Truly Nolen of Saskatoon, SK

Professional Pest Control Services in Saskatoon

Close contact with nature in Saskatoon can mean relaxation and serenity, but it can also mean intrusion on your home from unwanted pests. Truly Nolen offers a variety of pest control services to address troublesome infestations.

Bees and Wasps

Distantly related, bees and wasps are similar in appearance but quite different in temperament. Bees are gentle pollinators that only sting in self-defense. Wasps tend to be much more aggressive, with the ability to sting a human being multiple times. Wasps become more prevalent in Saskatoon during hot, dry summers, as residents learned in 2018.

Effective pest control depends on correctly identifying whether the insects are wasps or bees. Truly Nolen can make the identification and recommend an appropriate action plan.

Rodents

In the fall and winter when the weather turns colder, rodents like rats and mice start looking for a warm place to shelter and may move into your home. Once there, they can cause serious property damage and potentially spread disease. An effective control strategy typically involves three elements:

• Trapping
• Sanitation and vector control
• Rodent-proofing the home, i.e., exclusion

Carpenter Ants

As one of the most common ant species in Canada, carpenter ants are also among the most recognizable due to their relatively large size and distinctive black color. They are attracted to homes with moisture problems and can cause extensive damage by chewing through wood to build their nests. Eradication of a colony involves spraying a dust insecticide into wall voids.

Bed Bugs

Bed bugs may hitch a ride home when you travel or purchase used furniture. An infestation is not a sign of poor housekeeping but should be dealt with right away to prevent them from spreading further. Bed bugs hide in cracks, and Truly Nolen’s program forces control material into these areas with high-pressure misting.

Spiders

Some spider bites are dangerous, and disturbing the nests or webs of spiders can put you at risk. Our control measures involve first securing the home inside and out and then performing targeted treatments.

Birds

Nuisance bird species can host over 60 types of infectious diseases, which they can spread over long distances. They pose a health risk similar to rodents. Control measures include nest removal and trapping roosting starlings, house sparrows, or pigeons.

Mosquitoes

Canada is home to approximately 82 species of mosquitoes. Not only are their bites annoying, but they can spread disease. Mosquitoes breed in stagnant water, and Truly Nolen can apply control materials in high moisture areas in either granule or liquid form.

Local Pest Control in Saskatoon

Different pests can become a problem at all times of year. That is why Truly Nolen takes a Four Seasons approach. Learn more about this proactive program.

What You Need To Know About Carpenter Ants

Carpenter ants are not inherently bad. In their natural environment, they are actually enormously beneficial, promoting new environmental growth by turning rotten wood into compost. However, the same propensity for chewing up wood into fine sawdust that makes them so useful in a natural setting turns them into a dangerously destructive household pest if they get into your home. An infestation of these insects may require professional carpenter ant removal.

What Do Carpenter Ants Look Like?

Carpenter ants live in colonies consisting of a queen, some winged males, and many workers. You are most likely to see the workers, which can range in size from 6 to 12 millimeters. They are typically black in colour. If you look closely, you may be able to observe the large and strong jaws that they use for tunneling through wood.

What Do Carpenter Ants Eat?

Unlike termites, which consume the cellulose in wood, carpenter ants do not actually eat wood. They just chew through it to build nests for their offspring. Like most ants, carpenter ants eat sugar and may be attracted to sweets in the house like honey, jelly, and syrup. They also eat protein in the form of dead insects and sometimes live ones, as well as small invertebrates.

What Attracts Carpenter Ants to Homes?

In the wild, carpenter ants are drawn to wood that is dead and decaying in which to build nests. Therefore, they often do not concern themselves with the wood in a home unless a moisture problem is also present. Moisture leaks in a home, such as occur in bathrooms or laundry areas or around sinks and dishwashers, can draw carpenter ants into the building. If they then find the kind of food they like to eat, such as sugars, they may be more inclined to stay. However, the structure becomes less attractive to the ants once the moisture problem is resolved.

What Kind of Damage Can Carpenter Ants Do?

Left unchecked, carpenter ants can eventually cause severe structural damage to a home by hollowing out wooden structures to facilitate nest-building. However, unlike termites, which can do extensive damage in a short amount of time, it can take years for damage from carpenter ants to become significant.

What Is Involved in Carpenter Ant Removal?

