders often attract many different bird species which can be exciting to see but turns them into hotspots of bird disease. Birds primarily interact with individuals of the same species and spread disease between each other, however a larger issue arises when diseases are spread between species. When a bird comes in contact with a pathogen it is not familiar with its immune system doesn’t know how to properly respond and it becomes very ill. A disease introduced from a different species can quickly decimate a bird population.

It’s important to clean your bird feeders regularly to stop this; once every two weeks is recommended. Feeders can be washed with hot soapy water, a dilute bleach solution or even placed in the dishwasher. The number of different bird feeders you use should also be limited so that fewer species are forced to interact with each other.

TIP: You can easily clean your birdfeeder in the dishwasher! Just make sure to disassemble the feeder so the soap can get into all the little crevices.

Many people put bird feeders out in the hopes of helping wild birds find food, but biologists suggest that disease transmission is a larger risk to bird populations than food availability. Some studies have even found that bird feeders end up providing food mainly to invasive birds and help them outcompete native bird species.

Currently, highly pathogenic bird flu is on the rise in Canada, this disease affects many different species of bird and has no cure. You can check the Government of Canada website to see if bird feeders are safe for use in your area.

Something you can do to help our flying friends is to report sick or dead wild birds to the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative (CWHC). However, be careful not to handle the birds, although bird flu does not usually affect humans there are some rare cases where humans have been infected.

Human Diseases

Birds carry a multitude of diseases on their bodies and in their feces that cause harm to humans. It is especially hazardous to hang out near a large number of bird droppings, such as those often found under bird feeders. Many of the diseases birds transmit are airborne and can infect people simply by being close by. Some insects also parasitize birds and are found living in their droppings such as mites, which can bite humans, and mealworms, which can cause illness if accidentally ingested. — Learn more about common diseases transmitted by birds.

Bird droppings around feeders should be regularly removed however, make sure to follow proper safety precautions! Gloves and a dust respirator should always be worn, the bird droppings should be sprayed with soapy water before the cleanup to ensure no dust forms, and all waste should be double-bagged. When all the droppings are gone spray the area with a 10% bleach solution as well as any surfaces and tools touched in the process. Please note that immune-compromised individuals should never attempt to clean up bird droppings.

Rodents

Did you know? Backyard bird feeders are one of the biggest causes of residential rat infestations! Unfortunately, it’s not only birds that enjoy feasting on seeds. Learn more about birds

Bird feeders can attract unwanted pests such as squirrels, rats and raccoons especially when seeds fall on the ground under the feeder. To prevent these rodents from getting too comfortable near your home, be sure to sweep up fallen seeds regularly. If they discover a good food source in your backyard they will be tempted to move in nearby.

Nearby Nests

Bird feeders encourage birds to nest nearby, this may be exciting if a songbird nests in your tree, but less so if a pigeon builds a nest in your AC unit. Birds such as pigeons, starlings and house sparrows are often considered pest birds as they are not native to Canada but thrive in urban environments allowing their populations to grow out of control. They also cause a lot of damage to buildings by nesting in homes and dropping acidic feces that corrode roofing. These pest birds also generally do not come alone, many harbour insects such as bed bugs and mites in their coats or nests. —Learn more about these common pest birds and how to exclude them from your home humanly.

There are too few opportunities to connect with nature in cities and bird feeders can be a great way to do this however, they are not without risk and are best used in moderation. Consider putting your bird feeder out a couple of days or a week at a time and paying closer attention to it during that time. Too often bird feeders are neglected and not cleaned properly which ultimately does more harm to birds than good.

Additionally, this will discourage pests from taking up residence in and around your home. If you do find rodents or birds moving into your home it’s time to put the bird feeder away and call on pest control experts.

Deterring Insect Infestations

Lastly, it’s not just birds and wildlife that are attracted to your bird seed.

Grain pests, such as indian meal moths, weevils, and a host of stored food product beetles will also be attracted to the seeds and grains found in your bird seed materials. This counts for the feed outside, as well as the feed that you have stored inside your shed, garage, or house.

Proper bird seed storage is strongly advised such as a sturdy sealed container. Storing bird seed in areas away from the home to avoid introducing a potential infestation into the house is a good idea, but remember that mice and racoons can chew through plastic and a metal container might be a better option.

Terminix Canada offers expert bird pest control services across Canada including BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. Call us today to learn how we can help.

Which Canadian Ant is Invading your Home?

Ants / June 23, 2022

Canada is home to hundreds of species of ants most of which are relatively harmless or even beneficial. Ants help gardens thrive by tunnelling into the soil bringing oxygen and essential nutrients with them. Some species even consume other pests such as the young of silverfish or moths! However, they can become a problem when they set up nests in and around your house, causing damage to your home, spoiling food, and spreading diseases. Read more about ants.

