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Hamilton Home and Commercial Pest Control Services
Hamilton Home and Commercial Pest Control Services
Hamilton Home and Commercial Pest Control Services
Petty Pest Control Services is dedicated to helping home, business, and recreational vehicle owners get rid of
natures pesky pests that can destroy property, spread disease, and generally be awella pest.
We accomplish these objectives by applying the latest and safest methods of pest control known in our industry.
Our pest control technicians are well educated, knowledgable, and dedicated to your complete satisfaction.
Read our reviews on HomeStars!
www.PPCservices.HomeStars.com
We offer both home pest control and commercial pest control that is both affordable and available 24/7.
Biology
Raccoons breed mainly in February and March, but matings may occur from December through June. The
gestation period is about 63 days. Most litters are born in April or May, but some late-breeding females may not
give birth until June, July, or August. The biggest problem occurs when a female has bred a letter within your
home. Not only does she possess strong maternal instinct and protecting her letter, but as litter grows more
damage will be caused to your home.
Their diet is extremely diverse. In other words, they will eat almost anything that you have around!
hey are also nocturnal or night-time active animals. Thats why sometimes you will hear a loud thump some
times on your roof or inside your attic in the middle of the night.
Raccoon Damage
Raccoons can cause substantial damage. In urban areas, they can damage building (particularly attics and roofs),
gardens, fruit trees, lawns, garbage cans and trash containers. They are also attracted to pet food left outdoors
and will attack pets. Occasionally, one or more raccoons will establish a communal toilet area resulting in time
of the deposition of a large number of scats. If this is inside your attic measures should be taken to get rid of the
waste once these pests are removed.
Disease
Since free roaming wildlife does not receive veterinary care, all wildlife species can carry diseases and
parasites. Raccoons are known carriers of rabies, canine distemper, encephalitis, histoplasmosis,
trypanosomiasis, coccidiosis, toxoplasmosis, tularemia, tuberculosis, listeriosis, leptospirosis, roundworms, and
mange. They are also infested with fleas, ticks, lice and mites which are known transmitters of disease. Children
and pets are particularly at risk.
Problem Prevention
Raccoons are attracted to urban areas by the easy accessibility of food, water, and shelter. Reducing or
eliminating the availability of all of these factors will encourage them to leave. Tight fitting lids should be kept
on garbage cans; pets should be fed during daylight hours and any leftovers removed immediately; water bowl
should be emptied or taken in a night; gardens should be frequently harvested and windfall fruit picked up.
Food should never be intentionally left out for wild mammals.
When in the attic, we also look for droppings and the urine of the animals. This can be very significant if they
have been living in the home for an extended time. We also offer a flea treatment if needed. If you have these
unwanted rodents in your attic or rooftop, we offer squirrel removal in Toronto, Mississauga, Hamilton and the
Niagara region.
Decks
Sheds
Sunrooms
Attics
Roofs
How can I get rid of ants in my house? . . . . .is one of the most common homeowner complaints heard by
insect pest control specialists. They invade the home to forage for food or seek shelter or both. This article
explains ant behavior and provides control tips so you, the homeowner, are better equipped to deal with this
pest.
Behavior
All ants live in colonies, consisting of an egg-laying female
(queen), short-lived males, and workers (sterile females). The
ants you see foraging in your garden or kitchen are workers.
Workers that find food communicate with other workers by
depositing a chemical message on the substrate as they crawl
back to the nest. Although we cannot smell it, this trail
pheromone sticks to the substrate for long periods of time and
helps other ants find the food at the end of the trail.
In the spring, ants develop wings and fly to new locations and
invade homes to forage for food or to establish a new nest.
Termites also develop wings and swarm during the spring and look similar to flying ants. Examine them closely
to make sure that you have the correct pest! Ants are thin-waisted and have elbowed antennae. Termites have
thicker waists and have antennae that resemble strings of tiny beads. You may need a magnifying glass to
examine antennal features.
As a group, ants have a wide food range, feeding on sweet foods, greasy materials, starchy substances, wood,
and all kinds of plant and animal materials. Part of the reason that these insects become a nuisance in our homes
is that they often like the same kinds of food that we do.
Ant Control
There are two categories of ants that will be encountered when experiencing a problem with these insects. The
control strategy that you should take depends on your type of infestation.
Ants that live outside and forage in the home.
Those that live outside will travel inside the home to search for food. Some species may ultimately reside in
houses, discussed later in this fact sheet. To prevent both of these scenarios, follow these procedures:
1. First, cracks and crevices should be sealed to eliminate passages into the home. If you do not seal entry
points, ants will probably find their way into your house at some later time.
2. Second, scrub around entry points with a detergent (to remove the trail pheromone) and spray a residual
insecticide around entry points.
Bait treatments and insecticides can be used to control ants in the outside nest. To be effective baits must be
placed in areas where ants frequent, eaten and be taken back to the nest. There are several different kinds of
baits available, and you may have to do a little trial-and-error to find the proper bait. Because they must get
back to the nest for satisfactory control this strategy may be incompatible with insecticide sprays which may kill
worker ants before they can get back to the nest with the bait. The successful use of a bait may take several
weeks or more.
