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5 Genius Tips to Keep Ants Out of Your Home

5 Genius Tips to Keep Ants Out of Your Home.

Ants are persistent and have an uncanny ability to detect smells, even micro-smells, from a distance.  Leaving behind powerful pheromone trails, they mark a trail for others to pick up on and follow.

It’s difficult to avoid them altogether as they are always around and looking for an opportunity to seize food sources. In desperation, some consumers resort to chemical pesticides that keep ants away, but these methods pose a health risk, especially to children and pets.

The following are 5 easy, effective and 100% natural ways to keep them out of your home. These 5 tips for ant pest control in Edmonton work great, and use products you can find in your kitchen!

ant exterminator
ant nests

Cinnamon

Have you ever wondered how so many ants find a way to your food all at once? Once the “forager ant” finds the food, it marks a trail leading others from the same colony to the food source. With each trip, the scent trails grow stronger.

The cinnamon powder works because its smell throws off the pheromone trails and affects their ability to navigate. By sprinkling cinnamon powder anywhere you see signs of them entering or moving through the house, such as around the garbage can or corners of windows, you cut off their lines of communication!  Cinnamon is a homemade ant pest control methodology but a little tricky to keep up with the little critters.

Vinegar & Water

Vinegar is another common household ingredient that works by interrupting pheromone trails.   Blend one portion of white vinegar and one portion of water and pour it into a spray bottle. Apply your vinegar mixture at the entrances to your home, near pipes, dust bins, behind the oven or anywhere you expect them to enter your home.

The vinegar mixture will evaporate in about a day and need reapplication, but it is a great natural solution to an ant pest control problem.

Baking Soda

Baking soda disrupts an ant’s natural chemistry when ingested.  To get them to take it back to their nest, mix it with equal parts of powdered sugar. Pour the mixture into a shallow container and place it near the pantry, cabinets, or wherever they enter or traverse your home.  Once introduced to the nest as a food source, their population will soon dwindle.

Chalk

It’s a fact that ants won’t cross a chalk line! This substance disrupts their scent markings, which they use to communicate with the other colony members. Draw or pour a line of chalk between their points of entry and their desired food source, and they will not be able to reach their destination.

Aspartame

Aspartame, also known as NutraSweet or Equal, is readily available everywhere.  Since it functions as a neurotoxin when they eat it, it interrupts their senses, and they soon perish.

If you know where their nest is, sprinkle the contents of one packet around the entrance to a mound and lightly mist with water to moisten it.  They will collect and distribute the aspartame. After they share it with the rest of the colony, their numbers will dwindle.

Summary

Keeping ants at bay without harsh chemicals seems easy, as long as one is diligent and catches the problem very early. A sure method is to call in a professional and ask that environmentally friendly products get used for ant pest control in Edmonton. Many pest control companies use effective techniques and products without the unnecessary use of undesirable chemicals.

If you are experiencing issues with ants in or around your home, call the experts at Ecopest to come and take care of the situation.

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yellowjacket nest pest control

How To Get Rid of Wasp Nests?

How To Get Rid of Wasp Nests.

Wasps are a widespread summer insect. Wasp stings are not only painful, but they can also cause allergies in certain individuals, so you must remove their nests. Keeping your house clean of wasp hives and nests is one way to defend yourself and your pets from wasps. Walk around outside your home regularly, looking for nests under porches, decks, overhangs, eaves, shrubs, bushes, sheds, and other buildings. If you come across a nest, you should be able to recognize it and assess the danger it poses to your family.

What do Wasps Look Like?

In Canada, there are a variety of wasp species. They’re all large insects with a narrow “waist,” and belly that narrows to a point (this is where the stinger is!) and alarm colorations (red, yellow and black).

  • Paper Wasps: They make nests out of eaves, trees, and leaves. The nests are usually small (maximum 100-200 wasps) and suspended from a stalk. They are not aggressive and sting to protect their nest. These wasps are up to 2.5cm in diameter.
  • Mud-daubing Wasps: They are large solitary wasps that build a small nest of mud cells that you can often find plastered to the wall or ceiling. Paralyzed prey (usually a spider or caterpillar) is deposited in each cell until the wasp lays an egg, and the cell gets sealed. They aren’t very vicious and sting only to protect their nest.
  • European Wasps: These glowing, yellow and black striped wasps form huge nests of up to 100,000 individuals! The majority of nests (80%) are located in the ground, mostly only visible through a hole (with wasps flying in and out), with the rest in houses (roof spaces, wall voids and eaves). They often make dens under compost heaps that get uncovered.
wasps at your house
yellowjacket nest pest control

How to Get Rid of a Wasp Nest?

