If you live in Canada, you’ve probably encountered some creepy crawlies at one point or another — from rodents and cockroaches to bed bugs and ants, many different pests can plague your home or business. Therefore, it’s important to be able to detect the signs of an infestation and promptly treat the problem before it gets out of hand.
Test your knowledge about common pest infestations with these true or false statements.
Statements
- Rodents use shredded paper, fabric, and dried plant matter to make nests
- You never see cockroaches during the day
- Bed bugs stain bedsheets and mattresses
- Ants are harmless
- Mice typically stay away from small spaces
- Bed bugs die in the winter
Answers
- True.If you find these nesting materials in your home or notice other signs, like droppings, gnaw marks, random stashes of food, nests made of pieces of soft things, unpleasant odours, or greasy track marks, you likely have a rodent infestation.
- False.Although cockroaches prefer to stay hidden in dark, damp areas, they can scurry around at any time of day. Just because you may not see cockroaches during daylight hours doesn’t mean they aren’t there.
- True. Black spots and dusty brown or reddish stains on your bed sheets or in the cracks of your bed are a telltale sign of a bed bug infestation. These marks are caused by blood from bed bug bites and bed bug excrement.
- False. Although most ants commonly found in Canada aren’t aggressive and generally don’t bite unprovoked, some species can wreak havoc on your home. For example, carpenter ants burrow into wood and can cause structural damage. If you notice piles of sawdust in your attic or around baseboards and window-frames, you may have a carpenter ant infestation.
- False. Mice can fit into surprisingly small cracks to invade your home. Very young mice can fit their bodies through a hole the size of a pen (5 mm), while adult mice can fit through a hole the size of a dime (18 mm). Therefore, it’s important to make sure all potential entry points are tightly sealed.
- False. Bed bugs live primarily indoors, giving them everything they need to survive the winter. As long as your home is warm and they have a food source, bed bugs can remain active in your home year-round. Adult bed bugs can potentially live for months without feeding.
Pest control services in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba
If your home or business has a pest problem that has gotten out of hand, Poulin’s Pest Control can help. We offer various professional treatments, including pesticide-free and non-invasive solutions to rid your property of rodents and insects once and for all. One of our trained professionals can visit your property, identify the issue, and devise a plan of action to rid your space of pests for good. Contact us today for more information.