Terminix Canada Blog

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When Mice Sing About Love

Before we start, let’s clarify one thing: we’re pest exterminators. We provide state-of-the-art pest control services aimed to remove unwanted visitors in your home.

What that means is rodents are our sworn enemies! But even so, we have to give it to them - although it’s our job to teach you how to get rid of mice, their commitment towards romance is worthy of our respect!

For one, while the average man’s idea of romance this Valentine’s was probably a generic brand box of chocolates, male mice were wooing their fair maidens with heart-throbbing serenades.

Squeaking of Love…

In all seriousness, while they’re not quite at the level of the musical mice in Monty Python, mice, do, in fact, sing.

A group of scientists in Washington University made this discovery by pure accident! It all started with an investigation of how male mice responded to sex pheromones released in the urine of female mice. When the males came in contact with the cotton swabs dunked in the urine, they immediately broke into song!

But a little work is required for us to hear their songs. That’s because they’re at a pitch we humans can’t pick up with our ears. We’re only capable of detecting up to 20 kilohertz, while their lyrics are registered in between 35 to 125 kilohertz!

In order to make them audible to human ears, scientists recorded their passionate serenades, and lowered the pitch without interfering with the tempo. What they discovered was that their ultrasonic chirps weren't just random - the male mice belted out several different types of syllables arranged in a steady tempo! In essence, their vocalizations met all the characteristics of song.

They also found that the males sang louder and more complex tunes when they smelled a female out of their sight. And once the desired mates were within reach, the males switched to simpler songs in order to save their energy for physical courting.

She Squeaks Back

Mice are rather shy when it comes to expressing their feelings. They seldom make any obvious movements when they’re crooning, which makes them very difficult to spot.

However, thanks to a new gadget devised by a group of researchers in the University of Delaware, that problem became a thing of the past!

They came up with a new, complex array of microphones in a sound analysis chamber to pick up calls made by four mice: two males and females. They could pinpoint, with 97% accuracy, which song came from which mouse!

That’s when they discovered that female mice actually sang back to their courters. Females who joined the male mice in a duet slowed their pace, and let the males catch up to them. However, unresponsive females kept up their pace, as if they were eager to get away from the desperate bachelors.

Love Is In The Air

So it turns out the ability to love really isn’t just a human trait, after all!

Females who participated in these love duets showed an increased state of receptivity, and a whole lot of affection. Previous research indicates that these love-struck females not only give birth more frequently, they also produce stronger and healthier pups when they’re paired up with a male they’ve chosen!

Unfortunately, mouse romance often translates to mouse problems – you don’t want to be giving these scurrying pests the chance to use your home as a stage for their serenades!

We at Terminix Canada have provided superior pest management services to the GTA for 20 years! If you’re having mouse problems, or an issue with any other pest, we specialize in fast and environmentally friendly pest control services.

Call us today at 905-738-6676!

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We wish you a pest-free and happy weekend with your family! Happy #FamilyDay! 

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Terminix's Bed Bug Do's and Don'ts

This probably goes without saying, but the last thing you'd ever want to do in a zombie outbreak is to pretend like you know what you're doing. Because the chances are, you're not going to make things any better, regardless of what your intentions may be. 

And if you had the chance to read the blog we posted in January, you'd understand how similar a bed bug and a zombie infestation can be.

There are many courses of action that may seem logical to you in the heat of the moment. You might even come to believe that you're capable of single-handedly winning against the overwhelming horde of bed bugs living in your home. You might dream of valiantly driving them away from your abode, graciously winning your family's praises for your cunning wit and valour. But we assure you, you'll most likely be doing the very opposite. 

Bed bugs are known to be extremely resilient and devilishly crafty. Here are a few do's and don'ts that you must always keep in mind when you're confronting these little bloodsuckers! 

DO be wary of their signs

The best time to deal with any infestation is before it actually happens. Don't let bed bugs catch you off guard! A single female bed bug can lay up to 500 eggs in her lifetime. But if you find and eliminate the source early on (aka, her), you can stop her from breeding and increasing her followers.

Here are some signs that you should look out for:

1. Bed bug spots If you have bed bugs, you'd normally see small, dark spots on walls and floors near their hiding spots. They're composed of your undigested blood that the bed bugs had to excrete. Gross.

