Nobody wants to live with pests in their homes. However, most Canadian homeowners have to deal with pest problems. One of the most common pests in Canada is the mouse. Apart from this, several other pests like cockroaches and spiders also create chaos. Pests either destroy your home structure or pose health risks. Hence, people want to get rid of them as soon as possible. Although the safest way to deal with pests is to book pest control services in Canada.
Knowing what pests can invade your home makes it easy for you to prevent them. You can take the necessary steps for pest control. In this blog, we will learn about identifying and dealing with the most common pests in Canada.
Most Common Pests in Canada
Let’s see the most common pests that invade your home in Canada and the steps you should take to control them.
Rats
One of the most common pests you may find in your home in Canada is rats. The most common species of rats found in the country are Norway rats or brown rats. And with some exceptions, these rats live wherever humans live. You will see them in your attic and kitchen. They are omnivorous and reproduce rapidly. They seek entry to your home for warm shelter, food, and water. So, the first type of pests you must keep your eyes on is rats because these pests can cause extensive damage to your house. They gnaw through wooden items and can also chew wires and insulation.
How to Deal with Rats
There are many ways you can get rid of rats:
- Seal any Cracks and Holes: Probably the first thing you should do for rat control in Canada is to seal the cracks and gaps in your house. Look for all the possible holes and gaps that can be an entry way for rats.
- Use Rat Traps or Poison: One of the most useful ways to get rid of rats is to use rat traps. The most common traps used for homeowners are the glue trap.
- Natural Predators: Pet a cat at home. Your cat will not only hunt down rats, but it also repels rats with their smell. Yes, cats’ smell will prevent rat infestation at your house.
Cockroaches
Another common pest in Canada is cockroaches. Well, there are more than 4000 species of cockroaches in the world, but only 30 species infest houses. If you see cockroaches in your house in Canada, they will probably be the German Cockroach. Common household cockroaches are usually dark brown or light in color.
Cockroaches are nocturnal pests. They are active at night and sleep during the day. Like many other pests, they enter your house for food sources. Hence, they reside in your kitchen or nearby areas to get food. However, cockroaches do not damage your property, but they can contaminate your food and spread diseases. It can even trigger asthma and allergies. Garbage and clutter attract cockroaches. While roaming around the garbage, they collect bacteria and dirt, which they may deposit in your kitchen while searching for food, and even contaminate the food. Cockroach control in Canada can be challenging for you as a homeowner because cockroaches can live several days without food and water. However, you can still use a few pest control methods to ward off cockroaches.
How to Deal with Cockroaches
You can try a few tricks to prevent cockroaches from invading your house:
- Seal Pantries and Kitchen Cabinets: Cockroaches search for food in your house, and hence, they target your kitchen. If you keep food in air-tight containers and keep the kitchen cabinets closed properly, nothing will attract roaches to your kitchen.
- Do Not Leave Dirty Dishes in the Sink: Do your dishes as soon as you finish eating. And if not, soak the plates in soapy water and rinse off the leftovers. Because cockroaches may start licking the food left on the plates.
- Use Cockroach Repellents: You will find many cockroach control products in the market in liquid and gas form. This keeps the pest away from your home. But if the infestation is severe, no such repellents will work, and you will have to go for professional pest removal services in Canada.
Ants
Ants are very common during the summer and spring seasons in Canada. All homeowners in Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Calgary, and other cities face ant and carpenter ant problems. These tiny pests can enter your home even through the tiniest crack or gap in search of food. This is the reason they make their way directly to your kitchen. Once they find your house as a good source of food, they build their nest under the ground near your house or sometimes in your house. The common ants found in Canadian homes are not harmful. But they can bite you, which may lead to itchy skin. You must prevent ant infestation at home if you have kids. Kids can be an easy target for red ants to bite. Besides, some ants can also damage your property, which are known as carpenter ants.
How to Deal with Ants
There are many items in your kitchen that not only attract ants but can also be used for ant control. Here’s how you can get rid of ants even if you don’t call a professional pest control company in Toronto:
- Use Home Remedies: Use borax solution to kill and eliminate ants from your space. Just take sugar, borax powder, and water. Make a solution out of it and saturate cotton balls. Place the cotton balls in every corner to repel ants.
- Clean Up Spills Right Away: Food spills on the kitchen counter or floor are what attract ants the most. If you have spilled something by mistake, clean it right away. And, always mop your floor and kitchen counters with cleaners.
- Store foods in Air-Tight Containers: Ants enter your house for food. If you keep them open, it will attract ants. So, keep the foods in air-tight containers, especially the ones that attract ants, like sugar, cookies, etc.
