Questions to Ask

So, you are considering mosquito control in the Toronto area?

Read this first….

No one wants to deal with mosquitoes and ticks on their property, so many homeowners in the greater Toronto area are actively pursuing ways to get rid of these pests. This is why mosquito and tick pest control is a growing industry in Canada. In fact, mosquito control services have been around for over two decades in the United States.

In Canada, we have more stringent government regulations that regulate what chemicals are used and how mosquito and tick control treatments can be completed on homeowners’ properties.

Due to the growing nature of this industry, numerous companies are popping up to offer these services. Even some lawn care and landscaping companies are getting into the business, offering mosquito control as an “add on” service. “Sure, we will cut your lawn and we can also take care of your mosquitoes at the same time!”

Yikes, this is a buyer beware situation!

Mosquito and tick control is not a cheap service for operators to provide. It involves specialized equipment, trucks, and skilled labour from certified pest control technicians. As a consumer considering mosquito and tick control in the greater Toronto area, you are about to make a significant investment in the safety and comfort of your family and friends. It's highly advised that you explore and ask these questions about mosquito control when evaluating the services that companies are offering you:

“If you're serious about getting rid of mosquitoes and ticks, hire a professional and stop wasting money on gimmicks.”

1. Why can't I just use the mosquito control products I can buy at Canadian Tire?

We've all tried things like citronella candles and mosquito traps that you can find at your local hardware and department stores. These include things like mosquito coils, mosquito bits and thermacells.

These gimmicks make us feel like we're doing something to get rid of mosquitoes, but we are always left feeling unsatisfied with the results.

When you are purchasing the services of a professional mosquito and tick control company, you are going to be taking your efforts to a whole new level. You are likely a homeowner that has invested thousands of dollars in your home. You have beautiful landscaping, maybe a pool and you want to spend time outside enjoying it! As a host, you want to dazzle your family and friends with a comfortable outdoor living space.

The equipment and techniques used by professionals far exceed anything that you could do on your own. If you're serious about getting rid of mosquitoes and ticks, hire a professional and stop wasting money on mosquitoes coils, mosquito candles and other similar products.

2. What will you do during a typical treatment?

For many companies, a mosquito treatment is simply spraying chemicals on your exterior property and moving on to the next customer as fast as they can. In the pest control industry, this is called the “knockdown” approach. This is often seen with the lawn care companies that are offering mosquito and tick control as an add-on service.

For this reason, we highly recommend using the services of a dedicated mosquito and pest control company. They focus on mosquitoes and ticks all day, every day. That is what they do and it’s not a side hustle or “add-on” service.

They have a mosquito control plan.

These companies generally take an integrated pest management approach, and their treatments include an overall plan, including a property inspection and preventative measures that reduce the habitat that can breed mosquitoes and ticks on your property in the first place. Once the inspection and prevention effort is completed, only then do they move on to spraying for mosquitoes and ticks using an industrial-grade mist blower.

“Natural spray products are an amazing alternative. You can significantly improve your mosquito and tick situation while showing concern for the environment while keeping your kids and pets safe.”

3. What kind of chemicals will you be spraying on my property?

Spraying your property is the primary method for controlling mosquitoes and ticks on your property. Pest control companies use two different kinds of spray products – synthetic, chemical-based sprays and all-natural sprays.

While spraying synthetic chemicals can be effective, some things should never be sprayed with these products. Did you know that the typical synthetic chemical used in Ontario contain pyrethrin and permethrin? If these chemicals are sprayed on a koi pond or in a stream, it can kill all the fish. There are ongoing lawsuits related to these types of incidents.

Also, pyrethrin and permethrin chemical sprays not only kill mosquitoes and ticks, but they can kill beneficial insects like bees and butterflies. These sprays are very effective, but you must realize that they kill everything. Each year many honey bee colonies are damaged or destroyed by the mosquito control industry.

There is no special formula that is specifically designed to eliminate only mosquitoes and ticks. Remember the knockdown approach that we discussed a minute ago? They literally knocked down all of the insects that contact it. This has been the greatest controversy about chemical pest and tick control in the United States over the last two decades. With the declining honeybee population, this is something that is of great concern.

Finally, the material data safety sheets related to these synthetic chemicals describe concerns about skin contact and breathing in the permethrin products into your lungs. Parents should be concerned about their kids and pets coming in contact with these chemicals.

