PEST CONTROL TIPS & FAQs

When you suspect the presence of wildlife, rodents or insects in your home, property, or business, give us a call as soon as possible. We will conduct a thorough assessment and present treatment options you can take as your next step. At your request, our Certified Pest Control Technicians will build a treatment plan customized to your home and current pest situation.

The longer you wait, the larger pest populations will grow and the more damage or contamination they will cause. At 1st Pest Control today, we will promptly address your pest problem before it manifests into a severe infestation.

It is important to ask the right questions when hiring a pest control service provider to ensure you are receiving the most effective and safest pest control treatments available. The service provider you ultimately hire should be knowledgeable, certified and comply with the highest industry standards.

• Structural Pest Management Association
• Canadian Pest Management Association
• NPMA (National Pest Management Association)
• World Detector Dog Organization
• Better Business Bureau

1st Pest Control offers environmentally friendly and safe solutions as part of our pest control treatment program. At times, we must use stronger, more aggressive solutions to effectively address and eliminate heavier infestations.

Our Certified Pest Control Technicians will work with you to prepare your property and will provide you with step-by-step directions to ensure the safety of your home and family from the beginning to the end of our pest control treatment process.

The number of treatments required may be greater than one, depending on the extent of the pest infestation.  After the initial treatment, it is normal to experience insect activity for up to two weeks. If activity continues into the third week, a follow-up treatment may be required. Our Certified Pest Control Technicians will guide you through our treatment cycles and will work with you to ensure an overall successful pest control program for your home.

At 1st Pest Control, we have the solution to all your pest problems. Call us today at 1.844.PEST.CANADA (737.8226).

Depending on whether you require pest control for a home, business, or apartment complex, an integrated pest management plan that requires periodic visits can ensure that pests stay away from your property.  1st Pest Control will work with you to determine how often you will require pest control services and what will need to be accomplished on each visit.

We will custom-build a program that is specific to your current pest situation and the environmental conditions that are unique to your location. Learn more about our Integrated Pest Management services here.

Getting rid of rats and mice within your property requires both eliminating the problem and making sure that rodents will not be able to re-enter your building.  We will start by setting environmentally friendly rat traps; we will then examine the building for possible nests and entry points. These will be sealed to ensure that rodents will no longer be able to get in. We also offer a Raptor Safe program that humanely kills rodents without the use of poison, which may have a negative effect on birds of prey.

Having a trained pest management professional to assess and remediate the rodent situation on your home is invaluable. Why struggle to find where the rats are getting in? Or how and when to seal the holes so the rats don’t cause additional damage? Contact 1st Pest Control for effective and long term control of your rodent situation.

Finding rodent droppings is not only an upsetting indicator of rodents in the home but is also unpleasant to deal with. However, it is integral that droppings are properly disposed of for the health of you and those living in your home. To avoid touching or inhaling any diseases or bacteria that may be present, it is recommended that droppings are cleaned up by:

Spraying the droppings with disinfectant without sweeping or moving them. Leave the droppings for half an hour after spraying them. If possible, air out the area and leave the droppings.

While the droppings are still damp and while wearing a mask and gloves, wipe up the rodent droppings and put them into a plastic bag. Immediately dispose of the bag outside, along with the gloves used to touch the droppings.

Wash your hands and refrain from touching your face until you are sure the area and your hands are clean.

Rodent droppings are almost always an indication of an infestation, which poses a potential health risk. Contact 1st Pest Control for effective and long-term control of your rodent situation.

Signs of a Rat Infestation

Rat infestations in homes can be both unsettling and hazardous, posing risks to health and property. Recognizing the signs of a rat infestation is crucial for prompt intervention and effective control. From unusual noises in the walls to gnaw marks on household items, knowing what to look for is essential in identifying these unwelcome pests. Understanding where rats typically hide within a home and the associated health risks they bring can help homeowners take proactive measures to address the issue. This article explores the telltale signs of a rat infestation, common hiding spots in homes, health implications, DIY detection methods, and professional pest control solutions to help readers navigate and combat rat infestations effectively.

Unusual Noises
If you’re hearing mysterious scurrying and scratching noises in the walls or ceilings, you might have some uninvited rodent roommates.

• Gnaw Marks and Droppings
  Discovering chewed-up wiring, furniture, or food packaging, along with small pellet-like droppings, is a pretty obvious indicator that rats are making themselves at home.
• Nests and Burrows
  Finding shredded paper, fabric, or insulation materials in secluded corners or discovering tunnels in your garden could mean rats are setting up camp nearby.

