Pest & Rodent Info

Why so Many Rodents?

Between the huge population spike in Southern Ontario in the last few years, and the addition of many new highways, mice and other rodents are quickly losing their natural habitat. This drives them indoors seeking shelter because they prefer dark nesting spots, and getting rid of rodents is not a simple task. This is due to the various factors that affect the manner by which rodents live, one of them being that a lot of people use outdated, over-the-counter rodenticides, which have a very low toxicity level and over time the rodents have built up immunities to them. They often come in many numbers but if you’re positive that there is only one in your home, consider yourself lucky. At the same time, whether you have just one mouse or a huge family of them, it’s important to deal with the problem at hand, and get rid of them.

One of the most effective ways to get rid of rodents, especially rats, is to seek out a professional mice removal service, like ours. At Action Pest Control we are experts at mice removal. We are experienced, and ensure that we always have the necessary equipment to drive those mice away from your home.

As professional technicians, we are licensed to use different formulations that are very effective for the long term control of mice. We use anticoagulants, which are blood thinners added to a very palatable meal bait which reduces the clotting ability in mice, thus eliminating any post-treatment odor problems as well.

• 

  Rats

  Brown rat, common rat, Norway rat, sewer rat, Rattus norvegicus

  Norway rats, while nocturnal and shy, are the largest commensal rodent found in Ontario. The head and body are 7 to 10 inches long, the tail is an additional 8 inches, and their fecal droppings are up to 3/4 of an inch each. Their adult lifespan is about a year, becoming sexually mature in the first 2 to 5 months, and the females can produce 3 to 6 litters per year.

  To many people, rodents are just pesky creatures, but they also have the ability to transmit diseases that can cause death and permanent damage to humans. If you suspect that you may have rodents in your home, here are some classic signs that point to a rodent infestation that may prompt you to seek expert help in getting rid of them.

  First of all, rodents are really good at hiding and often enough, you won’t realize that they’re already nesting in your home, simply because you don’t see them. However, just because you don’t see them, doesn’t mean they’re not there – Because while you may not see them running around, they could actually leave telltale signs that signify their presence.

  One common and probably most obvious signs of a rodent infestation is the discovery of rodent droppings under the sink and inside the cupboards or drawers. If you see little brown things on the floor, cupboard, or under the sink that looks like mini chocolate chips, don’t touch them with your bare hands!

  Other telltale signs of an infestation include stale smells that usually come from hidden areas such as the back of a cabinet or the sofa. You may also find chewing patterns on food packages.

  As professional technicians, we are licensed to use different formulations that are very effective for the long term control of rodents. We can use anticoagulants, which are blood thinners added to a very palatable meal bait, which reduces their clotting ability, thus eliminating any post-treatment odor problems as well.

• 

  Cockroaches

  german cockroach, Blattella germanica

  In our area, we deal mainly with three types of roaches: oriental, German, and the brown banded cockroach (pictured above). They are nocturnal insects and because of this, they prefer cool dark places. Homeowners need to beware because cockroaches can enter your home in many different ways including inside boxes, groceries, used clothing, appliances, etc.

  If the infestation is bad, we will use insecticides and a fogging machine for total pest control, but in most cases, we use a paste called Max Force, which kills the roaches through ingestion. The Max Force is very safe, so the homeowner does not have to go through the trouble of cleaning out all of their food and dishes, as they would need to for a spray treatment.

  The paste is great because, in most situations, it continues to work for up to a year. It is widely used now, mostly in food establishments and hospitals because of the fact that it’s so safe for humans.

• 

  Earwigs

  Dermaptera

  Although earwigs are an outdoor insect, they become a major problem once they move indoors. They usually invade in the late summer and early fall, generally at night. They have a unique physical appearance, with two pincers protruding from their rear. They are considered pests mainly because of their appearance and foul odor when they are crushed. Treating the interior and exterior of your home is the only way to control earwigs. Our pest control specialists have plenty of experience dealing with these pests in Hamilton and the surrounding areas.

• 

  Grain Beetles

  Coleoptera

  Grain Beetles are the little pests that come out of your pet food, rice, cookies, flour, etc. There are many different species that we deal with, but they generally all feed on open packaged products that you purchase from your local grocery stores. When in the larvae stage, they generally feed on the same food as the adults.

  Meal moths (indian meal moths being the most common) also fall into this category, except that most of the damage to food is done by the larvae. However, the adults are usually the ones you will see flying after the larvae/pupae stage. Unfortunately, for proper control, all open food must be discarded, and your cupboards must be cleaned out and washed before they can then be properly treated with an insecticide to get them under control.