Insecticide dilutions can be used outside to successfully drench nests. Be sure to follow label recommendations
for correct procedures when applying the insecticide.
Ants that live (nest) inside your home.
Yes, there are some types of ants that actually establish a nest inside your home instead of merely entering to
forage for food and returning outdoors. Ants in this category may be present year round, although they will be
more active in the warmer months. Ant species that may live in Nebraska homes include crazy ants, odorous
house ants, pavement ants, pharaoh ants, thief ants, and carpenter ants. All of them may infest food products.
Spraying a residual insecticide to control foraging workers may provide only short-term control. Even when
over 99 percent of foraging workers are killed by insecticide sprays, the colony may rebuild to its original
numbers. Location and total destruction of the nest is the most direct way to eliminate this infestation.
Ant baits, described above, can again be a useful tool in eradicating inside-the-home ant nests, although baits
may not work as well with carpenter ants as the other species mentioned. Again, workers must eat the bait, take
it back to the nest, and feed to the queen and larval ants. This type of control is incompatible with treatments
that prevent workers from returning to the nest with the bait.
Unlike other home-inhabiting ants, carpenter ants cause structural damage to wood by tunneling and nesting
inside wood structures. However, they rarely nest in sound wood, but consistently invade wood that has become
wet and started to decay. Carpenter ants are large (about 3/8 to 1/2 long) and black or red.
The best way to control carpenter ants that inhabit a dwelling is to find the nest and destroy it. Insecticide sprays
inside the home will kill some of the worker ants, but unless the entire nest is treated, the queen will continue to
produce additional members of the colony. Locating a nest can be difficult because nests may be in locations
within the walls or roof rafters. At this point, some homeowners may prefer to work with a professional pest
control company. The most likely places to find carpenter ant nests are where wood has been wet and
weathered, such as rotting timbers about the foundation, window sills, porches, around leaky plumbing, and in
rafters under a leaky roof.
Carpenter ants are most active in the evening hours foraging for all kinds of food, both inside the house and
outside. By following them, you may be able to tell where the nest is. Because carpenter ants keep the tunneled
galleries very clean and push the sawdust and dead insect parts out small holes in the wood, a small, fresh pile
of sawdust under the nest timber is the usual sign of an active carpenter ant nest. Once a nest is found, treatment
is usually easy with either an insecticide dust or spray. Injection of insecticide into wall voids or the nest itself
may be necessary to insure complete control.
To prevent further carpenter ant infestations, trim all trees and bushes so branches do not touch the house and
correct moisture problems such as leaky roofs and plumbing. Paint and/or seal exposed wood construction
before it becomes wet. Replace previously ant-infested wood, rotted, or water-damaged wooden parts of the
structure and eliminate wood/soil contacts. Remove dead stumps on the property and store firewood off the
ground and away from the structure. Carpenter Ant Queen
Ants are a major annoyance to homeowners and are difficult to control. You should not underestimate the
importance of good sanitation to eliminate food sources, although good sanitation may not control an ant
infestation by itself.
Although we do not like sharing our homes with these insects, they are beneficial organisms in the balance of
nature. In nature, they greatly reduce the amount of dead and decaying plant and animal organic matter. They
also aerate the soil with their nests. Many ant species have a fondness for honeydew that aphids produce from
feeding on plants. Large numbers of ants crawling on a plant may be a sign of serious aphid infestation.
Summary
Ant infestations are not easy to control and different strategies should be used depending on nest location and
food preferences. They can be controlled with a combination of good sanitation, removing pheromone trails,
caulking entry points and eliminating active nests. Insecticide sprays and baits can be used to kill foraging ants
and destroy nests, but strategies designed to prevent further infestations should be used in conjunction with
chemical treatment.
Petty Pest Control Services can provide households with ant extermination and ant control services in Toronto,
Hamilton, Mississauga and the Niagara region in Ontario.
Treatment of Premises
If you neglect to treat the pets environment (the premises), you will miss more than 90% of the developing flea
population the eggs, larvae and pupae. If the pet spends time indoors, the interior of the home should also be
treated. Before treatment, the pet owner should:
Remove all toys, clothing, and stored items from floors, under beds, and in closets. This step is essential so that
all areas will be accessible for treatment.
Remove pet food and water dishes, cover fish tanks, and disconnect their aerators.
Wash, dry-clean or destroy all pet bedding.
Vacuum! vacuuming removes many of the eggs, larvae and pupae developing within the home. Vacuuming
also stimulates pre-adult fleas to emerge sooner from their insecticide-resistant cocoons, thus hastening their
contact with insecticide residues in the carpet. By raising the nap of the carpet, vacuuming improves the
insecticides penetration down to the base of the carpet fibers where the developing fleas live. Vacuum
thoroughly, especially in areas where pets rest or sleep. Dont forget to vacuum along edges of rooms and
beneath furniture, cushions, beds, and throw rugs. After vacuuming, seal the vacuum bag in a garbage bag and
discard it in an outdoor trash container.
