Crawling Insects

Back to Pest & Insect Control

Click on an insect for information

ANTS:

What are they?
Ants entering houses looking for food are a common nuisance and are one of the most abundant insect pests. It only takes a few to access the home before thousands more quickly follow, thanks to a chemical trail they lay, leading others from the colony to the food. Some look for sweet foods, while others go for pet food, crumbs and garbage. To avoid attracting ants, make sure garbage is tightly covered, clean up food spills promptly, wipe jam or syrup bottles clean on the outside and keep any attractive food in tightly sealed containers or in the refrigerator. The best control is to follow the ants, find their entry point, then seal the crevices or cracks (often around a window). Keep ants out of the home by making sure that all crevices and cracks around the foundation, vents, windows and utility pipes are sealed. Discourage ants by keeping food sealed in Ziploc® brand plastic containers and vacuum frequently to pick up any food crumbs.

Ants are social insects living in colonies. Usually a colony has three distinct types of ant: queens, workers and males. Each type looks different and has a different job. The queen lays eggs. Depending upon the species, a colony may have only one queen or they may have several. The colony protects the queen and she never leaves the nest. The larger major workers look for food and guard the nest. The smaller minor workers expand the nest and tend the eggs and larvae.

Queens are usually the largest ants in the colony (about two or three times larger than workers). Once inseminated, they lay fertile eggs for their lifetime, which can be five years or more. Ants are either interior-nesting or outside nesting. Most outdoor ants build their colonies underground, and will only enter the home in search of food or moisture. If a large food source is found, these ants can become a nuisance. Interior nesting ants have adapted to living with humans and will create colonies in between walls or floors of homes and buildings, a habit which makes these kinds of ants difficult to eliminate. Once a colony has been established, the only way to eliminate it is to kill the queen.

Where are they found?
There are three main types of ants which are a household pest in Canada: pharaoh ants, carpenter ants and odorous house ants.

Pharaoh ants are very tiny, about one millimeter long. They are light yellow to reddish colored. Because they are originally from the tropics, pharaoh ants cannot survive outdoors year-round, and are often found in dwellings, bakeries and restaurants. Colonies may be found outdoors in the lawn or garden; and indoors between walls, sub-floor areas, attics, cracks, crevices, and behind wainscoting, baseboards, plaster, or mantles, and between flooring. Colonies have several queens. One of the smallest ant species, pharaoh ants are difficult to control because their large colonies divide at the slightest disturbance.

For best results use Doktor Doom Residual Insecticide Spray or Doktor Doom House and Garden Insecticide Spray.

Carpenter ants are large, measuring 13 millimeters long. Their colouring is predominantly black, greyish-black or brown. Carpenter ants nest in moist wood. Carpenter ants in a building are often a sign of a moisture problem. In natural areas, the ants nest in logs, stumps or dead or dying trees. In constructed areas, they nest in wooden posts, beams, walls and joists. They tunnel through the rotting wood leaving honeycombed galleries. Carpenter ants do not eat wood, but use it to make nests they may sometimes enter a house at a point where tree branches come into contact with the roof or other parts of the house. They may also enter through such access points as windows, holes in the foundation, foundation vents, heating ducts and air-conditioners, or along power or telephone lines. They can also be brought into the house in firewood.

While a carpenter ant colony in a home may consist of the offspring from a single queen that has invaded the house, it is more likely to consist of individual ants that immigrated from an existing colony, especially when the colony is seriously disturbed , as in the clearing of building sites. The ants may have wandered in from the outside in search of food.

For best results, use Doktor Doom Residual Insecticide Spray.

Damaged or decaying wood should be replaced to discourage nesting, and low-lying branches that touch the structure should be cut back. Inside the house, carpenter ants may be found in secluded, but not completely covered places. These can be easily treated. It may be necessary to remove siding, window casings, doorsills, or similar structural members to reach the ant runways. In these cases calling a pest control professional is recommended, especially if the ants are within timbers.

Odourous house ants are small ants measuring 2.5 millimeters long. They prefer to nest outdoors, where they construct their nest out of mounds of dirt, under rocks and at the edges of paved areas and doorsteps. When the weather turns colder, they will move their nests indoors, usually between the foundation and the sill plate. The worker ants forage a long way from the nest for food, and often enter a home in search of a variety of organic matter, following trails along baseboards and the edge of carpeting. Once they have found food, they leave a scent trail for other ants.

For best results in controlling Odorous house ants, use Doktor Doom Residual Insecticide Spray.

Why are they a problem?

Although different ants have different behavior patterns, they are all annoying to people for the same reasons: once they take up residence in your home or garden, they quickly reproduce, eat all the available food sources, and can be very difficult to dislodge. In general, ants themselves are not considered a health threat to people or pets, but they can contaminate food and destroy vegetation in the house and garden.

Prevention and treatment

Using Doktor Doom Residual Insecticide Spray kills ants on contact and continues to kill for several weeks. When foraging worker ants discover a source of food or water, they lay down a chemical track, which guides worker ants towards a food source and back to the nest. The ants will die as they crawl over the insecticide spray .Residual sprays such as Doktor Doom Residual Insecticide Spray stay effective for several weeks.

For virtually every indoor ant problem use Doktor Doom Residual Insecticide Spray. This involves eliminating food, water and other sources that make homes attractive to ants.
Clean up food crumbs and beverage spills. A tiny crumb is enough to attract dozens of ants into your home once a worker ant has discovered the food and puts down a pheromone trail back to the nest.

