The Greater Toronto Area, like the rest of Canada, is home to many pests like ants and mosquitoes. A lot of these pests are harmless for the most part, but there are some you should pay attention to because they can cause real problems.

In this post, we’ll discuss common pests that Canadians are likely to deal with and the best ways to control their population and eliminate them for good.

Common Pests and How to Deal With Them

Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes are most active in the summer because the season offers the ideal temperature and weather for breeding and other activities. These tiny bloodsuckers multiply fast—a female mosquito can lay up to 100 eggs at a time. And these eggs can develop into adults after only a few days. This means a single mosquito can turn into a swarm within a short period.

Chances are you have already swatted several mosquitoes while living in the Greater Toronto Area. You surely understand how annoying their presence can be. They bite and leave you with itchy red marks. If they make it inside your home, they take away your peace and the chance for a good night’s sleep. Mosquitoes also often inhabit lawns, especially those with tall grass, making it impossible to enjoy the outdoors.

On top of that, mosquitoes are carriers of many parasites that can cause serious illnesses in humans and pets. That’s also why experts always encourage everyone to start mosquito control programs.

Mosquito Control

Getting rid of mosquitoes can be challenging because of their fast reproduction rate and the fact that they breed nearly everywhere there is water. But you can control their population, and here are a few ways to do that:

For outdoor mosquito control, remove any standing water that can serve as a mosquito’s breeding area. Empty, scrub, turn over, or throw out items that hold water, like planters, pools, flowerpots, and trash containers. If there is a water storage container, make sure to cover it properly. For containers without lids, you can poke holes in their bottom or use a wire mesh with holes smaller than mosquitoes to prevent them from coming in.
If it’s impossible to remove stagnant water (in the case of ponds and pools), consider using larvicides to kill larvae.
Mowing your lawn is a great method for mosquito control for your yard. Mosquitoes like to rest in tall grass because it protects them from the sun’s heat and the wind.

If the mosquito population has already gotten out of control, the best solution is to get mosquito control services. At LawnMart, our mosquito control service involves the use of all organic products and methods so you can be sure your family and pets are safe.

Flies

There are three different types of flies that Canadian homeowners have to deal with: fruit flies, house flies, and drain flies.

Fruit flies feed on sweet and sugary liquids and rotting produce you throw in your garbage cans and compost piles. On the other hand, house flies are attracted to human food but also feed on animal feces. These are the type of flies you typically encounter inside your home. Drain flies, as the name suggests, like to spend time around drains, sewage, and compost piles.

So if there are exposed foods, garbage cans, and other natural attractions like leaf litter, you are likely to have a problem with flies. These items can also be the reason why there are so many bugs in your lawn.

It’s important to keep the population of flies under control, and not just because they are annoying. Just like mosquitoes, flies are also carriers of parasites, mainly because of their breeding and feeding habits. For example, house flies can spread diseases like dysentery and food poisoning.

Fly Control

Because flies can carry many diseases, it is vital to keep their population low. Here are a few things you can do to protect yourself and your family from the diseases they bring:

Seal any cracks and gaps in your home.
Make sure all windows and doors have screens and weather stripping.
Clean up any food waste lying around.
Seal trash cans and food containers.

Like mosquitoes, flies reproduce quickly. A single adult fly can lay an average of 500 eggs throughout its lifespan. It is important to note that the life expectancy of a fly is only 15 to 30 days. If you want to get rid of flies once and for all, the best solution is to call experts in fly control.

Grubs

Unlike flies and mosquitoes, grubs do not carry viruses that could make you or your pets sick. And since they are on the ground, they cannot irritate you. However, they can damage your lawn. So if you want a green and healthy lawn, you have to address grub infestation.

Grubs are the larvae of certain beetles. It’s pretty easy to identify them because of their white or yellowish, wrinkled, C-shaped bodies. They have six spiny legs and tan or brown heads. Fully grown grubs measure from 2 to 4 cm.

These lawn pests feed on plant roots, causing your lawn grass to wilt and turn brown. Aside from leaving bald patches in your lawn, grubs attract other unwelcome wildlife. Animals like moles, rodents, skunks, and raccoons will likely enter your property, strip away your grass, and even dig tunnels underneath to search for their food.

Grub Control

If you want to prevent grub damage in your lawn, you have to nip the problem in the bud. You can apply treatment in mid to late August or mid-September because that’s when larvae typically hatch.

Like the best mosquito control method, which is nipping the problem in the bud, you can also prevent extensive grub damage by getting rid of larvae right after hatching. You can use grub control products or choose natural methods like the following:

Introduce beneficial nematodes, such as Heterorhabditis bacteriophora, into the soil. These microscopic worms parasitize and kill grubs.
Attract natural predators of grubs, such as birds, skunks, raccoons, or moles. These animals feed on grubs and can help reduce their population. Just ensure you also keep the said animals under control so they don’t cause further damage to your lawn.
Maintain a healthy lawn by regular mowing, aerating, and overseeding. Healthy turf can withstand grub damage better than weak or stressed grass.

If you do not have the time and energy to address the grub problem but want a pristine lawn, you can always get professional lawn care services. LawnMart’s lawn care service includes pest control, so you don’t need to worry about pests infesting your yard.

Ants

There are more than 10,000 species of ants worldwide, and most of the species you find in Canada are not aggressive. Nevertheless, they can still be a problem. Aside from their stinging bites, ants can build unsightly mounds in your lawn. And in the process of building tunnels, they break off the roots of your grass, which is never a good thing.

Ant Control

You have to identify the type of ant you’re dealing with to determine the best way to minimize their damage and eliminate them once and for all. For example, carpenter ants need water to survive. So addressing any moisture issues in your property will help prevent their infestation.

On the other hand, fire ants are pretty aggressive, feed on other insects, and usually take over the colonies of other ants. Their sting can irritate and even trigger severe allergic reactions. The best way to deal with this pest is to call experts.

Mosquitoes, grubs, flies, and ants are just a few of the pests you may encounter on your lawn and in your home. If their population grows beyond control, it’s always best to call the pros. Experts can save you time and money and prevent headaches that come with dealing with these annoying and unwelcome insects.

Where Can I Find the Best Pest and Mosquito Control Near Me?

If you’re in the Greater Toronto Area and need experts in lawn care and pest control, you can count on LawnMart. We control mosquitoes the right way.

For starters, we treat all of your property’s trees, shrubs, and grass with a safe and odourless botanical insect control product, culling the number of mosquitoes running rampant across your property. Then, we apply Bacillus Thuringiensis to any standing water. This natural bacterium attacks and kills larvae long before they have the opportunity to develop into the pesky mosquitoes that so often bother us. By addressing the root of the problem, we reduce as many mosquitoes as possible and keep them from coming back.

This process is performed six times each season—once every three weeks. We even offer two free service calls that can be used if bugs return prior to our next scheduled visit. Call us at 1-866-349-4516 prior to your next outdoor event for added mosquito control!