Managing pests inside the home

Pests can invade your home. They can be eliminated naturally. Pesticides should always be a last resort.

The following pests are the ones most likely to invade your home:

• Cockroaches 
• Ants 
• Social wasps and hornets 
• Larder beetles 
• Confused flour beetles 
• Silverfish, booklice, psocids and firebrats 
• Fruit flies 
• Houseflies 
• Cluster, face and blow flies 
• Earwigs 
• Mice and rats 

Natural control

The following regular action can eliminate these pests.

Access reduction

• Eliminate potential hiding places
• Seal cracks with silicone, steel wool, etc.
• Wrap and insulate pipes that produce a lot of condensation
• Repair leaky faucets and pipes
• Ventilate bathrooms and dehumidify damp areas
• Caulk window frames and doors
• Fix water leaks and replace rotten wood
• Install screens on all windows

Daily cleaning

• Clean up spills, grease and grime
• Vacuum up food particles and insects (alive and dead)
• Take out the garbage and clean empty garbage cans
• Clean drip trays
• Rinse empty containers before recycling them
• Sponge up spilled liquids
• Store food properly
  • Use airtight containers
  • Tell teachers and children not to store food in desks and lockers at school unless they are placed in sealed containers
  • Avoid leaving food (especially fruit) uncovered on counters or in cupboards

Eliminating wasps

Various types of wasp traps are available in stores. Often funnel-shaped, they usually contain bait such as jam or a piece of meat, and are designed to catch small quantities of insects. They should be located away from play areas used by children.

We recommend that you entrust nest removal to pest management professionals.

If you decide to take eliminate an aerial wasp nest in an easily accessible location yourself, follow these steps:

1. Before proceeding, protect yourself by wearing long-sleeved clothing, a net over your head, and gloves. Make sure your shirt sleeves and pant legs are well closed.
2. Work at dusk, using a flashlight with a red filter (sufficient light without spurring wasp activity), completely enclose the nest in a thick bag then cut off the nest stalk and seal the bag.

Pesticides should always be deemed a last resort, as they come with health and environmental risk. If you do decide to use a pesticide, read the information on the How to use household pesticides page and take the steps needed to protect your health and your family.

Read product labels carefully and make sure you understand the instructions before buying and using a pesticide. Health Canada provides a pesticide label search  tool.

Depending on the level of infestation, you may need to call in a pest management professional. If this is the case, useful information can be found on our Hiring a pest management company page.

In the event of an adverse reaction, visit the Reporting a pesticide exposure incident .

If you are concerned, read the Pesticide application in daycares and schools page.