General
I have noticed droppings in my home; how do I identify which pest caused them?
These droppings and damages you observe could be from a number of possible pests. Our Certified Pest Control Technicians will assess your home, taking into consideration the type and location of debris and damage left behind by the pest. An assessment will help determine the pests that are present in your home and potential nests or harbourages.
At 1st Pest Control, our Certified Pest Control Technicians are highly knowledgeable on all pests known to infest buildings and grounds in the Lower Mainland. Correctly identifying the pest will allow our technicians to build a treatment plan tailored to your home environment and pest situation. This will ensure your home receives the most effective treatment program and reduces the likelihood of recurrence.
I have been hearing noises coming from my attic, basement, or within the walls. Could you help me identify what may be nesting or harbouring in my home?
Hearing activity in generally dark and closed areas, or within the walls, of your home is a sign that you may have a pest problem or are in need of rodent control. Our Certified Pest Control Technicians will examine your home, taking into consideration multiple factors such as geographic location, environment, building structure, the characteristics of droppings and other wastes and damage left behind by these uninvited guests to correctly identify the type of pests that are present.
At 1st Pest Control, we will create a treatment plan tailored to your home and pest situation. Our Certified Pest Control Technicians are highly knowledgeable and are equipped with the latest technology and resources to most effectively address your pest problem.
I have noticed a lot of wasps flying around; how do I get rid of wasps?
Wasps and hornets commonly build their nests in elevated and hard to see areas including off tree branches and within a roof or attic space. The best and safest thing you can do is to call our Certified Pest Control Technicians who will thoroughly examine your residence and the grounds of your property for strategic wasp nest removal and hornet control. Our technicians are equipped with the proper procedures and protective gear to deal with these insects. At your request, we will build a treatment plan tailored to your home and pest situation as the next step you can take towards the elimination of these insects.
Bed Bugs
I have itchy, red welts on my skin. What do bed bug bites look like and how do I know if I have them?
These itchy red welts may be caused by bed bugs feeding on a human host typically while the person is sleeping or sitting for long periods of time. To determine if these bites may be caused by bed bugs, examine your bed or seating area for indications of bed bugs. Look for live bed bugs, blood spotting or staining created by their droppings, light coloured cast off skins, and a distinctive odour that resembles over ripe raspberries.
If you think you might have bed bugs or continue to be unsure, contact our Certified Pest Control Technicians and we will help you determine if your home has an infestation. In addition, we will provide you with steps you can take to begin the process of getting rid of them. It is important to bear in mind that the longer you wait to address your bed bug situation, the larger the population will grow and the harder they will become to control and eliminate.
What can pest control or a pest management professional do for bed bugs that I can’t do myself?
There are numerous DIY solutions available that may help with bed bug treatment in your home. However, pest-specific training and experience are essential components in the overall success of a bed bug treatment program. More often than not, individuals affected by bed bugs do not have sufficient knowledge to address an infestation and attempts may lead to more frustration and stress as bed bug populations continue to multiply. At 1st Pest Control, our Certified Pest Control Technicians are trained in the most current methods to effectively and safely eliminate bed bugs. We are proud to work alongside a well-known K9 team that specializes in the identification of bed bugs as an integral part of our program.
What should I do after a bed bug treatment to make sure I get the most effective results?
A successful bed bug treatment requires the effort of both our Certified Pest Control Technicians and the homeowners. Homeowners must follow pre-treatment and post-treatment instructions to ensure the efficacy of the treatment. Not complying with these instructions may result in recurrence. If you feel that you are unable to prepare your home for any reason (e.g. physical disability, anxiety), 1st Pest Control offers an infestation preparation treatment service that may be for you. The service comprises a 1st Pest Control team that will prepare your home for a bed bug treatment. Subsequent to the treatment, we also offer a post-treatment extreme cleaning involving the removal of insect debris, general cleaning and the restaging of your home for re-occupancy.
Services
When should I call pest control?
When you suspect the presence of wildlife, rodents or insects in your home, property, or business, give us a call as soon as possible. We will conduct a thorough assessment and present treatment options you can take as your next step. At your request, our Certified Pest Control Technicians will build a treatment plan customized to your home and current pest situation. The longer you wait, the larger pest populations will grow and the more damage or contamination they will cause. At 1st Pest Control today, we will promptly address your pest problem before it manifests into a severe infestation.
How do I choose a good pest control company?
It is important to ask the right questions when hiring a pest control service provider to ensure you are receiving the most effective and safest pest control treatments available. The service provider you ultimately hire should be knowledgeable, certified and comply with the highest industry standards.
Some questions to ask pest control service providers:
- Are you a member of National Pest Management Association (NPMA) and the Better Business Bureau (BBB)?
- Are you currently certified in the pest control industry? Are your certifications up to date?
- Are the treatments you use safe for people and the environment?
- Are you bonded and insured?
Are the chemicals or products you use safe for my home and family?
1st Pest control offers environmentally-friendly and safe solutions as part of our pest control treatment program. At times, we must use stronger, more aggressive solutions to effectively address and eliminate heavier infestations. Our Certified Pest Control Technicians will work with you to prepare your property, and will provide you step-by-step directions to ensure the safety of your home and family from the beginning to end of our pest control treatment process.
Why am I seeing more bugs after my pest control treatment?
