Ask an Expert

Hey, I live in Edmonton and have been trying to find a good concentrate to control my mosquito, aphid and leaf miner problems in my yard. Is there any product that you would suggest that is pet friendly?

Control of mosquitoes, aphids, and leaf miners: There is no one product that will provide safe control for all three types of insects mentioned here.

a. Mosquitoes – The best control is locating and eliminating larval sites – basically any container, natural or man-made, that will hold water for a week or more. There is currently only one pesticide product on the market licensed by the Pest Management and Regulatory Agency (PMRA) of Health Canada for domestic or homeowner larviciding. Called Aquabac, it is a bacterial formulation very safe to use.  Click here for details. I do not know of any effective control for adult mosquitoes approved for homeowner use in Canada.

b. Aphids – If the affected plants are fairly sturdy, a strong stream of water from a garden hose may suffice to wash the aphids from the plants, killing some of them at least during the process. Otherwise, an application of an insecticidal soap or Neem oil should work; these are safe to use around pets.

 c. Leaf miners – I am not aware of any product in Canada labeled specifically for homeowner use against leafminers. You might try Neem oil or Spinosad if you can get it (currently undergoing registry review in Canada). Commercial greenhouse operations have used nematodes and parasitic wasps;  Click here for details.

Carpenter ants: Hello, During the May and early June, I found 4 major and minor carpenter ants in the my kitchen. These were the times of the day found:
(1) ~7pm crawling from my basement stairs into my work room. Minor.
(2) ~6pm same area as the previous, near my back door. Minor.
(3) ~11:30am on my ceiling crawling away from my back door. Minor.
(4) 7am (but I found it stuck in a spider web at the bottom of my basement stairs). Major.
I should add that my basement stairs are directly in front of my backdoor. There is an old wooden shed at my neighbors house ~50 yards away. I’m not sure what is in it. My other neighbors have a pile of old tree branches ~30 yards away. I don’t hear clicking in my walls late at night. All 4 times, they were not carrying food. Where are these things coming from? I should add that the weather strip at the top of my door needs to be replaced. Thank you, Wally.

Carpenter ants – These ants usually only attack wood that already is unsound, especially from moisture. The customer should check all areas where moisture could come in contact with wood for signs of damage. These would not always be in the basement; several years ago, we had a small infestation in the roof over our back porch where a leak in the metal roofing had allowed water to enter and damage the wood. In the meantime, this is a good reference to consult: Click here

RATS: What is the best method for making sure a rat doesn’t come back. I’ve been seeing peppermint oil, steel wool and caulking? I’ve also been reading to keep pet food and water dishes away. I have a cat. The food being put away is ok.. but the water dish would be bad for my cats health. I’m worried he wouldn’t be drinking enough water and get a urinary tract infection. An exterminator was in my apartment, but didn’t find any structural damage. The rat got in somehow, so apparently now I have to find it myself. Any help would be very appreciated.

Rat Exclusion – Rat Exclusion – I suggest that the customer review this comprehensive publication: Click here

SKUNK RELOCATION: Hi, I have a skunk(s) under my cabano in the back yard.I tried spraying the back yard with Chili peppers and cayenne powder, but it does not seem to get rid of the skunks. Please let me know if the skunk(s) could be trapped and released to wildlife. Thank you. MONTRÉAL.

We are certain about legal issues, but trapping and relocation of wildlife in general by homeowners usually is not recommended. The questioner might find this site helpful: “Common Skunk Problems” Click here

RATS – I heard rats in my attic a couple weeks ago. I had my landlord send an exterminator and he really seems to know what he is talking about, but what doesn’t make sense to me us that he doesn’t want to inspect my attic at all, set traps, or seal up any holes. He just blocked holes they could get into from all around the outside of my house and roof and set traps in garage and water heater room. My concern is: What if the rats are coming from holes connecting me and my neighbor’s attics? Then what he did would have solved nothing. Is what he is doing the right thing? Las Vegas.

The landlord should know whether or not there is any connectivity between the attic spaces of the apartment/condo units. If he/she does not know this, request an inspection to find out, and if there is indeed connectivity, the exterminator needs to come back and determine if additional control measures are needed.

SEAWEED FLIES – House is located 20 meters from the sea. In late fall, during a spell of warm weather, we are infested by small (3/16 in.) slender flies that seem to breed in seaweed. They come out of seaweed in hoards when it is disturbed. Once inside they seek the windows. Difficult to kill, need to be squashed after the swat. Once the window is cleared, they reappear in no time. Never had them in the house in spring until this year. Result of egg laying? Petit-Rocher

These most likely are kelp flies (Diptera: Coelopidae). Their larvae feed on stranded and rotting seaweed, and they can become quite abundant. About all you can do is to keep all windows and doors tightly closed or screened.