2. Bed bug exoskeletons These annoying pests molt twice in their lifetime. You might find their empty shells in the crevices and corners of your home.

3. Musty scent Individually, they probably won't smell of anything. But when huge groups of them are clustered together, you'll most likely detect a distinctly musty-sweet odour wafting in the air. What, you can’t recognize a bed bug infestation when it hits you right in the nose? 

DON'T use a Bed Bug Fogger

Where do we even begin with this one?

A bed bug fogger, also known as ‘the bug bomb’, sounds like a quick and easy solution to exterminate those nasty suckers from your home in one clean sweep, right? WRONG.

Foggers use an aerosol propellant to disperse its contents through the air, which settles onto open surfaces. However, bed bugs tend to hide when they aren't feeding. And guess what? They tend to hide in spots the foggers don't reach.

Not only are the foggers ineffective, but they’ll cause the bed bugs to scatter and dig deeper into the nooks and crannies of your home to get away from the source of the chemicals – meaning a more settled in, hard-to-reach pest infestation.

Foggers also contain a very low concentration of pesticide, which means that they'll likely fail at killing the bed bugs they DO reach.

And the bad news doesn't stop there. The low level exposure to pesticides actually helps the little buggers develop immunity - and they'll only continue to get stronger as time passes. You'll actually be making them harder to kill!  

DO protect your bed with a mattress encasement

If you encase your mattress and box springs, you can trap the bed bugs inside and keep them from gorging on your blood. They'll be unable to feed and eventually starve to death.

Furthermore, bed bugs will be very easy to spot and remove, since they can only scuttle around the white surface of the encasement. Mattress encasements are easily one of the best ways to prevent these bloodsuckers from making your home theirs! Just make sure you install them properly and get a handle on how they should be maintained. Remember that the encasements should stay on for at least a year.

DON'T dispose of your bed

We can't stress this enough. It's very common for people to assume that they have to get rid of their beds and textiles once their homes are infested with bed bugs.

No, no, and no. Doing so will do more harm than good:

Hauling that infested mattress could spread the infestation even further throughout your home. 

You'll be giving the remaining bed bugs a chance to throw another housewarming party on the new mattress that you'll be bringing in. 

Your hard-earned money will be spent for naught.

DO eliminate any clutter in your home

Bed bugs are great at hide-n-seek. Giving them a playing field will only make it worse! Try to reduce clutter and organize your personal possessions as much as you can.

In particular, don't store anything under your bed, and keep the floors neat and tidy. If you've got any piles of laundry, newspapers, magazines, shoes and toys lying around, you better clear them out. They give bed bugs millions of hiding spots, and treatment will become close to impossible!

And if you need to dispose of any items, make sure you seal them tightly in plastic bags before tossing them in the outdoor trash.

DON'T escape to a friend or relative's home

You don't want to be doing this. Bed bugs are notorious hitch-hikers; they'd definitely be more than happy to tag along and settle into your friend's humble residence.

Furthermore, bed bugs can live up to 18 months without feeding, so escape just isn't an option.

DO call a licensed exterminator

This is THE way to go for a complete extermination. There's only so much you can do alone! The best and safest bed bug treatments can only be done by an experienced team of professionals.

Foggers and other pesticides come with a list of health risks and other dangers that you don't want to be dealing with! Licensed exterminators can provide effective heat treatment options, which require specialized equipment and expertise.

Save yourself the trouble and let us take care of your bed bug problems! Terminix Canada has provided superior bed bug extermination services to the GTA for 20 years. Our innovative bed bug heat treatment will get rid of your unwanted visitors once and for all!

For more information regarding our pest control services, call us at 905-738-6676.

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May you catch nothing but love today and every day. Happy Valentine’s Day!

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Biological Control Gone Wrong

Ever heard of the saying, “don’t mess with Mother Nature”? Yeah, you probably have. In fact, as her proud, loving children, it’s probably safe to say that it’s an unwritten rule we’re all innately aware of, right from the moment of our birth.

…Yet, we keep breaking that rule, time and time again. We just always seem to think we know better.

Don’t let this come as a surprise to you, but we usually don’t. Our tiny instances of success are the offspring of a very long history of failures.

