Question 1

How much does pest control cost for a food processing plant?

Accepted Answer

Food processing plans usually run $225 to $650 a month. The range is wide because plants are so different. A small packaging room isn't the same job as a large plant with raw ingredients coming in every day. The price covers documented visits, bait stations outside, traps and monitors inside, pheromone traps for stored-product insects, activity logs and audit support. We start with a free site visit so the quote matches your plant.

Question 2

Why don't you put rat poison inside food plants?

Accepted Answer

Because a mouse that eats bait can carry it, or die, somewhere you don't want it, like a production area or a bin of ingredients. Inside food areas we use traps and monitoring devices that hold the rodent so it can be removed and recorded. Bait stays outside, in locked stations around the building. That's what auditors expect to see, and it keeps your product safe.

Question 3

What pests show up in packaging and printing plants?

Accepted Answer

Paper, cardboard and the starches and glues used to make them attract silverfish, cockroaches and stored-product beetles. Mice love stacks of corrugated board because it's easy to nest in. Stock that sits in a corner for months is where problems usually start. Rotating stock, keeping it off the walls so you can inspect behind it, and regular monitoring catch most issues before they reach a customer's order.

Question 4

Why are wasps all over my deck in August?

Accepted Answer

By late summer, wasp colonies are at their biggest and the workers switch from hunting insects to looking for sugar. That's when they start crashing barbecues and patio drinks. A nest is usually close by, under the deck, in a hedge, under the eaves or in the ground. Keep food and drinks covered and garbage lids shut, and if you find the nest, have it treated. Wasp nest removal for a home is $150 to $250.

Question 5

Why do I see centipedes in my basement?

Accepted Answer

House centipedes like damp, dark places, and they feed on other small insects. If you're seeing them, your basement probably has some moisture and something for them to eat, like silverfish or spiders. A dehumidifier, fixing any leaks and clearing out cardboard boxes and clutter will cut their numbers down. If they're still around after that, a treatment along the foundation and basement walls will help.

Question 6

How do pheromone traps work in a food plant?

Accepted Answer

Pheromone traps use the scent a specific insect gives off to attract mates. Each lure targets one kind of pest, like flour beetles, warehouse beetles or cigarette beetles, and the trap catches the ones drawn to it. They don't control an infestation on their own, but they tell us where insects are active and whether numbers are going up or down. Placed on a grid and checked every visit, they show trouble spots early. They're standard in our food processing programs.

Question 7

Why do pharaoh ants show up in office buildings?

Accepted Answer

Office buildings are warm all year and have plumbing chases, kitchens and washrooms on every floor, which is what pharaoh ants need. They travel through wall voids between floors and turn up around coffee stations, desks where people eat and washroom sinks. Spraying them makes the colony split and spread. We use slow-acting baits placed out of sight and work floor by floor until they're gone. It's part of our office pest control.

Question 8

Are spiders a problem in a food plant?

Accepted Answer

For an audit, yes. Spider webs in a production area count as a finding, because they show that insects are present and that cleaning isn't reaching every spot. Spiders also leave webs and egg sacs that can end up near product. The fix is keeping flying insects out with better door control and lighting, cleaning high areas on a schedule, and treating outside walls and dock areas. We cover this as part of our facility programs.

Question 9

When are carpenter ants most active?

Accepted Answer

In Ontario, carpenter ants are most active from spring through summer, with a peak in May and June. They do most of their foraging at night, so you might only see one or two during the day. If you see big black ants inside your house in late winter or very early spring, before it's warm outside, that's a strong sign the nest is inside your walls.

Question 10

What are the tiny flies in my bathroom?

Accepted Answer

If they're small, fuzzy and look a bit like tiny moths, they're drain flies. They breed in the slimy film inside sink, tub and shower drains and in any drain that isn't used often. Pouring bleach down the drain won't fix it. Scrub the inside of the drain with a stiff brush, then use an enzyme drain cleaner for a week or two to break down the film. Run water in drains that don't get used much, like a basement floor drain.

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Licensed Exterminator in Burlington for Homes & Businesses

Exterminator for Residential & Commercial Properties