Insecticide Application Once these pests become established in a home, insecticides are almost always needed
to control them. Always read and follow label directions on the insecticide container. Other than the person
performing the application, people and pets should be out of the house during treatment. People and pets
should also remain off treated surfaces until the spray has dried. This may take several hours, depending on
carpet type, ventilation and method of application. Opening windows and running the fan or air conditioner
after treatment will enhance drying and minimize odor.
Many different products are available for home treatment. The most effective formulations contain both an
adulticide (e.g., permethrin) effective against the biting adult stage, and an insect growth regulator (methoprene
or pyriproxyfen), necessary to provide long-term suppression of the eggs, larvae and pupae. It is essential that
the application be thorough and include all likely areas of flea development. Carpets, throw rugs, under and
behind beds and furniture, and beneath cushions on which pets sleep should all be treated.
Pay particular attention to areas where pets spend time or sleep, as these will be the areas where most flea eggs,
larvae and pupae will be concentrated. For example, if the family cat sleeps within a closet, or hides under the
bed, these areas must be treated or the problem will continue. Hardwood and tile floors generally do not require
treatment, but should be thoroughly vacuumed.
Expect to see some fleas for 2 weeks or longer following treatment. Provided all infested areas were treated
initially, these survivors are probably newly emerged adults which have not yet succumbed to the insecticide.
Instead of retreating the premises immediately, continue to vacuum. As noted earlier, vacuuming stimulates the
insecticide-resistant pupae to hatch, bringing the newly emerged adults into contact with the insecticide sooner.
Flea traps, such as those utilizing a light and glue board to attract and capture adult fleas, can be helpful but will
not eliminate a flea infestation unless used in combination with other methods. If adult fleas continue to be seen
beyond 2-4 weeks, retreatment of the premises (and pet) may be necessary.
Pests can be quite difficult to eliminate from your home if you do it alone. Contact Petty Pest Control Services
today if you are looking for a reliable flea extermination service in Toronto, Hamilton, Mississauga and the
Niagara region.
Close up of termites
What is a termite?
Termites are part of the same group of insects as cockroaches, and they feed on dead plant material, such as
wood and soil. They are around the size of an ant although they move slower, and they are fatter and usually
white in colour. And as small as they are, these insects have been known to build towers, hollow trees, move
soil and destroy houses.
They generally inhabit dark nests and tunnels. Some have wings and are a darker colour, and they are the ones
that leave the nests to harvest food and to eventually start new colonies, while the termites that stay in the
shelter are wingless and paler. The flying termites can shed their wings when they find a new nest, and the
wings grow back when it is time to hunt for food once again. They feed on the cellulose that is in plant fiber.
This is a rich energy source but is difficult to digest.
Termites live in colonies that can have several hundred to several million termites living in the nest. A queen
can lay as many as several thousand eggs in a day. They use swarm intelligence to gather their food, and within
the colony there are several roles for the termites, including workers, soldiers, and breeders. The egg-laying
queens are kept within the colony nest at all times. A female termite that has flown, mated and produced eggs is
termed a queen, and there can be many queens within a colony. The male termite is usually the only one in the
colony and mates with all of the queens to produce offspring. The termite workers are usually blind, as their
eyes are undeveloped. They are responsible for creating the nest walls using soil, wood, and saliva. The soldier
termites are used when ants attack, and they have an over-developed jaw to attack; yet this makes it difficult for
them to eat, so the workers feed them.
What do termites do?
Termites can cause major structural damage to buildings, crops and plantation forests as they pick away at the
wood fibers. They can go undetected for years, consuming the wood without people noticing until the structure
is too severely damaged. These pests can also damage paper, cloth and carpets.
Termites feed on materials, such as wood and cloth, yet they do not digest it. Rather they use most of their
intake to build their colony nests and to protect themselves from sunlight and rain. They usually build their
nests in the walls of houses, as there is a large amount of food nearby for them, and they can go undetected for
years.
What can you do to prevent termites?
Insure that all deadwood (piles of firewood, dead trees etc.) are as far away from the home as possible. Inspect
any decks, sheds or parts of your home that are made of wood for signs of tunneling or wood rot. If you suspect
termites, it is imperative to take a proactive approach to this situation, as they will move from fences and trees
into your home. If any of these situations are detected, please contact us immediately!
How can PPC services help?
PPC service professionals will come in and evaluate your home and surrounding area for termite infestation.
Once it has been determined that termites do exist in your home, PPC will exclude the termites from your home
by inserting a chemical rod into the surrounding soil (including the basement), as well as spraying down the
wooden structure of the house. If you suspect greater damage, it is possible that sections of drywall may have to
be opened up to be examined, and if necessary, chemically sprayed.
If you think your home is infested by these pests, call us as soon as you can for termite control and termite
extermination services to minimize any damage to your house structure.
We service Hamilton, Toronto, Mississauga, Oakville, Guelph, Kitchener- Waterloo, St. Catharines,
Niagara Falls, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Fort Erie and Simcoe. We also provide immediate emergency
services anytime 24-7.
194 Braithwaite Ave.
Hamilton, ON L9G 5A3
Phone: (289) 439-4343
http://pettypestcontrolservices.ca/contact/