Now, hold on – keep the hate gate shut and hear us out. We’re not being negative without reason! It’s just that sometimes, we tend to over-step our boundaries and do things without thinking about the consequences.

For one, we’ve done our fair share of biological control, which consists of using natural forces, like predators and parasites, to keep the pest population at bay. It’s an important component of integrated pest management (IPM) programs!

But its development is stained with blood (and bug juice). In essence, we played God, and left quite a bit of destruction in our wake.

The Four Pests Campaign

The Four Pests campaign, also known as the Great Sparrow Campaign, is widely known as China’s worst self-inflicted environmental disaster. Back in the 1950’s, China was going through its ‘Great Leap Forward’, which was an effect to transform China into a socialist powerhouse society through rapid industrialization.

Of course, when it comes to advancing a civilization, accelerating food production is absolutely crucial! So Mao Zedong, who was the emperor of China at the time, thought it’d be a swell idea to eliminate the four pests that hindered their harvest: mosquitoes, flies, rats, and sparrows.

As you can probably tell, Mao was no expert on ecology.

The Avian Massacre

But here’s why the campaign became widely known as the ‘Sparrow Campaign’. The Chinese government waged war on four pests, but was particularly annoyed at the Eurasian Tree Sparrow.

And their annoyance wasn’t misplaced, by any means. These avian pests loved to feast on the farmers’ grain seeds, and were believed to play a huge role in the quality of the annual harvests.

In fact, the Chinese scientists calculated that each sparrow consumed at least 4.5kg of grain every year. So they thought, hey! That means if we kill a million sparrows, we’d have food for 60,000 people!

One thing’s for sure: PETA would’ve blown a vessel or two, had they existed at the time. Simply put, it was a total and methodical massacre. No bird was to be left alive - nests were ravaged, eggs were broken, and chicks were killed. The people were so thirsty for their blood that they chased the birds until they literally fell from the skies from exhaustion!

HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS of sparrows were sent to the after-life, and the Chinese leaders danced in joy as they waited in anticipation for the next harvest.  

The Golden Age For Insects

The results, however, were nothing to dance about.

Without the flying predators to curb their population, the kingdom of insects thrived like never before, and their population hit record-breaking numbers. Locusts, in particular, swarmed all over the country, eating everything they could lay their mandibles on.

Unfortunately for the Chinese leaders, those mass-multiplying pests absolutely decimated the crops in a way far worse than if birds had been allowed to fly around! Who would’ve thought that the sparrows were actually keeping their crop loss to a minimum? Mao definitely didn’t.

Great Chinese Famine

A ‘Great Step Forward’? A ‘Great Step Back’, is more like it.  

Mao’s uneducated attempt at biological control led his people into a period described as the ‘Great Chinese Famine’.

While the official number of victims is placed at 15 million, many scholars estimate that it could go up to 36, or even 45 million! A countless number of desperate people committed murder for food and for speaking out against the government. Documents report several thousand cases where people even resorted to cannibalism, with parents eating their own kids, and vice-versa.

Yeah, we weren’t kidding on the bit with the bloody past. All this tragedy was the result of a pest control gone wrong.  

Pest Control Is A Science

Biological control is an effective form of IPM that is still practiced to this day. But don’t worry – if anything, we’ve learned from our mistakes.

Nowadays, biological control is backed by meticulous amounts of study and analysis. Before introducing any new organisms into the scene, researchers would put them through intensive testing in quarantine to determine their potential impacts on the environment and its inhabitants.

The Four Pests Campaign serves as a stark lesson as to what happens when pest control is taken lightly. While biological control can be very economic and environment-friendly, just remember that it can lead to severe consequences if it’s practiced in an impulsive, and untested whim!

By the way, in case you were wondering - the Eurasian Tree Sparrows are doing fine now, and they’ll be here for a long time to come. 

Terminix Canada understands more than anyone the science that goes into pest management! And fear not – we respect Mother Nature enough to know not to mess around. We specialize in fast and environment-friendly pest control services that’ll keep pests out of your building, and the world in good order.

For more information regarding our pest management & control services, or how to prevent bed bugs, call us at 905-738-6676!

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What Makes Ants Great Navigators?

Let's be honest: we should really be glad that ants are a little lacking in the size department, because there's just not much else we humans are superior in.