You should use one or more of the following approaches if you have professional experience with removing active wasp nests. If not, the Ecopest team advises that you hire a specialist to do the work.

With Pesticide Spray:

A wasp-killing pesticide is available at our Ecopest Store. The most popular method is to inject the pesticide for around 20 seconds when the nest gets opened. That’s it. Repeat the procedure when the nest is active the next day. You will destroy the nest after all of the wasps have died.

With Insecticidal Dust:

Insecticidal dust may be helpful when working with a ground nest. Sprinkle the dust liberally on the nest and then leave the field. Allow up to two days for it to function. Repeat the procedure if the nest is still alive.

With Smoke:

You can even light a fire under a nest on a tree branch or somewhere else away from your home. The wasps will get forced to flee when the smoke rises and suffocates them. It would be best if you destroyed the nest after they’ve left.

By Dunking the Nest in Water:

This one is strong but risky and only suitable for aerial nests. Put a bucket of water under the wasp nest first. Then place the whole nest in a cloth bag with caution. Make sure there are no cracks or tears in the pack. Then, using a firm cord, close the top of the bag. You can safely remove the nest from the branch and dip it in the bucket. Place a heavy object on top of the bucket and leave it there overnight. By morning, the wasps should be gone.

Ecopest Inc. for Wasp Nest Removal

When a wasp nest gets discovered, several property owners take matters into their own hands and attempt to destroy the wasp nest. Trying to do this is something we warn against at Ecopest since attempting to extract a wasp nest directly will also aggravate the stinging insects, resulting in unpleasant stings that can be harmful if you are allergic to them!

A specialist could tell if the nest belongs to a bee or a wasp and what to do if it belongs to a wasp. After assessing the issue, your specialist will assist you in developing a wasp management strategy so that you don’t have to think about new wasp colonies in the future. If you believe you have a nest of paper wasps near your house, contact Ecopest right away. If you want to try our services and want to know more about our pest control company, contact us: Toll-Free: 1-866-269-2847

Edmonton(780)-448-2661
Calgary(587) 393-6991
Red Deer(403)-340-3652
Prince Rupert(250)-622-2847
Grande Prairie(780)-539-1877
Fort McMurray(780) 750-8149
Regina(306)-271-1827
Saskatoon(306)-986-5182

Call us anytime. We are always there to help you.

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Residential Pest Control Methods

Residential Pest Control Methods

Have you ever had the unpleasant opportunity to encounter bugs, rats, roaches or other unwanted pests?  If so, you’re not alone, and dealing with the pests can be a significant undertaking.  Understanding the variety of pest control services in Canada is critical for restoring the health of your home.  Whether human, plant or animal, pests represent a significant danger to all life forms.  Numerous pests, including mosquitoes, termites, flies, and fungi, are detrimental to humans, food sources, and the environment.  You may be unaware, but you sometimes share meals with these obnoxious pests, which is very revolting!

Before developing any pest management measures, it is necessary to determine the type of pest you deal with and its lifestyle.  Understanding the pest in question will enable you to employ the proper technique and effectively eliminate them.  If in doubt, we recommend consulting a pest control professional.

The following information summarizes the many types of pest management strategies available:

Chemical Control of Pests:

Specific organic remedies can be ineffective, so some choose chemical pest control solutions. There are thousands of chemical items available for household and business usage.  You can find these chemicals in a solid, liquid, or aerosol format.  Please remember that certain chemical compounds are highly harmful to people and other living beings.

 

Natural Pest Control:

Typically, individuals will select organic or natural methods to limit the harm caused by tiny animals and insects while protecting their children, pets, and plants. In this instance, you may employ bait, trapping, or spraying.  You can incorporate poison into your bait, or as an alternative, you can use insecticidal soap, oil, or sprays.

 

Biological Control of Pests:

Biological pest control is utilizing live organisms only to manage vermin populations. Biological pest control (or bio effector) is popular because it is chemical-free and effective.  It can regulate insect populations, mite populations, and so on.

