Insect Management

Please click on one of the following for specific information on:

Bed Bugs

Carpenter Ants

Other Ants

Wasps

We also provide service for a wide range of other insect pests, call us today to speak to one of our customer service representatives. Toll-Free: 1-877-551-9653

Bed bugs (Cimex lectularius)

Bed bugs resemble flattened appleseeds in their size, shape and color.  They are about ¼ to 5/8 of an inch long and are reddish brown to brown in colour.  Bed bugs have specialized mouthparts for piercing and sucking.  They grab skin with their forelegs, pierce the skin, and inject their saliva, which has anticoagulant and anesthetic properties.  Because of this anesthetic property, most people do not feel the bite of a bed bug.  A bed bug feeds about once a week, usually for 3 to 12 minutes and can survive for 6 to 12 months on a single feed.

The lifecycle of a bed bug is complete in
4 to 5 weeks under optimal conditions.

Most people don’t realize they have a bed bug infestation until they begin getting bites.  People react differently to bed bug bites: some will develop itchy, red welts, while others show no reaction at all.  How people react depends on their own sensitivity, much like allergies.

Finding bed bugs can be difficult, look in the following areas:

• Mattress and boxspring seams
• Bedframes and headboards
• Bedside tables
• Dresser drawers
• Wall voids
• Behind pictures and wallpaper
• Any other warm, dark cracks and crevices especially if they are close to a bed or couch.

Look for brown or black fecal material near the hiding places as well as blood spots on sheets and bedding.

Once an infestation has been identified, contact us to discuss the treatment options.  In all cases, the proper preparation must be completed prior to any treatment.  Please refer to our Bed Bug Preparation sheet for details.

Photo showing bedbugs, eggs, and cast skins on the underside of an upholstered couch.

Photo showing improper preparation. While some belongings are in bags,there is still clutter and bags on the furniture.

There are things you can do to help protect yourself from bed bugs.  Please read our Bed Bug Preparation and Bed Bug Protection sheet for more tips on what you can do to prevent a bed bug infestation.     

Sleep tight; don’t let the bed bugs bite..…call us to rid your home of bed bugs!

Carpenter Ants (Camponotus spp.)

The two most important species in Metro Vancouver, Fraser Valley and Greater Victoria are Camponotus modoc and Camponotus vicinus. Both species can cause significant structural damage.  C. modoc is a very large black ant, up to 17 mm in length.  C. vicinus is also a large ant (up to 12 mm), with a black head and abdomen and a deep red thorax (middle section).

Carpenter ants (C. modoc) in a nest. Photo courtesy of Dr. Laurel Hansen

Carpenter ants feeding on bait.

Contrary to popular opinion, carpenter ants do not eat wood.  They excavate galleries in wood or other materials by chewing but they discard the debris (called frass) outside the nest.  Frass may sometimes be found by homeowners under a hole or other opening but is often discarded inside wall voids. Carpenter ants feed on a variety of food containing either protein or carbohydrates.  Some examples include honey, sugar, meat, grease, and dead insects.  Of the entire colony, which may have thousands of individuals, only 5 to 10% will be out looking for food.

In spring or early summer, winged carpenter ants swarm, leaving the nest to establish new colonies.  A swarm is the mating flight of the winged reproductive males and females.  If winged ants are observed coming out of a particular area, it is likely the nest is close by.  Since swarmers are generally not produced until a colony is at least 6 years old, observing a swarm may indicate a well-established nest. 

Environmental modifications may help to prevent a carpenter ant infestation.  Examples of modifications include repairs to leaking roofs or plumbing, removing any rotting wood, trimming all vegetation so it doesn't touch the house, ensuring adequate ventilation in crawl spaces and attics, and storing firewood off the ground, away from the house.  Site-specific information can be discussed with one of our pest management professionals during an inspection.

We can schedule an inspection for your home with a pest management technician;
Call us today. Toll-Free: 1-877-551-9653

Other Ant Species

The key to dealing with an ant infestation is knowing which ant you're dealing with, its habits, and its preferred habitat.  Our pest management technicians receive extensive training on ant identification, so we can accurately identify your ants.  While treatment is often required in nesting areas or on travel paths, the homeowner can correct or prevent conditions, which may be attractive to ants.  Environmental modifications include the ones listed above for carpenter ants as well as ensuring proper ventilation in attics and crawlspaces, and storing food in glass or plastic containers.

Field/Thatching Ants (a variety of species)

Field/Thatching Ants range in size from 3 to 9 mm and can be a variety of colors, including black, brown, tan, and reddish.  They are soil nesters often constructing mounds, or anthills, constructed of evergreen needles and twigs.  However, they also nest under rocks, patio blocks, landscaping timbers, inside wall voids and in rotting wood.