Sure, we've done great things throughout history. We've built some pretty amazing buildings and established a countless number of civilizations. But ants have done all that, without relying on petty tools and machinery. In fact, they've built massive societies and underground megalopolises with their own two... mandibles.

So it's not too far-fetched to say that anything we can do, ants can do better. Just look at our existence within a greater perspective, and you'll start to get it. They're more coordinated, hard working, and powerful than us. And to add insult to injury, latest research indicates that they also make better navigators, too.

Two Navigational Strategies

Imagine getting to a restaurant you've found on Yelp, without the help of Google Maps, or even road signs. Now imagine doing it while going backwards.

It may sound like an impossible feat, but for ants, it's a trivial task, both forwards and in rewind.

This is thanks to their incredible ability to separate the direction they're going from what they're seeing! Ants can travel far away from their nests and easily find their way back, regardless of whatever obstacle that may come in their path.

But how is that so, you ask? Researchers from the University of Edinburgh asked the same question, and sought answers by planting a bunch of barriers around a desert ant nest to create a maze. They made sure the barriers didn't impede the view of the ants, and gave them some time to get used to their surroundings.

The researchers discovered that the ants relied on two navigational strategies to route their way home:

1. Following Their Visual Memories 

Here's the deal: ants change their walking orientation depending on the size of food they have to carry. So when the ants encountered the smaller bits of cookie that the researchers have laid out on the trail, they walked forward. And when they encountered the larger bits, they dragged them while walking backward.

It turns out that the ants relied on their view and visual cues to navigate back to their nest. For one, the forward-walking ants constantly adjusted their course by analyzing their surrounding scenery, without stopping in-between!

Backward-walking ants, however, did things a little differently. They made occasional stops to rotate around the spot while carrying the food, and hastily corrected their direction based on the visual information that they absorbed.

And if the cookie pieces were too large to lug around, the ants dropped the food altogether, walked a few steps forward, peeked around, and oriented themselves before pulling once more.

Regardless, the way the ants match their progress against their memories of their visual surroundings shows that their mental capacity is far more complex than we gave them credit for. Truly remarkable cognition and planning, which we humans often find ourselves lacking in the convenience of today's digital age!

2. Stargazing 

However, the researchers weren't fully convinced that was all there was to the versatile ants. Based on the way the ants' visual memories worked, the researchers believed a simple peek forward would not be enough for backward-walking ants to properly navigate.

So get this: the researchers determined that the ants are also capable of navigating using the stars. In other words, they're able to find their way by referring to the position of the sun in the sky.

The researchers confirmed this by making the ants walk through a funnel, which denied them the visual cues of their surrounding environment.

As they expected, the funnel proved to be incapable of outsmarting the super-bugs. Every time the ants were forced into the funnel, they immediately came back out, looked skyward, and effortlessly re-oriented themselves. They actually noted the location of the sun in the sky to re-frame their visual memory of their route!

Ants Are Not to Be Underestimated 

While their brains may be less than the size of a pinhead, ants are way smarter than we give them credit for. They can clear navigational challenges that we humans would have trouble with - much more than we'd like to admit!

So next time you find yourself hopelessly lost in a new city or town, keep calm and just relax. C'mon - if small, insignificant, pip-squeak ants can do it, so can you... right?

No pressure.

Ants are extremely clever pests that also happen to be one of the most common household pests in the world! But fear not - Terminix Canada is here to help. We've provided superior pest management services to the GTA for 20 years!

For more information regarding our pest management & control services, or how to prevent ant infestations, bed bugs, and more, call us at 905-738-6676!

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A Brief History of Pest Control

Ever heard of the Black Plague? You know, one of the most devastating pandemics resulting in the death of approximately 75 to 200 million people in Europe?

Or how about the Plague of Locusts in the Book of Exodus? The story goes that those little buzzers devoured anything that came close to resembling greenery, and covered the ground in such great numbers that it could no longer be seen.

Doesn't sound at all like the pest infestations you're used to seeing, do they?

Pests have been around long before humans. And let's face it - they'll probably be around long after. Ever since mankind first decided to settle down, build shelter, and grow crops, we've been looking for ways to keep these pesky freeloaders out of our lives!

Sure, we've gotten quite good at pest control. But our high level of expertise didn't come easy! We're talking about thousands of years of learning and embarrassing trial-and-error that led to the pest control methods we use today. 

