Ants top list of pests with us into fall in Mississauga, Hamilton, Oshawa, Oakville

They may have not exactly been in your pants, but ants were everywhere this summer in Mississauga, Brampton, Hamilton, Oshawa, Oakville, and across Canada.

As the book closes on the hottest summer, pest control company Orkin Canada compiled a list of pests Canadian homeowners had to deal with this summer and warns we may still have to contend with them though the upcoming cooler months this fall.

Among the pests that spent some quality time with this, ants were right at the top of the list.

“As our summers get longer and winters become milder, we see greater survival of pests and diseases,” said Dr. Alice Sinia, an entomologist with Orkin Canada. “Consequently we have seen pest activities start earlier in spring, with population explosions in late spring and throughout the summer months into the fall, a pattern that was not previously seen in Canada.”

Here’s a list of the top pests by Orkin Canada that decided to spend a good amount of time with us this past summer:

1. Ants can contaminate food and beverage products, and certain species like carpenter ants can cause damage by tunneling through wood, insulation and electrical cables while establishing their colonies. Ant species like the European fire ants pose great health risks and render the use of outdoor space useless and can devalue property.
2. Tick populations have been high throughout the spring and summer, and are known to transmit pathogens to both humans and animals. Black-legged ticks (commonly known as Deer Ticks) are commonly found in grassy areas, and are vectors of Lyme disease.
3. Rodents can bring ecto-parasites, such as mites, fleas, lice and ticks in your home, as well as transmit various diseases.
4. Cockroaches can survive for weeks without food and water, travelling through garbage and sewers straight onto food preparing and handling surfaces in your home.
5. Subterranean termites are drawn to moist soil and persistent dampness, and can often infest homes for years, undetected. Subterranean termite infestations can result in costly structural damage to buildings, homes and other wooden structures.
6. Mosquitoes breed and thrive in stagnant water and oversaturated soil. Unusual abundant spring showers have created ideal breeding conditions, resulting in higher mosquito populations.
7. Midges, often mistaken for mosquitoes, also breed in stagnant water and soggy soil. These pests are major contaminants and can invade homes in the thousands, making any outdoor activities impossible!
8. Flies feed and breed in moist decaying organic matter such as garbage cans and organic waste. The mild winter also means that more fly populations survived the winter.
9. Wasps are drawn to food and beverage waste, and can be aggressive and territorial. Mild winters and an earlier spring leads to lush vegetative growth, providing food for wasps and other predators, and puts both humans and pets at risk of being stung.

Orkin Canada is the country’s largest pest control provider.