Raccoons
Raccoons are another common pest in Canada, mostly found in Southern Canada, especially in Toronto. Therefore, people often book professional wildlife pest control services in Toronto. Raccoons are omnivorous and are nocturnal pests. They are highly active at night searching for food. You will see them digging through the garbage in search of food. Raccoons can also build a nest in your home. You will hear noises from your attic or buildings, like squeaking, scratching, and rustling. They usually make loud noises in the evening as they are a nocturnal pest. Remember, raccoons can transmit diseases. They are also known as the carriers of the rabies virus. Therefore, it is important to prevent raccoons’ entry into your house.
How to Deal with Raccoons
- Raccoon-Proof Your Attic: The best way to prevent raccoon infestation is raccoon raccoon-proof your attic. This is the place where they build their nests. Check the roof to see if there are any potential cracks or gaps for raccoons to enter your house. Seal them properly. However, ensure there are no raccoons trapped inside.
- Limit the Access of Your Garbage to Raccoons: Raccoons are nocturnal pests who actively look for food at night, especially in the garbage cans. You can keep them away from your house by limiting their access to your garbage.
- Leave Your Lights On: Raccoons like to go in the dark and lonely places. So, you can prevent their entry to your house by keeping your lights on.
Bed Bugs
Bed Bugs are a widespread problem in every part of Canada, especially Vancouver and Toronto. If you are a homeowner in these cities in Canada, you must have the presence of bed bugs. These are nocturnal pests that feed on humans’ blood. Bed bugs are tiny bugs that are experts at hiding themselves under your bedding or bed frames. The most common places you will find bed bugs are mattresses, sofas, baseboards, and electric outlets. They come out at night and suck blood while the host is in deep sleep. Their bites cause red rashes and itchy skin. Although it is not dangerous, the bites can lead to skin allergies and irritations. Due to them, you will experience sleepless nights. Bed bugs hitchhike to suitcases and move from place to place.
If you are not sure whether you have bed bugs, then look for the most common sign of bed bug infestation—bite marks. If you wake up with strange red marks like mosquito bites, but in a strange pattern, then your house is infested with bed bugs.
How to Deal with Bed Bugs
- Heat Treatment: Bed Bugs cannot stand extreme heat. So, you can use temperature to kill and eliminate bed bugs. Wash your clothes and linens in warm water to kill bed bugs.
- Vacuum: Another bed bug control option is to vacuum your home entirely. This will suck out bed bugs from your home.
- Eliminate Clutter: Bed bugs are experts at hiding. If your house is cluttered, bed bugs will get good spots to hide. So, keep your house clutter-free.
Wasps
Wasps are one of the common pests in Canada that are found in both rural and urban areas. More than 500 species are found in Canada, but the most common ones that invade houses are hornets, yellow jackets, paper wasps, and mud daubers. Wasps are social insects that live in colonies. There could be as many as 15000 members in a wasp colony. They can invade your home and build nests in their preferred way. For example, mud daubers build their nests from mud, while paper wasps build their single-layered nests from plants and attach them to the fence or door frames, etc.
Wasps like yellowjackets and paper wasps are known for their aggressive nature. However, they still do not attack until provoked. If your house is infested with any of these wasps or honey bees, and you want to get rid of them, it is advised to book a professional wasp removal company in Canada. But you can use some preventive measures to keep them away from your house.
How to Deal with Wasps
- Get Rid of Other Insects: Wasps even feed on insects. So, if you have other pest infestations at home, such as flies, spiders, and ants, wasps will invade your home. Remove such insects and prevent wasp infestation too.
- Try Natural Remedies: Some natural ingredients can do wonders to ward off wasps. Sometimes, even the solution of soap and water can help you eliminate wasps. Spray the mixture on the hanging nest, but be careful while doing this, as you will have to go closer for spraying, and you may get stuck there.
- Keep Trash Covered: You will face a wasp problem mainly in your backyard, where they find lots of food sources in the form of exposed garbage. Make sure to tightly seal the lids of the garbage bins.
In Conclusion
So, now we have learned about the most common pests in Canada and how to deal with them. Using all the above-mentioned preventive measures will help you keep such pests away from your house. However, you still find pest control challenging as it requires skills and adequate knowledge. Sometimes, you may even hurt yourself, like when removing a wasp nest. Hence, hiring a professional pest control company in Canada is essential. If you want, they can visit your home for a free inspection. By thoroughly inspecting the condition and infestation severity, they provide the best pest control treatment. Not only do they help get rid of the common pests in Canada, but they also guarantee pets will stay out.
By the way, if you are looking for professional pest control services in Ontario, count on us. We provide highly effective pest control services in Mississauga, Brampton, Milton, Toronto, Oakville, Vaughan, Caledon, Burlington, East York, York, and other neighborhoods and areas in the Greater Toronto Area, Ontario. Whether you want cockroach control services or wildlife control services in Mississauga and other areas in Ontario, we are here to help you with the most effective and reliable services to exterminate different pest issues.