To honour this human achievement, let's take a walk through the history of pest-busting, from 'pest' to present.

Ancient Pest Control

The earliest record of pest control is a sad one.

Before 2500 BC, our forefathers probably didn't understand what it meant to put up a front. When they came around to brainstorming a method of pest management, what they settled with wasn't exactly... managing anything.

What the earliest farmers did was rather lucrative: they planted a ridiculous excess of crops so that once the pests had their fill, there would be enough left over for themselves.

Oh, well. Points for critical thinking, right?

The Dawn of Pest-Busting

Things got a little better from there. In 2500 BC, mankind finally grew a backbone and began to take arms, hunting those ruthless pests gnawing away at the product of their hard work and dedication.

Ancient Sumerians were the first. They used sulfur compounds to kill the insects that would feed on their crops!

The Emergence of Phenology

It's around 1500 BC that civilizations began to realize that there's a whole science to pest control.

Some Chinese civilizations came to develop and understand the basic workings of phenology, the study of cyclic and seasonal phenomena. They would experiment with crop rotations to account for sporadic ecological events, such as dry seasons and pest swarms.

It's an impressive turnaround, considering mankind used to let these same pests walk all over them.

You Say You Want a Revolutionnn…

As people began to understand more and more about pest infestations, more control experiments began to occur. Individuals in China would take their phenological studies further by using botanical insecticides as fungicides for seed treatments.

And it wasn't just China! Almost every ancient society began to develop more complex pest control practices. By 1200 BC, Romans would use hellebore to kill mice, rats, and insects, while Egyptian and Chinese societies would use herbs and oils to either repel or kill crop-destroying pests.

It was absolutely imperative for pest management to advance for mankind to develop as communities. After all, pest control was really a matter of life and death back then – a single bad harvest could've lead to an utter annihilation of a village and its people!

Early Breakthroughs

The evolution of extermination didn't stop there! Ancient developments were taken and refined into more effective pest control solutions.

Fast forward to the 1750's, and scientists began to experiment with various natural ingredients (derris and pyrethrum) to make botanical insecticides!

Pest Control Gone Too Far

Unfortunately, the sudden spur of research and development led to some severe consequences to public health and the environment.

Science went a little too far, too soon. In 1829, arsenic and other harmful chemicals were used for means of pest control. And of course, no one had any idea just how harmful they were.

At least, not until a decade later, as officials finally started recognizing the dangers of this pest control method.

By 1929, almost 30 million pounds of arsenate were spread across the United States' fields and orchards. Crops were so plastered with the toxic chemical that they began to poison human consumers! That's right - what was originally developed to kill pests ended up coming around to kill us.

The Pest Control Industry Emerges

It was after such devastating events that people realized pest control required trained professionals. After all, if there’s one thing the arsenic incident has taught us, putting pesticides in the hands of amateurs can be disastrous!

And so, in order to meet the demand for experts specialized in driving away pests without hurting the environment and its people, the pest control industry got off to a flying start.

The passage of several laws dedicated to make the practice of pest control safer followed after.

For instance, in 1910, the U.S. government put the Federal Insecticide Act into action, which aimed to regulate the use of pesticides. This was then followed by the Federal Environmental Control Act in 1972, which drove the pest control industry to do its job while taking the environment and its inhabitants in consideration.

Pest Control Today

It's thanks to a long history of development that the pest control industry is where it's at today.

Thankfully, our arsenic days are long behind us. The philosophy of "integrated pest management", which is a broad-based approach that cultivates pest-removing practices without using invasive and potentially dangerous chemicals, is the mindset today.

Indeed, pest control has 'gone green', which is a natural consequence of the experiences mankind has gained over years of experimentation. Nowadays, pest exterminators pride themselves on non-chemical methods of control, such as freeze and heat-based treatments.

The Future of Pest Control is Buzzing

And guess what? We're still not done yet!

Pest control studies are on-going. As the industry continues to learn and develop new technologies and biological breakthroughs, who knows how the pest control scene will look a hundred years from now?

Maybe one day, our predecessors will look back to our age and laugh at our modern pest management techniques - just like how we now laugh at our reckless use of arsenic solutions in the past.

Regardless of how much the industry will continue to change, some things will always stay the same.

