Are Spiders dangerous?

Most species of spiders in Southern Ontario are more of a nuisance than a danger since very few present a hazard.
The venomous Black Widow and Brown Recluse spiders make an occasional appearance in this area when they are shipped to Canada in goods and produce from their homes in more southern areas.

Black Widows

Southern Ontario is in the extreme north of the Black Widow’s home territory. We are fortunate that we rarely encounter these potentially deadly spiders. With more than 30 recognized species of Widow spiders, most can be identified by the reddish hourglass markings on the underside of the abdomen of the female. If you suspect these spiders inside or outside of your premises, call PROGRESSIVE PEST CONTROL immediately – we can help.

The Brown Recluse Spider

The Brown Recluse spider (also known as the Fiddleback Spider) is not indigenous to Southern Ontario. However, it does make an appearance at times when it hitches a ride with imported goods from its normal habitat. They have been known to establish populations in single dwellings but have not been found to colonize outdoors outside of their traditional territory in the United States. The Brown Recluse has become a recognizable species due to its necrotic venom which causes a deep open sore around the bite as the skin dies. If you suspect Brown Recluse spiders in your home or business, call PROGRESSIVE PEST CONTROL immediately – we can help.

Yellow Jacket Wasps

• With three species of Yellow Jackets in Southern Ontario the workers are typically 12mm long with alternating black and yellow bands on the abdomen.
• A social insect that can become very aggressive when their nest is disturbed since they have a protect the hive mentality.
• Nests are built with plant fiber that they chew into a paper like substance and hang from trees, shrubs, man-made structures and abandoned wildlife burrows. Nests can also be located deep in your walls entering through the smallest of cracks in your exterior structure.  

Bald-Faced Hornets

• Bald-faced hornets are a notable species of Yellow Jacket due to their large size and very painful sting.
• A social insect that can become very aggressive when their nest is disturbed since they have a protect the hive mentality
• Nests are built with plant fiber that they chew into a paper like substance and hang from trees, shrubs and man-made structures. Bald-faced hornets rarely set up nests in abandoned wildlife burrows and wall voids as they prefer exposed high hung nests.

Carpenter Bees

• Their name derives from their behaviour of burrowing into our structures to make their homes.
• They are large robust bees that are mainly black with some yellow markings and are commonly confused with Bumble Bees
• Humans commonly encounter Carpenter Bees as they burrow large holes into our structures to make their homes.
• These semi-solitary bees are not very aggressive but have become of economic importance as they damage our homes and can build up quite a large colony

Are you unable to enjoy the outdoors becasue of bees & wasps? We have the solution for you whether it’s a yellow-jacket, wasp nest in the wall, a bald-faced hornet nest in a tree or a carpenter bee nest in your structure. Domestic consumer pesticides won’t work effectively with every type of bee & wasp nest and can also make the problem worse in some cases. Not to mention, the risks of approaching a large, angry nest. Don’t take the chance! Call us, we can help.
There are over 18,000 species of bees & wasps in North America and unfortunately, one of those species has decided to build a nest in your neighbourhood.

Although their name suggests that they would be an industrious addition to your home, these pests can cause significant damage as they tunnel through wood structures to build their nests. They do not eat wood but burrow into it to make their home. The two dominant species of carpenter ants in Southern Ontario are the Northern Carpenter Ant (black abdomen with reddish thorax and head) and the more common Pennsylvanian Carpenter Ant (completely black).

Characteristics of Carpenter Ants

• Carpenter ants are separated into Three castes: Major workers (Soldiers), minor workers, and reproductives.  Each caste is tasked with specific jobs inside their colonies.
• Workers are the most seen in a residence and range in size from 6 – 12 mm.
• Mature colonies contain approximately 3000 or more individual ants.
• Carpenter ant colonies can consist of one large primary nest or there may be additional satellite nests that are related to the main nest.

How do Carpenter ants invade my home?

Winged reproductive are expelled from the nest when conditions are favourable in the spring or early summer.  After the mating flight, the new queen will search out water damaged wood to burrow into to start her nest.  The queen will tend to the first brood until they become adults and can take over the maintenance of the nest while the queen focuses on egg laying.  Once the nest matures then the queen will start producing male and female reproductives to start the process again.  The presence of the flying caste is a good indication of a mature nest that has been active for 7 or more years.

They can also relocate into your home when a nearby nest is disturbed.

Where is the Carpenter ant nest in my home?

Carpenter ants may appear foraging in your home as early as February.  Later in the spring they will focus on foraging for food outside of the home while the nest is burrowed deep into your exterior walls.  You may no longer see ants inside your home at this point but it doesn’t mean that the nest has moved on.  A simple inspection of the exterior of the home in late May or June can easily locate a nest as workers return with food for the colony.

Carpenter ants are commonly found in areas of the home that have experienced water damage such as: kitchens, bathrooms, fascia, windowsills, door sills or foundation sills.  They can often be heard chewing inside the walls to expand their galleries.

How do you treat Carpenter ant nests?

Carpenter ant nests can be difficult to locate and treat since they are hidden away out of sight in your walls.  Most ant species are highly motivated to follow pheromone food trails and feed on ant bait poison. Unfortunately, Carpenter Ants do not share that same trait.  This results in ant bait not being a good solution to exterminate a Carpenter Ant infestation.  Often homeowners will place ant bait stations each spring as the ants appear and believe that the nest is fixed when the ants focus their foraging habits outside.  Unfortunately, this is not correct.  The ants have only changed their habits and are continuing to damage structural members of the home.

Proper treatments for Carpenter ants involve the application of a residual insecticide through the home as well as insecticide being injected into the walls to permeate the nest and kill the queen.  A dead queen is a dead nest!