Therefore, natural spray products are an amazing alternative. You can significantly improve your mosquito and tick situation while showing concern for the environment while keeping your kids and pets safe.

4. Do you use a larvicide to control mosquitoes?

Larvicide is a type of insecticide used to control mosquitoes outdoors around your home. It works by killing mosquito larvae in standing water before they can emerge and grow into biting adults. Larvicides are made from natural substances called bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis(bti) that are found in the soil and is toxic to mosquito larvae, blackflies, and fungus gnats. Bti has been used for mosquito control for more than 30 years because it is extremely effective.

If you want to see how it works, check out the amazing videos on YouTube when BTI is placed into a jar of water that contains mosquito larvae. Those larvae are dead within minutes!

Most companies in the greater Toronto area are skipping this step because it takes extra time and BTI is expensive. Again, for them, it's all about spraying and moving on. But it is such an important preventative step that can eliminate half of the mosquitoes on your property before they're even born. If you have stagnant water in fountains, ponds or your property is prone to pool water after it rains that can become a breeding site for mosquitoes, we highly recommend choosing a company that uses larvicide as a part of their treatment process.

5. How often will you come to my home?

OK, if you want results throughout the summer you're going to need to sign up for a package because regular and repeat treatments yield the best results. Some companies offer a single event treatment which is great for a party, wedding or other special events. Single mosquito control treatments work in the short term if this is what you're trying to accomplish and you are on a budget.

The frequency of treatments can range from bi-weekly to monthly. So, for some companies, this means they will only come three or four times during the season while for other companies they will come up to eight times. The more frequent you have an inspection, preventative services and fresh spray will include the results and give you the greatest value. The spray that is used slowly wears off over time as it is exposed to the sun, rain and other elements.

So, when you are quoted for a package, it is recommended that you divide the quoted price of treatments you will receive. While a company may give you a very low price, that may be because they're only going to give you three or four treatments for the entire season or they are using low-cost labour – more about that next…

6. Will the person coming to my home be a certified pest control technician?

All companies offering pest control services in Ontario must be licensed operators. Also, a pest control technician, also known as an exterminator, must be certified by the Ministry of the Environment. This involves taking courses administered by the University of Guelph and successfully completing exams. Individuals must also be over the age of 18 to become certified.

There are companies are operating in the greater Toronto area that may not comply with these requirements. They are hiring college students that are providing services to homeowners “under the supervision” of managers who are likely not present when they provide service at your home. If these individuals are spraying synthetical chemicals as mentioned above previously in this article, there is potential for a dangerous situation.

If the company is not licensed or their employees are not certified pest control technicians, you should be wary to hire them. A mature, certified technician with years of pest control experience demands a decent hourly rate as an employee. Hiring “supervised” students is one way a company may cut costs and offer you a lower price, but the result may vary and unnecessary risks may exist.

“If the company is not licensed or their employees are not certified pest control technicians, you should be wary to hire them.”

7. What will happen if I'm not satisfied with the results?

Make sure you find out exactly what will happen if you're not happy with the results that the company provides. This should be outlined in their terms of service agreement. No company can eliminate all mosquitoes and ticks on your property. That's just not possible because mosquitoes and ticks can fly and crawl from one property to another! The goal of mosquito and tick control is about significantly improving your situation.

There should be a balanced approach to dealing with any quality concerns that you might have. Many variables can affect your results and often these are outside of the control of a pest control company. For example, if it rains constantly for a week, it is extremely difficult to provide a customer with good results in that situation and a company with hundreds of customers can easily respray everyone’s property after it rains. With that said, they should be willing to work with you to adjust their treatments to improve your situation.

You want to make sure your investment is protected. The most effective way to determine the effectiveness of a service is to look for online reviews to determine the reputation and track record of a company.

8. What kind of liability insurance choose your company carry?

Anything could happen when a contractor comes onto your property to provide services. They could fall into your pool, they could turn their ankle on uneven ground or even fall downstairs while carrying heavy equipment. You don't want the hassle or liability for any of these issues. You must ensure that the company you hire carries liability insurance and that should be a minimum of $2 million worth of coverage.

To learn more about how Mosquito Toronto can help you with your mosquito and tick control investment this year, please visit www.mosquitotoronto.com