Correctly identifying the species of ant infesting your house is imperative to their successful removal. As a Canadian homeowner, the ants you’re most likely to come into contact with include carpenter ants, pharaoh ants, pavement ants, and fire ants. Read on to learn how to identify these ant species and how to eliminate each one.

Carpenter Ant

The two main types of carpenter ants in Canada are red carpenter ants and black carpenter ants. Red carpenter ants have a reddish-brown upper body but are otherwise black, whereas the black carpenter ants are black all over. They are the largest of Canadian pest ants ranging from 6 to 25 mm in length, about the size of a sunflower seed. They are often confused with termites due to their size however, it is easy to tell the difference as carpenter ants have a very slim waist and bent antenna, whereas termites have thick waists and straight antenna.

Carpenter ants are attracted to damp or decaying wood in which they build their colonies. If they make their way into your home they can cause serious structural damage. They like to keep their tunnels very clean and are constantly sweeping out any debris, luckily this creates some very conspicuous sawdust piles. The sawdust piles may also contain the bodies of smaller insects that the carpenter ants have consumed. During mating season, late spring and summer, you will likely also see flying ants, these are reproductive males and females looking to breed with each other.

If you suspect carpenter ants have invaded your home, call a pest control company immediately to prevent any further structural damage. Additionally, don’t disturb any sawdust piles you find before your appointment as inspectors will use them to locate the nest and remove the colony.

Fun Fact

The giant Amazonian ant is a contender for the largest ant in the world at a whopping 4 cm in length! Twice the size of our Canadian carpenter ants!

Pharaoh Ant

The Pharaoh ant is likely native to Africa and can only nest outside in warm climates. Despite this, it has made its way all around the world and lives in heated buildings globally. Pharaoh Ants are small roughly 2 mm in length and have a yellowish-brown to red bottom with a darker body. You won’t see these ants flying around; the queens are the only ones in the colony to grow wings but they cannot fly and lose their wings after mating.

The small size of the Pharaoh ant allows it to get into just about anything, scientific researchers even have a hard time keeping them out of their sanitary labs! They can get into food packaging contaminating it with the microbes they carry on their bodies, they have even been known to transmit pathogens such as Salmonella and Streptococcus. This is why it is so important to keep an eye out for these tiny pests especially in and around the kitchen, in the pantry and by pet food bowls.

Pharaoh ants nest in odd places: between layers of paper or linens, in trash, or even in appliances and electrical outlets. This makes extermination tricky, instead of combing every crack of the home for nests, baits are typically used to treat pharaoh ants. When the Pharaoh ants come out to forage they grab pieces of the bait thinking it is food and bring it back to their nests poisoning the entire colony. However, it is imperative to select the right bait for your situation! If the wrong bait is used it will stress the ants out before they all die and the nest will scatter, creating multiple satellite colonies and further complicating your issue.

Pavement Ant

Pavement ants are not native to Canada and were introduced to North America from Europe in the 19th century. They are similar in size to Pharaoh ants, roughly 2 mm in length, but are darker in colour with pale brown to black bodies. You may be able to see their stingers, but don’t worry they are not used to attack but rather to leave trails of pheromones for their fellow ants. During the mating season, you will likely see some pavement ants taking flight as they like to congregate in swarms to do the deed.

They are not generally found living in the home but often along the outside walls of the home, in garages, along garden walkways or on patios. They prefer to nest in soil devoid of vegetation which has made them particularly suited to life in urban environments, so look for mounds of displaced solid near the outside of the home or paved areas. However, they will be drawn to forage in the warmth of the home during the cold winter months. Here they can become a hazard as they can get into pet and human food and contaminate it with microbes on their bodies. Pest control professionals can follow ant trails and dirt mounds to trace pavement ants back to their nest and exterminate the colony.

Fire ant & Fire ant hill — AntWeb. Version 8.76.4. California Academy of Science, online at https://www.antweb.org.

Fire Ants

While less common in urban areas if you own a property in a rural region of Canada you may come into contact with these infamous insects. Fire ants are 2 – 5 mm in length and reddish-brown in colour. If you take a close look you’ll discover a dark stinger but you really shouldn’t get that close because these ants are aggressive and will defend their turf vigorously! They will bite and inject a painful sting on any person or animal that gets too close to their colony, which looks like a dome-shaped mound of sand. Pay special attention in dry fields as fire ants thrive in the sun and if you see one make sure you do not disturb it.