For one, Terminix Canada has been providing clever and innovative pest control methods to the GTA for 20 years! We're true sticklers to integrated pest management techniques, specializing in fast & organic pest control services.

For more information regarding our pest management & control services, call us at 905-738-6676!

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4 Common Household Pests to Fend Off During the Winter

When the temperature drops below zero and the earth is veiled in white, we can all agree that nothing quite beats the feeling of basking in the warmth of your sanctuary.

Unfortunately, we're probably not the only ones who feel that way. It just so happens that your sanctuary also happens to be... theirs.

Prepare yourself for uninvited guests, because wintertime isn't a pest-free time. If you thought the cold would send the pests away to some distant land far beyond your home, like say, Montreal, think again. They don't just fly south during the winter, nor do they all just drop dead and magically re-appear again during the summer. Pests need shelter too, you know! And your home probably looks awfully inviting when everywhere else looks and feels like cold & unappealing.

Here are some of the common pests that could be eyeing your home in the cold months, followed by a few tips on how to prevent them from invading.

House Mice

House mice would absolutely love moving into your humble abode during the winter. They tend to nest in dark, secluded areas of your residence, such as your attic or your basement. The warmth, shelter from the snow, and abundance of food your home provides makes it their number one getaway spot for the cold season.  

House mice may be cute and tiny, but they can deliver some serious property damage. They're capable of chewing through drywall and wires with ease. They're also potential carriers of several diseases – like Salmonella, and even tape worms – so you probably don't want to be sharing your space and food with these pipsqueaks.

Keep an eye out for tiny droppings, gnaw marks, and rummaged food. Also, try to seal any cracks and openings on the outside of your home with caulk or steel wool.

And while this may be easier said than done, do your best to keep your basement and attic clutter-free! Playing hide n' seek with these annoying little rodents is no way to spend your cozy time indoors!

Cockroaches

Come now, let's be honest: did you really think a bit of snow would stop these creepy crawlies from scuttling into your home? We mean, they HAVE existed for approximately 350 million years, weathering the worst Mother Nature (and humans) have offered. They've survived the Ice Age, and all kinds of other catastrophic disasters. In essence, they're one of the most common pests found throughout the world, and there's very little that can shake them away.

Cockroaches can squirm through the smallest openings and crawl through impossibly tiny gaps around doors and windows. Being the wily hitch-hikers that they are, cockroaches will most likely be entering your sanctuary by latching onto second-hand items and groceries you bring in from outside. And since they love small areas that are within an antenna-reach of food and moisture, once they’ve settled in, they’re in it for the long haul.

Pay close attention to activities around your kitchens and bathrooms, because that's likely where they'll be. Keep your counters and floors clean, and free of food scraps - especially under your sinks and appliances!

Bed Bugs

Speaking of hitch-hikers...

During the winter months, it's common for people to travel around more often. This especially holds true in Canada, where winters are colder than sitting on a tin toilet seat.

Unfortunately, that means bed bugs will be cashing in on those frequent flyer miles as well. They're world-class hitch-hikers that spread by latching onto clothing, luggage, purses, and people.

Check under the sheets and mattresses for bedbugs and dark blood spots. And when you get back from a trip, make sure you clean your clothes and luggages very thoroughly. Before you even bring them into the house, clean and sanitize your luggage & belongings in the garage – otherwise, you just might wake up to some unwanted guests in your bed.  

Box Elder Bugs

These overwintering pests probably won't find your home to be an ideal living environment. But even so, it's a thousand times better than being outside in the freezing cold where they'd turn into popsicles!

Box elder bugs tend to gather on exterior walls of dwellings, attics, or wall voids during the fall, where they'll congregate and multiply their numbers. And once winter comes, the warm and cozy atmosphere of your home makes it hard for them to resist scuttling into your living space. That's why the winter season's the prime infestation time for these annoying pests!

In order to prevent them from breaching your fortress of solitude, try to seal any exterior cracks and crevices. Look out for any nearby box elder or maple trees, which they tend to reside in. And try to keep tree branches trimmed so that they don't touch or come near the structure of your home.            

Extermination Isn't Easy

Once you spot any of these pests inside your home, don't rely on try-at-home sprays and traps to get rid of them. While you may be able to get rid of a large number of them using Band-Aid solutions, there's a strong chance they'll return in droves if proper, precautionary measures aren't taken to keep them out for good.

