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Opening the cottage to find mice is icky. They pee and poop everywhere they go, making a mess and causing a terrible odour. They also pose serious health risks. Inhaling contaminated air may cause disease. This can happen when you’re trying to clean up the mess mice have left behind....

  In summer, it’s not uncommon to have a sudden problem with aggressive ‘bees.’  They steal food off your plate while you’re dining alfresco and attack anyone working or playing in the yard, inflicting painful stings. But it’s not bees causing the havoc. Rather, it’s yellow jacket wasps.  Yellow jacket...

Consider this: One fly in the sauce cost a high-end restaurant five good customers, and likely countless others.   A woman recently told Pest HQ she was dining out with four girlfriends. Halfway through her creamy pasta dish, she found a fly. This was not a fly that landed in...

More than a nuisance, mosquitoes can be deadly Mosquitoes kill more people each year than any other creature in the world. In Canada, they’re mostly a nuisance. Still, the bites of some mosquitoes make people ill. In Ontario, alone, 72 people were sickened in 2024 by West Nile Virus, a...

  Despite having “German” in their name, cockroaches are tropical insects. They love heat and humidity.     It’s why the invasive pests thrive inside where temperatures are steady. They’d never survive a Canadian winter outdoors.     If it seems like roaches are worse in the summer, you’re right. Warm,...

One of the greatest threats to trees in Ontario is the spongy moth. Previously called the European gypsy moth, the invasive pest lays eggs in tree bark. Caterpillars hatch from the eggs and eat the leaves of trees, often stripping them bare. When this happens repeatedly, trees become weak and...

  Seven species of ants cause problems for homeowners in Canada. Most don’t become pests until they get inside your home and are trailing across your countertop.    Fortunately, you can manage the ant populations around the outside of your home to prevent them from finding their way indoors, say...

  A family shared this story: Their beloved dog was growing stiff and lethargic, which they thought due to advancing age.  Turns out, it had a serious case of Lyme disease, discovered during an annual vet exam. The dog had been bitten by an infected black-legged tick and became ill, despite...

We recently heard a busy homeowner was “surprised” by a major carpenter ant infestation. The ants had built a massive nest in the second-storey subfloor. They were tunnelling through wood timbers, weakening the structural integrity of the home. How’d the ants get there? It all started outdoors with a faulty...

  Need bed bug advice?  Friends, family and the internet mean well, but they often perpetuate bed bug myths. And myths can steer you very wrong when it comes to getting rid of these pests. To help you make informed decisions, the experts at Pest HQ shared what’s true and...

Bed bugs are the pest of nightmares. They emerge at night to suck your blood, causing itchy red welts and emotional distress. They move easily between locations by hitching rides on personal belongings. They excel at hiding.   Once introduced, one or two bed bugs can quickly infest a home....

  No one wants to dine (or work) in a restaurant full of vermin. It’s disgusting and unsanitary.  Cockroaches, flies and rodents spread disease and cause foodborne illness. It’s why health departments shut down eateries with these pests. Floor drains are a hotspot for pest activity. Organic matter gets swept...

  Having a bad odour appear in your home is distressing… and potentially expensive.  We know one homeowner who smelled a cloying, gag-inducing odour in her laundry room. The smell quickly permeated the entire space. Fearing a cracked sewer pipe, she called plumber. The plumber inspected pipes and ran tests,...

You can buy traps to control rats and mice just about anywhere. Every big box store carries them. But getting advice on using those traps effectively? Well, that’s a different story. You don’t just set the traps and are done with it. Mice and rats are clever. Rats, especially, are...

Traveling south to beat the cold? Before dumping luggage for the sun, it’s a good idea to inspect your room for bed bugs.   Why? Bed bugs... Suck your blood, leaving itchy red welts and may cause health problems. Are found in lodging from luxury hotels to hostels. Are easily...

During cold weather, carpenter ants typically enter a state of dormancy. But if you have a nest in your home, mild temperatures (hello, global warming!) and even warmth from central heating can “awaken” them. You’ll see the ants walking around, moving a bit slow. And you’ll likely find them near...

  For anyone worried about bed bugs, having overnight guests can be stressful. What if guests accidently bring blood-sucking bed bugs into your home? The bugs are savvy hitchhikers. They cause itchy, red welts and can be hard to eliminate. Of course, you could ask out-of-town guests to stay elsewhere, but that’s...

Think pests just disappear in winter?    Maybe they go somewhere and hibernate?  Perhaps die off?  Think again.   Pests can be very noticeable in winter.  In some cases, pests are seen more in the cooler months as they are seeking out a warm home in which to overwinter. One of...

  If it’s been a while since you last baked goodies – Hello, Covid? – closely inspect ingredients before use. Why? Items stored in cupboards and pantries may have become infested with common pantry pests, like weevils, beetles or moth larvae. It’s also possible to bring home new ingredients that...

Unfortunately, yes. One mouse in your home can lead to far bigger problems. Mice are more than inconvenient. They damage homes and gnaw electrical wires, causing fires. They contaminate food and cooking surfaces with urine and feces. Mice transmit pathogens that make you sick. They also reproduce quickly. One female house...