Common Areas Rats Hide in Homes

• Kitchen and Pantry
  Rats love a good feast, so keep an eye out for nibbled food packages, crumbs, and even grease marks in these areas.
• Attics and Basements
  Dark, cluttered spaces provide the perfect hideout for these nocturnal critters. Inspect these areas for signs of rat activity.
• Wall Cavities and Crawl Spaces
  Rats are masters at squeezing into tight spaces. Check these areas for entry points and signs of nesting materials.

Rats are resourceful creatures that can find their way into homes through various entry points, posing a threat to both property and health. Understanding how these rodents access homes is crucial for effective prevention and control. By identifying and addressing common entry points, homeowners can fortify their defenses against rat infestations.

Exterior Entry Points for Rats

• Access Points Around Foundations: Rats are like tiny burglars looking for any gap or crack in your home’s foundation to slip through. They can squeeze through surprisingly small openings, making foundation gaps a common entry point.
• Entry Points Through Roofing and Siding: Don’t be fooled by their lack of wings—rats are quite the climbers. They can use tree branches or vines near your roof to scamper their way inside. Gaps in roofing or siding also offer easy access for these persistent pests.

Common Indoor Access Points for Rats

• Entry Points Through Vents and Chimneys: Ever heard the pitter-patter of tiny feet in your vents? Rats love using vents, chimneys, or any openings leading from the outside into your cozy abode. It’s like their version of a secret tunnel.
• Access Through Plumbing and Utility Openings: Rats are not picky about their entrances—plumbing pipes or utility openings provide a convenient pathway for rats to navigate through the intricate tunnels of your home. Time for a game of hide-and-squeak?

Structural Vulnerabilities and Rats

• Weakened Points in Walls and Floors: Walls and floors might seem sturdy to us, but to rats, they’re just another obstacle course. Cracks or weakened points in your home’s structure are like an open invitation for these agile intruders.
• Risks Associated with Crawl Spaces and Attics: Crawl spaces and attics are like the penthouse suites for rats. Dark, quiet, and often undisturbed, these areas provide the perfect hideout for rats to set up camp and cause mischief. Time to evict these unwanted tenants!

Yes, there are humane ways to control rat populations without using traps or baits. One method is utilizing natural predators such as barn owls or cats to help keep the rodent population in check. Another approach is implementing exclusion techniques by sealing off entry points into buildings and reinforcing structures to prevent rats from gaining access.

Additionally, practicing good sanitation habits, such as properly storing food and eliminating potential food sources, can help deter rats from inhabiting an area. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies, which involve a combination of methods like habitat modification and biological controls, can also be effective in reducing rat populations without causing harm to the animals.

It is important to consult with pest control professionals who are knowledgeable about these alternative methods to ensure proper implementation and effectiveness in controlling rat populations while minimizing harm to the animals.

There are a number of reasons that you may see a lot of spiders in your home. Different factors – such as the neighbourhood you live in and the time of year – can impact how many spiders get into your home. However, there are three common factors to finding spiders in your home. The first is that you have small gaps within your home and windows that make it so spiders can easily get in. The second is that you have lots of clutter in and around your home – this includes plants, bushes, and trees that are immediately next to your structure; spiders love having lots of places to hide so they can safely spin webs, hunt for food, and lay eggs. The final factor is having a great spider food source. Dust and dirt in your home, or, in some cases, plants, attract other bugs. Whatever attracts bugs will attract spiders as they go where their food goes.

Environmental modification is the most important component of a successful spider treatment, however, having a pest management professional on your team will help significantly. If your home has a problem with spiders, 1st Pest Control can help you to remove and keep spiders away from your home.

The best way of keeping hornets and wasps away is to prevent them from building nests. This means keeping garbage outside properly sealed so as to not attract these pests and cleaning out recycling thoroughly before putting it out. Put screens in chimneys and along covered areas, like your porch, where wasps can easily hide from predators. Make sure that your home and yard are clean, without any clutter or overgrown grass, so that there are as few hiding spaces as possible.

Wasps also tend to build their nests close by nest-building materials – wasps and hornets use untreated wood as their primary building material – if you or your neighbours have an older wooden fence, a wooden playset, wooden shed, or any other source of untreated/unpainted wood – these can all be potential building materials the wasps use during nest construction.

Having a well-equipped pest management professional on your team that knows how to keep themselves safe will help keep you and your family out of harm’s way.  It can be dangerous to remove a wasp nest by yourself. Leave it to the professionals; contact 1st Pest Control to remove any hornet or wasp nest from your home to remove the nest while remaining safe.