Your best bet is getting the professionals involved for a truly permanent and effective extermination!

Terminix Canada has provided superior pest management services to the GTA for 20 years. If you're having an issue with these wintertime pests, or any other pest control problems, we specialize in fast and environmentally-friendly pest control services. For more information regarding our pest management & control services, or how to prevent bed bugs, call us at 905-738-6676!

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May the magic of the holidays last you throughout the year! #happynewyear #2017

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Four Hollywood Movies Terminix Would Ruin with Timely Pest Control

For every iconic movie like Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs or Spielberg’s Schindler’s List, there are absolute stinkers like Pootie Tang, or every Adam Sandler movie (post-Happy Gilmore).

Not that we could do any better; a Terminix film would be of similar quality to the Sharknado series. And that’s bad. So, we’ll stick to what we know best – quality pest management services for your commercial and residential properties.

But what if we got to consult on some Hollywood classics – particularly those with pests or insects ingrained to the plot?

Well, we’d probably ruin them. Here are four popular films that would be wildly different (see: worse) if the Terminix extermination team had a hand in production. 

Spiderman, 2002

If we had anything to do with the Spiderman movies, ordinary Peter Parker would still be ordinary Peter Parker.

The genetics lab, where Parker was bitten by a super spider, should’ve had more precautionary deterrents in case any spiders got loose in our opinion. Easy pest control techniques could’ve kept those spiders off Petey, including spider traps or essential oils that’re like kryptonite to the creepy crawlers. The cases harbouring the eight-legged buggers should have been properly sealed, with any entry points plugged diligently. 

So if we had any hand in producing the Spiderman films…it would’ve been a one-off, because the bite would never happen, thanks to our superhero-like pest control services. Having said that, we’re glad Parker did get bitten to become Spiderman – we can’t exterminate pests like the Green Goblin as efficiently as Spidey can.

Batman Begins, 2005

Before we explain how we would’ve altered the Batman redux, we’re curious: what do you think about a superhero that goes by the name, ‘Wellman’?

Because that likely would’ve been Bruce Wayne’s alter ego if our extermination team got to edit that script before it hit theatres.

To us, it’s surprising the wealthy Wayne family couldn’t afford even the most basic pest control services to manage the bat problems on their estate’s grounds. Pest control for wildlife like bats is imperative, especially with young kids like Bruce running around. Bats in particular can be extra villainous; they’re known to spread histoplasmosis and cryptococcosis through their droppings, not something you want your kids exposed to.

Our Terminix crew would’ve done a thorough assessment of the bat infestation, and eradicated the problem quickly and efficiently through one of our many pest control techniques.

So when Bruce falls down the well, there’d be no bats, and no phobia – only Wellman. That name should send chills down the spines of Gotham’s scum, right?

Guardians of the Galaxy, 2014

Regardless if you’re in outer space, or on planet Earth, raccoons have no business being there.

The sizable rodents are notorious for spreading disease, so unfortunately for Rocket, the Guardian’s official team raccoon, Terminix would’ve exterminated him before Thanos’ efforts. We mean, we wouldn’t want the other Guardians contracting potential rabies after all. Rocket would be easily subdued through a combination of Terminix’s anticoagulant baits in tamper resistant containers, as well as snap traps or glue traps if necessary.

Luckily for the galaxy, we were probably preoccupied battling pests on this planet, allowing the smart-mouthed Rocket to use his pest-like qualities for good rather than evil.

The Birds, 1963

Only Alfred Hitchcock could make birds into some of the most frightening villains in horror history.

Good thing we didn’t co-produce The Birds, or we’d make them look like nothing more than a small flock before they terrorized the people of Bodega Bay.

We’d have worked swiftly, giving a thorough inspection of the town to determine the species, population size, location of problem, and equipment required for the pesky birds. Through a combination of trapping, netting, spike systems, and more, Hitchcock’s birds would be quickly contained by our pest pros.

In the case of Bodega Bay specifically, removing the trees around the farmhouse would’ve left nowhere for the birds to find refuge or roost. Eliminating those areas are imperative to bird control, as infestations escalate exponentially once nesting debris is laid down as the birds’ base.

