With the colder temperatures that November brings, comes a surge of 3 common pests in the “Pest Control Industry”.

Mice, Cockroaches, and Carpenter Ants!

Why these 3 in particular? Read on…

Mice:

Mice tend to make a living space inside your home, cottage, and sheds in order to survive. They need all of the necessities, just as humans do. Their goal is to seek warmth, with access/entry to food and water. They will stop at nothing to find a perfect dwelling in order to nest. Because of the colder temperatures arriving, mice are way more common indoors than outdoors. We tend to find them most in sheds, dry dark places such as basements/cellars, inside interior walls, and in attics. Mice will gather materials to keep warm such as cardboard, clothing and insulation among other materials. Because of they are very dirty, destructive and disease carrying rodents, it is imperative that they are removed from your home or cottage before they cause damage to your property and/or health.

How do you protect your home/cottage?

1. Caulk/Seal all entry points around windows/doors/siding/fascia
2. Repair any roof gaps
3. Regularly inspect exterior walls for damage/entry points
4. Store all dry goods in air-tight sealed containers
5. Keep dark areas such as basements and cellars clean
6. Avoid using cardboard boxes for storage

Cockroaches

While cockroaches are generally seen as invaders of “dirty” spaces, truth be told that ‘roaches can really live anywhere… Including clean homes. Habitable living spaces for cockroaches really depends on the species and time of year. ‘Roach species ranges in size and colour and have been known to withstand several types of environments from arctic cold to tropical heat. In North America, we are most used to wood cockroaches, and German cockroaches.

Wood cockroaches are common both indoors and outdoors. Their habitat includes moist woodland areas but they are also known to live indoors, particularly in wooded areas such as cottages and cabins.

German cockroaches are the most common cockroach type in the world. We see an influx of German cockroach infestations in the colder months, as we believe, caused from the darker days and colder temperatures that will push them indoors.

How do you protect your home/cottage?

While it’s a tough job to eliminate a cockroach infestation after it’s happened, it’s not impossible. Cockroach infestations are DEFINITELY a job to call a professional to deal with, and as soon as possible! To protect yourself from cockroach infestations, follow these steps:

1. Caulk/Seal all entry points around windows/doors/siding/fascia
2. Regularly inspect exterior walls for damage/entry points
3. Clean up food as quickly as possible after meals
4. Store compost-able food in airtight containers
5. Avoid using cardboard in dark areas like cellars where there tends to be moisture in the air
6. Store dry foods in air tight sealed containers

Carpenter Ants

Carpenter ants are the most common ant infestation in Ontario homes and cottages. There is typically a surge in phone calls for carpenter ant infestations during the late fall/winter. If you’re unsure if you are looking at a carpenter ant or not, a consistent characteristic to look for among all carpenter ant species as a smoothly rounded outline of the thorax when viewed from the side.

If  you find carpenter ants indoors, it is most likely because they have built a nest somewhere in your home. It’s a tough job to try to find the nesting source of carpenter ants, but with due diligence and help from a professional, it can be done. It’s important to locate the nest so that you can trace back to the amount of damage caused by these pests even if they have only been there a short time.

How do you protect your home/cottage?

1. Caulk/Seal all entry points around windows/doors/siding/fascia
2. Cut back all branches/brush away from the home
3. Store wood piles a safe distance away from the home
4. Remove all dead brush/decaying wood away from the home/cottage
5. Keep an eye on the humidity in your home (look for condensation happening on window panes)
6. Repair any leaking faucets and areas that tend to pool water
7. Regularly vacuum and dust your home/cottage