BED BUGS – How long bed bugs will survive in cold temperatures without blood availability. We have kept few things in a storage unit like mattresses and kitchen stuff from bed bugs affected house. It was there for more than 2 months under -10 temperature. Do you think the bed bugs could survive this..? Belleville.

If the temperature was -10 F, any bed bugs certainly would be killed. If it was -10 C, their death still would be very likely, but not 100% guaranteed.

Mouse – I’ve recently had a mouse problem in my home — I’ve clogged any hole I can find with steel wool, and my landlord planted blocks of turquoise poison. In the first two days, the mice ate two whole blocks, then on the third day, part of a third. This was last Wed-Fri. We are no 1 week later, and in some rooms, despite me blocking the holes I can see, I believe there are still mice eating away at the blocks of poison I’ve dropped there (they move overnight, I have picture proof of it). How long does it take for these blocks of poison to kill mice? And how are they not leaving any pee or poop to trace, but still chewing poison? Montréal

It may take four to six days for rodents to die once they have ingested a lethal dose. Also, just because the bait blocks have moved doesn’t necessarily mean that it was done by mice.

Will the Roach Motel trap silver fish as well. Too many of them in my apartment, washroom floor and lower kitchen cupboard? Thanks, Bob. Vancouver

The silverfish question. A Roach Motel will trap any small creature (including silverfish) that ventures onto its sticky surface, but there is no substance in them that would attract silverfish. Thus, although they can be quite useful in monitoring silverfish activity, they do not constitute an effective control measure.

Hi, We are moving out of a place with a massive cockroach infestation. How do we safely clean kitchen gadgets, especially larger ones (e.g. microwave, instant pot, that sort of stuff) to ensure we don’t take any unintended passengers with us to the new place, please? The roaches like to hide in dark places, so are pretty likely to be in the internal parts of the device where we can’t easily look. Thank you so much! North York

Weather may be your friend here – if you have a place where it would be safe to leave your appliances outdoors or in an unheated room in freezing temperatures, you may be able to kill any roaches present. German cockroaches cannot tolerate exposure to temperatures colder than 14 F (-10 C) for more than an hour, or 10 hours at temperatures below 45 F (7 C). If you feel you must clean, use a mild detergent in warm water to clean all surfaces, but be sure to read the appliance manuals for any precautions. Also, if you do not need to move immediately, you could try setting out a few roach bait stations or ‘roach motels’ to see if you detect any activity. 

WASP NEST IN ROOF. Sorry long message A few months ago end of July early August I noticed wasps getting into a space under my roof I told my landlord thinking he’d get a professional to see to it but nope he only plugged it up him self before making sure their was no nest and way would they be dead now and if not what do I do I am hearing like a humming/buzzing in my ceiling going from one end of my trailer to the other I also had a bees nest in my crawl space under my trailer that he sprayed and I haven’t seen any since I was stung a few times by a wasp and also by a carpenter bee I just noticed the buzzing wen everyone got quite I haven’t been home all day so I am not sure wen it started but is the humming or buzzing I hear wasps if so how do I get ride of them I feel like my landlord just put a quick fix on the problem without actually getting to the base of the problem. Summerside, Prince Edward Island

Wasp infestation in trailer ceiling – First, make sure that the buzzing sound is coming from insects and not some other source, such as an electrical problem. If it is indeed coming from wasps, with your landlord’s permission, make an opening into the space above the ceiling from the outside of the trailer large enough to insert a nozzle from an aerosol spray (preferably a synthetic pyrethroid) labeled for homeowner use (check label for any fire hazard warning – if none, spray out the contents and seal up the opening). If the buzzing persists after this or if you cannot get permission to apply the spray, you may have to let cold winter weather take care of the job. Normally, only the queen survives the winter, and if she remains sealed up in that space, she will be unable to establish a new colony. Just be sure that you go over the trailer very carefully to be certain that any potential entry places have been covered/sealed.

I live in LaPeche, Qc. My south facing outside wall is covered with Cluster flies and they are starting to come in through the basement windows. How do I get rid of them? They are all over the walls and I can’t reach those high on the walls. Is there a kind of insecticide powder I can put along the bottom of the walls and balcony?

Click here for a Government of Canada pub on their control. Any flies that gain entry can be knocked down with an aerosol spray and vacuumed up.

Hi, Can you guys suggest an insecticide to get rid of springtails. I’ve had my home sprayed three times but with limited success. My home is not damp and is very clean. John H. CBS, Nefoundland

Chemical applications (usually pyrethroids) generally are not recommended for springtail control, as the effect is only temporary and applications usually must be repeated. Click here for some detailed suggestions. As you state that your home is not damp, there may be something else going on other than springtails, as they do require moist conditions in order to thrive.