A film dedicated to chopping down trees, and setting up nets and traps…anyone else smell an Oscar?

While the Terminix / Magical Pest Control team won’t be working on any blockbuster films in the immediate future, we are always available for a pest extermination cameo.

Contact us today to learn more about our pest management services, the cities within the GTA we operate, or for any other questions you have about your household pest infestation.

[terminixcanada-blog]

How Do You Get Rid of Christmas Tree Bugs?

Choosing between a real Christmas tree vs. a fake one is an annual holiday tradition, much like the yearly debate as to whether you should spend an hour with your in-laws, or half an hour.

There’s plenty of upside to chopping down your own tree: a freshly-cut tree adds sentience and scent to the season, lifting the holiday spirit in your home. Decorate to taste with your favourite winter ornaments, and it’s a sentimental experience sitting around a real tree with family & friends.

Having said that, taking in and setting up a real Christmas tree can bring unexpected & unwanted house guests – besides those aforementioned in-laws – like Christmas tree bugs. Those Christmas tree pests were likely hibernating when you forcefully emigrated them to the warm climate of your home, where they’ll wake up thinking it’s spring time. And before you know it, you’ll have a brand new pest infestation to hang out with over the holidays.

While most of the microscopic tree insects in Christmas trees aren’t dangerous to people, there are certain species that can become problematic, contaminating common areas throughout your home.

Here are some tree pests that could be lurking under your tree amongst the presents:

Aphids

Typically hiding on the lower boughs of trees, aphids on trees could be the most common Christmas tree pest people encounter. They primarily harbor in evergreens, pines, spruce, Fraser fir, and white fir trees.

If you do notice an aphid infestation, remember to avoid squashing them on furniture – they’ll leave a purple or red stain.

Pine Needle Scales 

Pine needle scales simply don’t look like tree insects – they look more like white specs on the needles or branches of trees. When they hatch, however, their red exterior makes them the perfect Christmas contrast (and pretty easy to spot). They reside in Scotch pines, Norway spruce, and Douglas-firs. 

Sawflies

Hopefully you can pick out the brown cocoons that nest black-and-yellow sawflies before bringing them home. They’re one of the bigger Christmas tree pests you’ll encounter, assuming you have a spruce or pine tree that is.

Adelgids 

Named after English singer-songwriter Adele (no, not really), adelgids are virtually undetectable outdoors, as they mimic a coat of snow dusting on trees. They’re commonly found in fir trees, white pines, Norway spruce, and Scotch pines.

Bark Beetles

These cylindrical, hard-bodied bugs are about the size of a rice grain, coming in red, black, or brown. Small holes and sawdust trails on the trunk, or just beneath the tree’s lower boughs, is a strong indicator of harbouring bark beetles.

Ensuring There Are No Extra ‘Gifts’ – Bugs – Under Your Tree

Follow these five precautionary steps to prevent Christmas tree bugs from breaching your home: 

1.      During the tree-choosing process, conduct a thorough inspection of the undersides of the branches, and at the base of the trunk. Prune any branches with empty egg cases, bird nests, or that you simply deem untrustworthy. 

2.      Don’t set up your freshly-cut Christmas tree immediately – leave it in the garage for a few days first.  

3.      Grab an expendable white sheet, and shake your tree out zealously to toss off any stray bugs.  

4.      Vacuum any residual tree insects on or around the tree.  

5.      For guaranteed pest control over your Christmas tree, dust it with Diatomaceous Earth, or spray with neem oil to eliminate any bugs that’ve managed to stick around for the holidays.  

Don’t let the fear of Christmas tree pests deter you from adding an important holiday tradition into your home. Most Christmas trees aren’t brimming with bugs – though you will hear about the odd horror story about praying mantis eggs hatching in Christmas trees, or aphid infestations invading homes.  

Being precautionary and acting proactively should be enough to get rid of bugs that’ve hitched a ride on your tree. And if worst comes to worst, they’re a great excuse to shoo other unwanted house guests from your home over the holidays. 

Terminix / Magical Pest Control has provided superior pest management services to the GTA for 20 years. If you’re having an issue with Christmas tree bugs, or other pest control problems, we specialize in fast and environmentally-friendly pest removal services.

Call us today at (905)-738-6676!

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