Pest Activity Calendar
Help prevent infestations by preparing months ahead of time.
January
Although there is likely snow on the ground, this does not stop a mouse from potentially entering your home or cottage. Mice do not hibernate, they just slow down greatly in the winter. Any time there is warming weather you could potentially see some activity. We always recommend a rodent service for January as part of your preventative maintenance package. Having this service will also help if there is an early spring, because your next planned rodent service usually isn’t until April.
February
This is arguably the slowest month for pest activity. Although there are possibilities of having a mouse or squirrel problem, there’s not too much to be worried about here.
March
This too is a slow month for activity but is also a time where you need to start planning ahead for the upcoming season. There are always issues with pests, no matter where you live, and you need to be prepared. We offer many services and programs that will help keep your buildings safe from pest activity. Depending on where you are located, you could potentially see mouse activity as early as the snow starts to subside. We will build a program not only suitable to your specific building, but also it’s location. For example, with in the GTA it is generally warmer than in the Simcoe/Muskoka region, so we will have different time periods where we begin our preventative services.
April
Mice are always active during this month. Remember, most of them have been hanging on with what little supplies they may have left in their nest… they need to restock… and your building is a target. Our services for this month are not only preventative, but also proactive. Let’s get the bait out early and make sure when the activity does come heavy, we’ve ready. Our proactive approach will also be to continually inspect for entry points or potential harbouring areas around your building and property. April is a great time to really get an idea what the shape of your property looks like. Although we do start to see some very mild insect activity this month, there’s really only one that’s most common. Cluster Flies. These flies generally are found around large fielded areas, like farms, and can be a real nuisance. These flies have come down from your attic where they overwintered (insect version of hibernation) and are looking for a way to get out. So you will see them “clustering” around your interior windows believing this is the way out. Treatments for this pest work very quickly and you will see immediate improvements.
May
The unofficial start of the pest season. This is where you can expect most pests to be active and potentially be a problem at your building. Mice are still very active, mosquitoes are out, ants marching and spiders making webs… now is the time to have your first protect and prevent spray of the year. This general application to the exterior of the building and will help control many insects, but we’re specifically targeting ants and spiders. This is also a good time of year to consider having your yard treated for mosquitoes. We will spray all treatable areas to help knock down and prevent them from coming back. This service should be done monthly until August.
June
Just like May, but significantly more insects abound and around your property. The first thing we tell clients to look out for this month is the beginning of wasp and hornet nests. When small, they are very simple to deal with and can easily be done by the client (if you’re comfortable doing so). While doing our preventative treatments this month, we will also be on the lookout for developing nests and will treat and knock them down. Mouse activity never goes away, but generally we don’t see much in the summer months. This is because there is usually enough resources outside to provide for the population. Although we do not service the exterior stations that often during the summer, the refill we did in April will help keep the numbers low. As our technicians will always do, inspection is everything. Even though it’s unlikely we’re going to be doing any rodent work at your place in June, we are looking for any evidence that will help us in future.
July
If a carpenter ant colony has moved into your building, this will be the month you will find out about it. The evidence could be one or more of live ants in the building, sawdust/debris falling or chewing sounds in the walls/ceiling. The live ants potentially could be anywhere in your building, but the kitchen is usually where they are found. This is always the best source for food and water, and the ants know that. Sawdust or debris falling is when the ants are burrowing into either wood of the structure, or they could be in spray foam insulation, or styrofoam. Common areas to see this are usually window/door frames, beams as well as tongue and groove ceilings. Tunnels are created (called galleries) and this is where the colony will continue to expand and grow. It’s important to have this looked after as soon as you notice any evidence of a colony developing. Although it’s extremely unlikely there is any structural damage happening, this problem will not go away if left untreated. If you’re on our preventative maintenance program, we will be spraying your place again this month.
August
It’s still possible to see carpenter ant colonies in and around your building for this month as well, although we do tend to see less activity overall. As the month nears it’s end, and the cooler nights begin, mice will be more active again. This is the time when we recommend all property owners be on the lookout for any activity inside. Mouse droppings, live mouse sightings, scurrying in the walls and attics… all of these are evidence of early activity. If you’re not already on the rodent program, seeing any of this activity may make you want to consider it.
September
Insect activity during this month is very low, and it’s really unlikely you’ll need to worry about them for the rest of the year. The next two months however, will be very busy for rodents. They will be trying to find a way in to set up a harbouring area in your building, or just sourcing food and nesting materials, but activity will be high. This is when we will begin our fall rodent services. Exactly like the service in April, we are looking for any new entry points to seal as well as refilling all your interior and exterior bait stations. The exterior stations will help keep the numbers low around the building and therefore less will have a chance to get inside. The interior stations will be our last line of defence.
October
Rodent activity is at it’s highest during this month, so we need to be prepared. This is the month where the majority of properties will do their fall rodent service. This is also the month where we will see cluster flies. These flies are trying to find a way into your building through cracks and crevices in the siding, soffits, fascia and anything else they can squeeze into. They will head to your attic and stay there overwintering until the spring. As early as January some clients see the flies beginning to “cluster” around the interior of the windows. A proper treatment in the fall will do wonders to keep these pest from even getting into your building, and therefore make it possible to see almost no activity by the spring.
November
Depending on your location, you may still potentially be seeing some rodent activity. Rodents will stay busy right up until the first heavy snowfall, usually anything up to six inches. There’s almost no insect activity this time of year, so enjoy the time off! Although quite rare, it’s always possible to see insect activity throughout the year. Ants, spiders, centipedes and millipedes are always around, it’s just whether or not you’ve ever noticed them before. Basements are a common area to see centipedes, millipedes and spiders, while ants could potentially be anywhere. Use your judgement…. how often do you see these pests? Do they bother you? We can always arrange to treat the interior of your building for any insect problem any time of year
December
If you were going to have a mouse problem, you probably would have noticed it by now (especially if you’ve read these tips!). Between the time of year and my twenty years of experience, I can say it’s unlikely you’ll have any insect issues during the next few months…. but we can never guarantee that. The best advice we can give is to always be proactive. Regular services throughout the suggested times of the year are critical in keeping pests under control, even if you haven’t had any issues for a while. We are not only eliminating, we are preventing. It does not take long for a colony of ants or a population of mice to become a major problem, so even in the winter months, be on the lookout.