• 

  Mice

  house mouse, Mus domesticus

  House mice are the most common commensal rodent. Physically, they are grey, weigh up to an ounce, their bodies are 3 to 4 inches long and the tail an additional 4 inches. The female reaches sexual maturity in 35 days and produces about 8 litters a year, with an average of 6 young baby mice per litter. As you can imagine, with 35 weaned mice per adult female, populations can build rapidly in your home. For this reason, it is best to contact a pest control specialist immediately if you have mice. We provide expert mice removal in Hamilton, Burlington, Oakville, and surrounding areas. Removal of mice is done in the same manner as other rodents, by using anticoagulants.

• 

  Hantavirus

  The Hantavirus is a disease in mice that was first detected in the American South-West in the late 1980’s and eventually found its way into Canada and Ontario. The Deer Mice, characterized by being brown on top and white underneath, are the principal carrier of this disease and it’s contracted by inhaling particulate matter found in their fecal and urine droppings. Mortality in humans who contract the disease is approximately 60% so, if you have Deer Mice, you should be very careful when cleaning up their droppings. The safest way of dealing with these droppings is to contact a pest control specialist.

• 

  Ants

  common black ant, garden ant, Lasius niger

  There are many different species of ants in our area, but the species that does the most damage to the homeowner is the carpenter ant. They are the largest ants found in the United States and Canada. If left untreated, they can do major damage to the home’s structure over a period of time. They are social insects and generally nest in wood, so it is very important to get them under control.

  They prefer to excavate wood damaged by fungus and are found in conjunction with moisture problems but, unlike a termite, they do not eat the wood they excavate. Carpenter ant control can be very difficult, so it often requires an integrated approach for full elimination which may involve drilling holes to get at the nests or removing light switches and plugs.

  We use a micro injector system, which allows us to fully treat wall voids without having to remove the walls. This machine injects an insecticide (Pyrethrum) in a gas form that easily spreads into hard-to-reach voids where the ants prefer to nest. We also do a thorough inspection to determine where all nests are located. Our service will provide you with complete protection both on the interior and exterior of the building.

• 

  Carpenter Ants

  Camponotus modoc, Camponotus vicinus

  Carpenter ants are tenacious insects and they can do thousands of dollars worth in damages behind the walls, completely undetected by the homeowner, if left untreated. Carpenter ants usually establish nests in a number of locations throughout the home, including the parent colony which consists of a queen, its brood, and over 2000 worker ants. They then have satellite colonies in different areas with workers, but no queen because she will not leave the main nest.

  These ants are nocturnal by nature, so you could have thousands of ants in the walls and only see 4 or 5 at a time. In order to have an effective treatment, you must find and kill the queen ant and because most pest companies only do a baseboard treatment and place dust near a wall plug, they will never reach the nest.

  Our service treats your entire home from top to bottom against carpenter ants using a safe and odorless insecticide. We concentrate on the foundation where they enter the home, the pipes where they go for water, as well as the attic where 80% of the nests occur and if these areas are left untreated, you are just masking the problem. We use the safest products available, offer our clients free estimates, and have a full written guarantee for one full year to ensure satisfaction.

• 

  Fleas

  cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis felis

  Fleas are generally one eighth of an inch long, wingless, laterally flattened and have piercing sucking mouth parts. Fleas undergo a complete metamorphosis and after each meal of blood, they lay 4 to 8 eggs at a time. The female flea can lay 4 to 800 in her lifetime and the eggs hatch in about 10 days. The adult fleas begin to feed on blood within two days of reaching adulthood.

  Effective treatment requires three major steps: sanitation, insecticide application, and animal flea control with bathing or advantage from your vet. Everything within the home must be treated to get complete control including your furniture, beds, carpets, and baseboards. We offer year round flea removal services to ensure that you’re never stuck with a problem that can’t be fixed.

• 

  Bedbugs

  common bedbug, cimex lectularius

  Bedbugs were virtually wiped out over 50 years ago using aggressive pesticides like DDT. However, in the past few years, they are becoming a major problem again in all of North America including Hamilton, Burlington, Oakville and the surrounding area according to the National Pest Control Association. Adult bedbugs are a quarter of an inch long, feed on blood, they mainly come out at night and are translucent until they feed themselves and become filled up with blood.

  Unfortunately, hatchlings are so small they can pass through a single stitch-hole in a mattress and even adults can slip into tiny cracks in any furniture in your home due to their flat bodies.

  TREATMENT

  They are almost impossible for a homeowner to treat because the pesticides sold in hardware stores don’t work and sprays need to be approved in order to be used on mattresses. Our expert bedbug removal technicians treat all mattresses in the home, as well as all dressers, drawers, baseboards, chairs, and furniture. We use only MOE approved, water-based, odorless insecticides that are registered for this procedure. In addition, we use the latest Micro Injector technology that actually injects a fine mist into the mattress and furniture where the insects live and breed. With our system, you won’t need to throw out your mattress or furniture due to the bedbugs and our services are fully guaranteed in writing.