We have hundreds of tiny red ants coming out of a heat vent and baseboards. What can we use to get rid of them? Grande Prairie AB.

As you likely already know, ant control methods can be species-specific; what works well against one species may be completely ineffective against another one. That aside, if the ants are indeed tiny (less than 2 mm long), they may be Pharaoh ants, a species notoriously difficult to control. Click here for some advice 

We had a terrible infestation of potato bugs this year but could not find a product that would irradiate them. It seems the old products we used to buy are no longer available. Please tell me the name of a product that will work that I can buy for next year. East Selkirk.

Potato beetle control – I have had good success using a formulation containing Bacillus thuringiensis var. tenebrionis (Bt-t) bacteria. This targets the young larvae, so it should be applied every few days as soon as the eggs start to hatch. If you apply it too early, the bacteria won’t survive until the larvae emerge, so the treatment won’t work. Also, Bt-t is sensitive to UV rays, so you should spray late in the evening or on cloudy days. Also make sure that it won’t rain within 8 hours after you have sprayed. You can tell if the treatment is working because the larvae will turn black.

How do I get rid of rats in my home? Antigonish

Rats in home – You need to consult a professional as there is no good universal answer – each situation is unique. Search the Pestcontrolcanada pages (Click here) for a recommended company; this one appears to be the closest one to you: Click here

Japanese beetles. These beetles are absolutely destroying our roses, hibiscus, hydrangea and red maple. I am so very upset. We have the traps and have sprayed what is best in their management? should I have the lawn treated for larvae and if so what time of year. Thank you. Jill. Welland Ontario.

As far as Japanese beetle control is concerned, I do not recommend traps unless your property is large enough so that you can place the traps far away from any vegetation that you want to protect (or better yet, persuade your neighbours to put some on their property!).

There are several formulations effective against the grubs (milky spore – a fungus, BTI – a bacterium, and nematodes), but these will only work on the area where applied; there is nothing to prevent adult beetles emerging from untreated areas near you to invade your property.

Click here for the best advice on Japanese beetle control (including methods, materials, and timing of applications) in your area that I have been able to find.

Hello, Is there anyway to control a cockroach infestation in canada? It seems like there are no bait stations or boric acid dusts available in Canada. Thanks, Andrew. Saskatoon, SK.

Cockroaches are always difficult to control. Strategies to control vary depending if it is an multi unit building or an individual house. 

There are boric acid dusts available but because of insect resistance and bait shyness they are not very effective. A multi prong approach is usually used composed of both chemical (baits and sprays) and non chemical control (heat, vacuuming, sticky insect traps, etc). 

Good sanitation is key as cockroaches thrive in unclean environment. Kitchen grease and food crumbs behind stoves and fridges can provide food for long period of time. 

It is always best to contact a pest control professional, who should work with the property management to work out a good solution. 

Hi there, we have a lot of shrubbery in the yard and experience a lot of spiders as well as pull bugs. We experience spiders inside the house as well. Looking for a suggestion and quote. Thank you. Surrey BC.

Spider population build up over time, especially if no control measures are taken around houses. A high spider population also tells one that there is a large insect population as spiders feed on insects.
Recommend using a permethrin based spray around the external perimeter of the house and along the window frames and along the eaves.

On the inside of the house, I would suggest insect sticky or monitoring boards at various locations all over the house along the baseboards. The boards should be replaced every week until the population is under control.

Spraying along the inside of house ONLY if the infestation is really heavy.

Pill bugs feed on decaying vegetation especially around the external perimeter of the house where grass clippings and other vegetations tends to collect. Once this population builds up, pill or sow bugs then tend to enter the house through cracks and crevices. Although they do not pose much of a health hazard – they are considered a nuisance.

The external perimeter spraying with a permethrin based insecticide will help bring down the sow bug population. In the inside of the house – use of only insect sticky boards to control the sow bugs.
The insect sticky boards will be effective for both the spiders and sow bugs.

I have been cleaning a friends apartment and discover after several visits in and out, that his place is infested with bed bugs? My concern is did I bring them home on my cloths? I didn’t sit down on any anything but I did remove his bed sheets etc because they were soiled. What should I do?

The bedbug query – Unless you physically removed some of the items from the infested premises and placed them in your vehicle or took them home with you, there is very little risk that you inadvertently brought bed bugs into your home. If you did take the soiled bed sheets home with you and they were not immediately laundered, you need to be on the lookout for signs of infestation. In addition to the information available on the Pestcontrolcanada pages, you might check out the publication at Click here for more recommendations.