 

Pest Control through Electronic Means:

The advent of technology has made it feasible to capture and permanently eliminate household pests. Electromagnetic and ultrasonic pest control are two electronic pest control approaches.

      • Electromagnetic: affects the neurological systems of numerous animals, including mice. However, it is only effective against insects and rodents.
      • Ultrasonic: generates high-frequency, brief sound waves.

 

Control of Hygiene:

A clean environment does not attract bugs, as It does not have food or a breeding ground for pests. As a result, always maintain proper hygiene in the workplace and at home.  After each meal, clean up by depositing residue and leftovers in a locked trash can, wash the dishes, and keep all areas and belongings clean.

Take Advantage of Pest Control Services

When selecting pest control services in Canada, ensure that the technicians completing the job are adequately qualified and have extensive expertise in the industry.  Working with a professional company guarantees that you get the most for your money.  In this situation, Ecopest may be just what you’re looking for in a pest control company!

Pests, like people, prefer warm settings on chilly days.  A warm surrounding pushes them to infiltrate your house, mainly if they detect the presence of food.  Cockroaches, flies, and rodents carry hazardous infections that may easily make you sick.

Avoiding a pest infestation is as simple as barring access points and eliminating all food, water, and shelter sources.  If, on the other hand, your pest infestation becomes out of control, you should seek home pest control services in Canada.

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Pigeon Control Services: What You Need to Know

Expert Pigeon Pest Control Services.

Pigeon Control Services: What You Need to Know

Several pests can pose a severe threat to your home or business, and it is essential to know how to keep them out.  Pigeons are one of the most common pests, and they can cause severe damage to your property and be a health hazard.  At Ecopest, we are a professional pest control company specializing in Pigeon Control.  Our pest control technicians will ensure your site is free of pigeons and any other pests we may encounter, and we guarantee our work.  

Pigeons are considered a pest throughout Canada, and we are permitted to deal with them appropriately year-round.  Pigeons cause significant damage to crops and plants; they can carry disease, and people often view them as a nuisance.  Their overwhelming presence is why pigeon pest control has become necessary in Canada.  

What To Do If You Feel That Pigeons are Overrunning Your Home or Business

The initial step is to contact a professional pest control company like Ecopest.  The first step we will take when dealing with pigeon control is to inspect and analyze the situation to determine any issues that the pigeons may be causing and create a plan to address the problem.  After the inspection, the pest controller will provide the client with a detailed proposal for controlling the pigeons.

How to Address the Pigeon Problem

There are numerous options for dealing with pests, such as Pigeons.  Some of these options include the following:

Pigeon Trapping:

    • Pigeon trapping requires the strategic placement of traps around the site. Pidgeon trapping includes regular monitoring of the traps, resetting the traps, removing pigeons caught in the web, and releasing them at least 20 km away from the site.  The trapping process is effective for long-term control.

Electronic Pigeon Netting:

    • Installed by Ecopest for Pigeon Control, the electronic pigeon netting emits an ultrasonic sound that is not audible to humans but is audible to pigeons. The sound keeps pigeons away and doesn’t affect other animals or humans.  The netting emits sound continuously, so there is no need to set it off manually.  The device also has a built-in motion sensor that detects when a person or animal is nearby,  and if that is the case, the sound of the netting turns off so as not to bother people or pets.

Bird Spikes:

    • Another way to control pigeons is to use bird spikes. We place Bird spikes on ledges and windowsills where pigeons like to roost.  The design of bird spikes is to deter pigeons from landing on the ledge or perching on the windowsill.  The spikes are easy to install and place without damaging the building.  Ecopest guarantees that their bird spikes will keep pigeons away from any property.  The design of the company’s bird spikes is to keep pigeons away from rooftops, ledges, balconies, windowsills, ledges, roof edges, gutters, downspouts, cornices, eaves, and other flat surfaces.

Summary

With excellent services for pigeon control, Ecopest will leave your property looking new.  Our staff of professionals will clean up the mess and dispose of the droppings.  We offer this service for both residential and commercial properties.  We also offer special promotions for all customers.  Our pest control services and unique offers make us the go-to pest controllers for our customers.

If you are experiencing issues with pigeons or any other type of pest, give the experts at Ecopest a call today.

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