Pavement Ants (Tetramorium caespitum)

Pavement ants are small, dark brown to black, and 2.5 to 3 mm in length.  Nesting sites include beside and under sidewalks, patio blocks, building foundations, driveways, and in landscaping beds.  Mounds of displaced soil are often observed in areas of their nests.  Once inside a building, they can travel along pipes and electrical wires as well as under the edges of carpets. 

Odorous House Ants (Tapinoma sessile)

The Odorous House Ant gets its name from the strong, rotten coconut-like smell it gives off when crushed. These tiny insects range in size from 2.5 to 3.3 mm in length.  These ants often live for several years and will make their homes in exposed soil, under rocks and foundations and in wall voids.

Cornfield Ants (Lasius spp.)

Commonly called "moisture ants", Cornfield Ants often nest inside structures in areas associated with water damage or rotting wood.  They will also nest in mounds in yards, beneath rocks, patio blocks or concrete slabs.  As with pavement ants, piles of displaced soil may be found near their nesting location.  Their color varies from dark brown to reddish black with the workers reaching 2.5 mm in length.  Cornfield ants are frequently confused with carpenter ants because they both nest in rotted wood and the winged females (reproductive females) of both species are quite large.  These ants can cause structural damage when a nest is established within a home.

Pharaoh Ants (Monomorium pharaonis)

Pharaoh ants are very small (1 to 2 mm), yellow to brownish red in color and can be found almost anywhere within a structure.  They tend to prefer warm, moist areas including dishwashers, coffee makers, water heaters, and bathtubs.  Inside a structure, they will use electrical wires and pipes to travel throughout the building.  These ants can be very difficult to eliminate from a structure.  The only effective way to treat a pharaoh ant infestation is with a baiting program. An essential part of a successful program is sanitation.  It is important to limit or remove potential food sources by storing food in well-sealed containers and removing garbage daily.  Even with good sanitation, elimination of these ants may take several months.  It is extremely important to not treat with insecticide sprays; if used, the colonies will bud and the infestation will spread and be harder to eliminate. 

Call us today to rid your home or business of any type of ant. Toll-Free: 1-877-551-9653

Wasps (and Hornets)

The most commonly encountered are bald-faced hornets, yellowjackets, paper wasps and mud daubers.  The bald-faced hornet, yellowjackets and paperwasps are social insects and build nests of a paper like material.  Mud daubers are solitary and build nests of mud often plastered among rafters in attics or on the sides of buildings.

Bald-faced hornets (Dolichovespula maculata)are relatively large, black and usually have white markings on the front of their heads.  This type of hornet tends to nest in trees but nests can also be attached to buildings.  By the end of the summer their nests can be larger than a basketball.

Yellowjackets (Vespula spp.) are small, about 10 mm in length, bright yellow and black and appear hairless.  Most will build nests underground but they will also nest in wall voids, attics or crawlspaces using an available hole or crack on the exterior.  Yellowjackets are often considered the most dangerous of the bees and wasps as they are in frequent conflict with people, they contain hundreds of individuals, are very protective of their nests, and can be unpredictable in their response to people nearby. 

Mud daubers (Sceliphron caementarium) are easily distinguished from other wasps and hornets as they have very long legs and a long thin "waist". While they have the ability to sting, they are not aggressive and generally only sting if handled

Paper wasps (Polistes spp.) are large (25mm), slender wasps with long legs and a distinct, slender waist. Most are brown or darker, with large patches of yellow or red.  Their paper nests hang like an open umbrella from a stalk called a pedicel with the cells visible from below.  They are usually in protected areas, such as under eaves, in attics, or under tree branches or vines. The populations vary between 15 to 200 individuals and they are generally not aggressive.         

Control

With the exception of honeybees, the treatment for the different types of wasps is generally the same.  In all cases, the nest must be located for proper treatment.  A nest located in a wall or in the ground can usually be identified by observing wasps flying in and out of a hole or a crack. Never plug or seal up this hole before a treatment.

• Treatment usually consists of treating the nest or entry point with a liquid or dust insecticide and/or removing the nest, if possible.
  
  
• To reduce local populations of wasps in your yard or patio area, a non-toxic trapping program can be initiated. 
  
  
• Honeybees are highly beneficial and should be collected by a beekeeper. 

Call us today to keep you and your family safe from potential wasp stings.
Vancouver: 604-524-5511 or Toll-Free: 1-877-551-9653

For additional technical information, please choose one:
Bed bugs
Carpenter Ants
Other Ants
Wasps (and Hornets)

*Camponotus modoc in nest photo reprinted with permission from Dr. Laurel Hansen http://faculty.spokanefalls.edu/LHansen/default.htm*
*Pharaoh ant and wasp photos reprinted with permission from pestcontrolcanada.com*