The number of treatments required may be greater than one, depending on the extent of the pest infestation. After the initial treatment, it is normal to experience insect activity for up to two weeks. If activity continues into the third week, a follow-up treatment may be required. Our Certified Pest Control Technicians will guide you through our treatment cycles and will work with you to ensure an overall successful pest control program for your home.
At 1st Pest Control, we have the solution to all your pest problems. Call us today at 1.844.PEST.CANADA (737.8226).
Is monthly pest control necessary?
Depending on whether you require pest control for a home, business, or apartment complex, an integrated pest management plan that requires periodical visits can ensure that pests stay away from your property. 1st Pest Control will work with you to determine how often you will require pest control services and what will need to be accomplished on each visit. We will custom build a program that is specific to your current pest situation and the environmental conditions that are unique to your location. Learn more about our Integrated Pest Management services here.
How does Pest Control get rid of rats?
Getting rid of rats and mice within your property requires both eliminating the problem and making sure that rodents will not be able to re-enter your building. We will start by setting environmentally-friendly rat traps; we will then examine the building for possible nests and entry points. These will be sealed to ensure that rodents will no longer be able to get in. We also offer a Raptor Safe program that humanely kills rodents without the use of poison, which may have a negative effect on birds of prey.
Having a trained pest management professional to assess and remediate the rodent situation on your home is invaluable. Why struggle to find where the rats are getting in? Or how and when to seal the holes so the rats don’t cause additional damage? Contact 1st Pest Control for effective and long term control of your rodent situation.
How do I clean up rodent droppings?
Finding rodent droppings is not only an upsetting indicator of rodents in the home but is also unpleasant to deal with. However, it is integral that droppings are properly disposed of for the health of you and those living in your home. To avoid touching or inhaling any diseases or bacteria that may be present, it is recommended that droppings are cleaned up by:
- Spraying the droppings with disinfectant without sweeping or moving them. Leave the droppings for half an hour after spraying them. If possible, air out the area and leave the droppings.
- While the droppings are still damp and while wearing a mask and gloves, wipe up the rodent droppings and put them into a plastic bag. Immediately dispose of the bag outside, along with the gloves used to touch the droppings.
- Wash your hands and refrain from touching your face until you are sure the area and your hands are clean.
Rodent droppings are almost always an indication of an infestation, which poses a potential health risk. Contact 1st Pest Control for effective and long term control of your rodent situation.
Why do I keep finding spiders inside my house?
There are a number of reasons that you may see a lot of spiders in your home. Different factors – such as the neighbourhood you live in and the time of year – can impact how many spiders get into your home. However, there are three common factors to finding spiders in your home. The first is that you have small gaps within your home and windows that make it so spiders can easily get in. The second is that you have lots of clutter in and around your home – this includes plants, bushes and trees that are immediately next to your structure; spiders love having lots of places to hide so they can safely spin webs, hunt for food, and lay eggs. The final factor is having a great spider food source. Dust and dirt in your home, or, in some cases, plants, attract other bugs. Whatever attracts bugs will attract spiders as they go where their food goes.
Environmental modification is the most important component of a successful spider treatment, however, having a pest management professional on your team will help significantly. If your home has a problem with spiders, 1st Pest Control can help you to remove and keep spiders away from your home.
How do you get rid of a wasp or a hornet’s nest?
The best way of keeping hornets and wasps away is to prevent them from building nests. This means keeping garbage outside properly sealed so as to not attract these pests and cleaning out recycling thoroughly before putting it out. Put screens in chimneys and along covered areas, like your porch, where wasps can easily hide from predators. Make sure that your home and yard are clean, without any clutter or overgrown grass, so that there are as few hiding spaces as possible.
Wasps also tend to build their nests close by nest-building materials – wasps and hornets use untreated wood as their primary building material – if you or your neighbours have an older wooden fence, a wooden playset, wooden shed, or any other source of untreated/unpainted wood – these can all be potential building materials the wasps use during nest construction.
Having a well-equipped pest management professional on your team that knows how to keep themselves safe will help keep you and your family out of harm’s way. It can be dangerous to remove a wasp nest by yourself. Leave it to the professionals; contact 1st Pest Control to remove any hornet or wasp nest from your home to remove the nest while remaining safe.
Why do I keep finding cockroaches in my apartment?
It’s shocking when you find a cockroach in your home. These pests can carry multiple diseases and bacteria and have the ability multiply quickly, along with contaminating your food and being generally unsettling. Cockroaches also have the ability to cause asthma attacks!
Cockroaches enjoy dark, enclosed spaces. If your apartment or home has plenty of nooks and crannies and has accessible food sources, they might be attracted to these areas. Cockroaches also require a source of water. If you have a sink that drips or a buildup of moisture within your home, cockroaches may be inclined to move into your apartment. Cockroaches have the ability to survive on almost any organic food source; so a build-up of grease from cooking, crumbs, spilled juices or pops, fresh fruit, loaves of bread, loose pasta, bulk foods, etc. will encourage a cockroach that might have been brought in on an article of clothing, a reusable grocery bag, or possibly one that came from a neighbour’s apartment, start to breed in your apartment.
Environmental modification is the most important component of a successful cockroach treatment, however, having a pest management professional on your team will help significantly. If you have cockroaches in your apartment, contact us at 1st Pest Control to eliminate these pests from your home.