Keep packaged food in tightly closed resealable Ziploc® containers.

Store vegetable oils and shortenings in the refrigerator

Dry out bath tubs and sinks after use.

Rinse glass, metal, plastic and paper food containers before throwing them in the garbage or recycling bins.

Clean all kitchen surfaces and sweep and vacuum often.

Another essential part of Doktor Doom Residual Insecticide Spray is property maintenance. This involves taking all possible steps to reduce ant access into the home: caulking windows, ensuring windows are tight fitting and repairing cracks in foundations.

Back to top

Roaches are a common and persistent problem in many households. They are repulsive to look at. Worldwide there are over 3,500 roach species. Only a few of the cockroach species are actually domestic pests. The few species that actually do torment us, are a major force to be reckoned with. Cockroaches are mostly tropical insects. Those that are found in Canada, are those that enter buildings. Cockroaches have a broad, flattened body shape, six long legs (which are adapted for running), and relatively long antennae (or "feelers"). Adult female cockroaches may live a year or more when conditions are good. The female often carries the case before attaching it to an object in a sheltered location. It can take two to three months before the eggs hatch. It can take four months to one year for a cockroach to be fully grown.

Where are they?
Their normal behavior in and around homes is to hide in cracks, crevices or other protected areas that are suitably warm and moist during the daytime hours. After dark they come out of hiding to mate and forage for food and water. To effectively control roaches, knowledge of this hiding or harboring behavior is very important.

Why are they a problem?
Roaches are messy, produce disgusting odors, can introduce and spread harmful bacteria such as Salmonella, and are a major source of allergies and asthma. Cockroaches will feed on anything organic. If there are food and water sources nearby they can survive for long periods without ever leaving their living areas. Small cockroaches (nymphs) will often eat the other's droppings. Adults will eat fragments from egg cases and body parts - and their young as they hatch. They readily find adequate food in the "fallout" of crumbs, spills and poorly contained food or beverage items people provide in their homes. Foods that have a high level of sugar, starch or grease seem to be preferred, but nearly anything that can be chewed may be fed upon. Cockroaches spend 80 per cent of their time resting in cracks and crevices, but when they are active they spend most of their time searching for or eating food. Cockroaches begin their most active period just as it begins to get dark. It is interesting that this is true even in kitchens where the lights are never turned off. They will increase their activity as the temperature increases.

Prevention and treatment
Cockroaches can survive almost anywhere, but they tend to be most prolific when people give them unsanitary environments and better access to food. Therefore, sanitation and good home repair is very important in getting rid of cockroaches and preventing their return. Before using insecticides, reduce the temptation for cockroaches by doing the following:

• take garbage out frequently

• wash and dry dishes as soon as possible

• toss out old boxes and newspapers

• keep kitchen floors, counters and cupboards clean

• clean and vacuum regularly behind ovens, microwaves, toasters and refrigerators

• wipe up food spills on and around appliances

• restrict eating by kids outside of the kitchen

• store food items in closed, plastic containers

• seal any foundation and exterior cracks to reduce roach access to the dwelling

• keep plumbing in good repair

• keep the basement dry

• run central air

• use traps to locate and monitor pest populations

Once you have completed these steps, select Doktor Doom Residual Insecticide Spray for your cockroach problem.

EARWIGS:

What are they?
The name originates from the superstition that earwigs crawl into the ears of sleeping persons and bore into the brain. Although earwigs appear somewhat dangerous due to their forceps, they are practically harmless to man. Earwigs vary in size from 1 - 2 cm in length, they are brown to black in colour. Species may be winged or wingless. Only a few species are good fliers. The body terminates in a pair of forceps. These forceps or pincers are the earwig's most distinctive characteristic. The forceps are used in capturing prey and mating. Earwigs are omnivorous, feeding on a wide variety of food. They will eat live or dead insects as well as live or decaying vegetation. Earwigs can cause damage to cultivated plants.

Where are they?
They can be a nuisance when they migrate indoors. Migrations of earwigs numbering in the 100's have been reported. They seldom become established indoors. Earwigs can be of value as predators of certain insect pests. Earwigs are nocturnal. During the day they will be found in moist shady places, under wood piles, stones, boards, compost piles, flower beds, and other secluded locations. When earwigs migrate indoors, they hide in cracks and crevices around baseboards and other locations. They may be found in potted plants and cut flowers.

Why are they a problem?
The fact is that earwigs do not pose a serious threat to people or pets. Mostly they are annoying and unsightly, although some species emit a foul odor. Inside the house, however, earwigs can do damage to houseplants and take up residence in the kitchen.

Prevention and treatment
Elimination of outdoor harborage is essential. Mulch, leaf litter, plant debris, stones and boards can all provide harborage for these pests. Any moisture problem in crawl spaces or within the structure should be corrected. Sealing cracks and openings around the ground level of the structure may keep earwigs from entering the building. Most earwig species are attracted to lights, so sealing cracks and openings near well lit doors is essential. To prevent earwigs from coming into the house or other structure, it is a good idea to treat outdoor habitats with insecticides. Applications should be made to the building foundation, sub floor crawl spaces, flower beds and turf next to the foundation.

 For best results use the Doktor Doom Residual Insecticide Spray or Doktor Doom House and Garden Insecticide Spray.

Back to top