A fire ant nest close to your home or near a path often walked should be dealt with as soon as possible. The silver lining is that once you’ve found a fire ant nest you are not likely to forget where it is, and exterminators can come in and deal with the issue efficiently.

TIP

Keep a close eye on children and pets if you have fire ants on your property. It’s also a good practice to always wear closed-toed footwear and socks in case you accidentally stumble across a colony.

If you’re still unsure which ant is invading your home, start by calling a professional pest control company who will be able to identify your ant problem and recommend an effective control option.

Terminix Canada offers expert pest control services across Canada including BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. Call us today for residential ant removal or commercial ant removal.

Three New Year’s Pest Solutions

Residential Pest Control / January 10, 2022

If you still need a New Year’s resolution, why not pursue professional pest solutions? Sure, quitting smoking, improving your career, or going to the gym are most people’s idea of starting a new year fresh. However, something that can provide you just as much comfort is relaxing in your home safe in the knowledge your space is pest-free.

If you spent 2021 living with rent-free roaches or other intruding insects, make 2022 the year you get rid of pests for good. Studies demonstrate that most New Year’s resolutions fail within the first three weeks. So why set yourself up for failure? By hiring a professional pest exterminator from Terminix Canada, our pest solutions help you stick to your resolution. In other words, your pledge to finally deal with the pests that bugged you all year long.

In short, if you don’t correct your pest control mistakes from 2021, the same pest problems will follow you into 2022.

New Year’s Pest Solution #1: Don’t Turn A Blind Eye

The 2021 version of you may have had a laissez-faire attitude towards a blatant sign of pest infestations. After all, seeing a couple of random insects roaming around your kitchen is no big deal, right? Wrong! Attitudes of ‘I’ll deal with this later’ should be left in 2021.

We understand. Pests are a pain and it’s time-consuming to deal with them in our busy lives. Remember though – procrastination often ensures that relatively minor pest problems quickly turn into full-on pest invasions.

For instance, when a small number of ants have discovered food, they’ll chemically signal their colony with pheromones. An originally ant-sized issue can rapidly grow into an ant army-sized catastrophe in your home.

This is only one of an endless list of examples where an infestation can manifest itself at a frighteningly fervent rate. So, when something seems even slightly amiss, pick up the phone and call Terminix Canada. Our pest solutions can prevent problems from escalating throughout 2022.

New Year’s Pest Solution #2: Protect Your Waste

We’ll level with you. We’re all guilty of sometimes placing our recycling and garbage bins outdoors, expecting them to remain unscathed until they’re collected come garbage day.

If you live in the likes of Montreal, Toronto, or Vancouver however, unprotected waste provides wildlife like raccoons a complimentary meal, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

As a mean of defense, some folks go as far as to keep their green bins shut with intricate bungee cord contraptions.

Another method to ensure you don’t find yourself the victim of a raccoon-influenced trash explosion, is hanging a string of blinking holiday lights around trash cans. Sure, you probably just put lights back in the attic after recently celebrating the holidays. However, remember that lights act as a raccoon deterrent year-round.

Also, sprinkling ammonia on your trash bags will keep the crafty little trash pandas at bay. Hiring Terminix Canada is your best bet for results but in the meantime, why not give these everyday pest solutions a go yourself?

New Year’s Pest Solution #3: Periodic Inspections And Preventative Maintenance

You were very busy this past year, and you didn’t take the time to suss out any possible unwanted creepy, crawly infiltrations within your home. And hey, maybe you didn’t pay for it with an overwhelming pest problem.

Still, that doesn’t mean you won’t suffer come 2022 from your lack of vigilance and due diligence. You need to make sure that you’re performing your own periodic inspections. We’re talking about those dark, uninhabited spots in your home, specifically in attics and basements.

It’s best to choose specific dates on your calendar so your new initiative doesn’t fall by the wayside throughout 2022.

As important as periodic pest inspections are, so is preventative pest maintenance around your home. This includes keeping up with repairs by sealing small cracks inside your home and around the perimeter.

What seems like a small, innocuous crack to you, is a giant gaping opportunity for miniscule pests such as ants, cockroaches, termites, and mice to enter your home.

Leave Professional Pest Control Solutions To The Terminix Canada Team

So, there you have it. We’ve given you our top three New Year’s pest solutions to ensure 2022 is both stress and pest-free. But if you already have a pest problem, don’t ignore it. Turn to the Terminix Canada team instead.

Our team offers residential wildlife and insect control, removal, and future prevention services. Our tried-and-tested techniques are safe, environmentally friendly, and long-lasting. To find out more about the pest control options available in your town or city, visit our Branch Locator, find your nearest Terminix Canada branch and give them a call.

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