Every October, our phones fill up with the same call: “I think we have mice.” It is not a coincidence. As temperatures drop and fields are harvested around the GTA and Simcoe County, mice go looking for three things: warmth, food and shelter. Your home has all three.

How mice get in

A house mouse can squeeze through a gap about 6 mm wide, roughly the size of a pencil. The most common entry points we find are:

• Gaps around pipes, gas lines and A/C lines where they enter the house
• Worn garage door seals and missing door sweeps
• Dryer vents and roof vents without proper screens
• Cracks in the foundation and gaps under siding
• Openings where the roofline meets the soffit

Signs you already have mice

• Small dark droppings in cupboards, drawers or behind the stove
• Chewed food packaging, paper or insulation
• Scratching sounds in walls or ceilings, mostly at night
• A stale, ammonia-like smell in closed spaces

Why traps alone do not fix it

Traps catch the mice that are already inside. If the way in is still open, new mice keep arriving all winter. That is why so many people feel like they “had mice again” every single year.

Lasting control combines two things: removing the mice that are inside, and sealing the entry points with materials mice cannot chew through, like steel mesh, sealant and proper door sweeps.

What you can do this week

• Store food, pet food and bird seed in sealed containers
• Move firewood and clutter away from the house
• Check the bottom of your garage door for daylight
• Trim plants and shrubs touching the foundation

If you are already seeing droppings or hearing activity, it is time for a professional inspection. Our mice and rat control service finds every entry point inside and out, removes the mice and seals the gaps so you are not dealing with them again next fall.

← Back to the blog

One of the biggest advantages of bed bug heat treatment is how little preparation it needs compared to chemical treatments. Most of your furniture, bedding and clothing stays exactly where it is. There are a few important steps, though, and getting them right makes the treatment more effective.

Remove these items before treatment

• Anything flammable or pressurized: aerosol cans, lighters, propane, candles, fire extinguishers
• Items that melt or warp: wax, crayons, lipstick, vinyl records, some plastics
• Medications, vitamins and cosmetics
• Pets, fish tanks and house plants
• Food items that could spoil, like chocolate, butter or fresh produce
• Sensitive electronics you are concerned about, such as laptops, tablets and phones
• Musical instruments and valuable artwork

Leave these in place

• Mattresses, box springs and bed frames
• Couches, chairs and other furniture
• Clothing in closets and dressers (loosen packed drawers and closets)
• Bedding and curtains

The day of the treatment

• Plan to be out for the day. Most homes take six to eight hours.
• Open closet doors and drawers slightly so heat can circulate.
• Do not move items from the treated rooms to other rooms or to a friend’s place. That is how bed bugs spread.
• Let us know about any areas we cannot heat, like a locked room.

After the treatment

• Let the space cool before handling items.
• Install mattress and box spring encasements to make future checks easy.
• Watch for new bites over the next few weeks and tell us right away if you notice any.
• Be careful with travel and second-hand furniture.

Landlords and property managers

We provide a printable tenant prep sheet and written service reports for every treated unit. For buildings, we also recommend inspecting the units beside, above and below. See our property management programs.

← Back to the blog

Finding winged insects or damaged wood in your home is stressful. In Ontario, the two most likely culprits are carpenter ants and eastern subterranean termites. They are often confused, but the differences are easy to spot once you know what to look for.

Look at the body

• Carpenter ants have a narrow, pinched waist, elbowed antennae and, when winged, front wings longer than the back wings.
• Termites have a thick waist with no pinch, straight antennae and four wings of equal length.

Look at the damage

• Carpenter ants leave clean, smooth tunnels and push out fine sawdust called frass. You may see small piles under windows, baseboards or beams.
• Termites leave rough, layered tunnels packed with soil and build pencil-width mud tubes along foundations, joists and sill plates.

Where they are found

Carpenter ants are common across Ontario and very common around Barrie, Simcoe County and cottage country, especially near damp wood, decks and treed lots. Termites are much more localized and are found in parts of Toronto and southern Ontario, often in older neighbourhoods.

Which one is worse?

Termites eat wood and can cause serious structural damage over years. Carpenter ants do not eat wood, but they hollow it out to nest, which can weaken window frames, decks and roof structures over time. Both deserve attention.

What to do

• Collect a sample or take clear photos of the insects
• Note where you see sawdust, mud tubes or swarmers
• Fix leaks and moisture problems around the area
• Book an inspection before damage spreads

Learn more about our carpenter ant control and termite inspection and treatment, or browse the Pest Library.

← Back to the blog

Ticks used to be something people worried about only on camping trips. Today, blacklegged ticks are found in many parts of Ontario, and Public Health Ontario maintains a map of estimated risk areas that has grown over the years. Backyards near woods, trails, ravines and tall grass can all have ticks.

When ticks are active

Ticks become active as soon as temperatures rise above freezing, often in April, and stay active into late fall. Spring and early summer are especially important, because the tiny nymph stage is hard to see.

Check after every outdoor day

• Check yourself, children and pets after time in grass or woods
• Pay attention to the scalp, behind the ears, armpits, waist and behind the knees
• Shower after outdoor activities
• Put outdoor clothes in the dryer on high heat

If you find an attached tick, remove it promptly with fine-tipped tweezers and speak to a health care provider if you develop symptoms.

Make your yard less tick-friendly

• Keep grass short, especially along edges
• Remove leaf litter and brush
• Create a gravel or wood chip barrier between lawn and wooded areas
• Keep play areas away from the edge of the woods
• Stack firewood neatly and away from the house

Seasonal yard treatment

For homes and cottages near woods or trails, a seasonal program targets the edges and shaded areas where ticks wait for a host, alongside the yard changes above. See our mosquito and tick control service.

← Back to the blog