In addition to the primary nest, carpenter ants also build satellite nests where their elder offspring go to mature. To properly resolve the infestation, it is necessary to find and destroy the satellite nests in addition to the primary nest. Truly Nolen technicians are trained in carpenter ant control and many other pest removal tactics. Contact us to find out more about residential and commercial services.

Bed Bug Infestation: Prevention, Identification, Eradication

Little things can sometimes cause big problems. Bed bugs are tiny creatures, only a few millimeters in size, but they pose a major public health risk. Their bites can cause itchiness and, in some cases, severe allergic reactions. An infestation can literally keep you up at night and negatively affect your mental health. Preventing an infestation is best, but if the insects are already in your home, bed bug removal should take place promptly.

How Can You Prevent an Infestation?

Contrary to popular belief, bed bugs are not a sign of inadequate cleaning. A common source of infestation is from bed bugs hitching a ride home in your luggage when you travel. However, bedbugs can also enter your home from antique store or garage sale purchases or by using your vehicle to help someone else move. Inspection of items at each of these locations is your best preventative weapon.

How Do You Know If You Have Bed Bugs?

Bed bugs are very small and hard to see, but they often leave behind telltale signs of their presence. You may see their black droppings or dark reddish-brown stains on mattresses and sheets. When the bed bugs grow from the nymph stage to adults, they cast off their skins and leave them behind. You may find the cast-off skins. With a heavy infestation, you may perceive a smell that is sweet and fruity. The most obvious sign of bed bug infestation may also be the most painful: unexplained bites on your skin resembling those of mosquitoes or fleas.

What Happens When Bed Bugs Bite?

A bite from a bed bug injects saliva into the skin. In many people, this causes a localized reaction of a red, itchy bump. It is common to mistake the bite of a bed bug for that of a flea or a mosquito. Bed bugs are most likely to bite along the arms, chest, face, neck, and legs. This usually occurs while you sleep. Bites from bed bugs do not themselves transmit diseases. However, scratching the bites can tear your skin and leave you susceptible to infection. Some people are severely allergic to bed bugs and can go into anaphylactic shock due to a bite.

What Can You Do To Eradicate Bed Bugs?

Bed bugs often prove very difficult to remove. Unless extensive steps are taken, they may keep coming back. Therefore, an infestation is very difficult to handle on your own. It is best to contact a professional pest control service like Truly Nolen for bed bug removal.

Dangers of Rodent Infestation

It can be hard to know if rats or mice have entered your Saskatoon home. As prey animals, rodents’ survival depends on their ability to travel and find food unnoticed. However, they do leave signs of their presence behind, such as droppings, damage from gnawing, greasy smears along your baseboards, and scrabbling sounds in walls and ceilings at night when they are most active. If you notice any of these telltale signs, take rodent removal action immediately. Rat or mouse infestation poses significant health and safety hazards.

Health Hazards

Rodents, particularly deer mice, can carry the deadly hantavirus. This pulmonary disease begins with flu-like symptoms but can progress to pulmonary edema that causes shortness of breath. Over one-third of those infected with hantavirus die even despite mechanical respiration and other medical interventions. The virus does not cause illness in mice or rats, but humans can become infected through contact with rodents’ urine or feces. In addition to carrying diseases themselves, rodents also host parasites like fleas and ticks that can pass diseases on to humans, such as plague or Lyme disease. Rats, more so than mice, have been known to bite people, which can lead to infection and death, especially in young victims.

Safety Hazards

Rodents’ teeth never stop growing, meaning that rats and mice must constantly gnaw on whatever hard surface is available to wear them down. In this way, they can cause extensive damage to HVAC ducts and PVC pipes. They can also chew on electrical wires, stripping the protective covering and putting your home at risk for house fires. When rodents move into a Saskatoon home, they are often looking to build a nest in which to raise their young. Therefore, they may also chew up soft materials, such as insulation in the walls, clothes and towels, furniture stuffing, paper towels, upholstery, toilet paper, or anything that they can conveniently get their teeth on.

Common Rodent Pests

Deer mice and house mice are common throughout Canada. The former species is larger, measuring about six inches in length, with a white underbelly, large ears and eyes, and a furry tail. The house mouse is light brown on the bottom with a scaly tail and a pointed snout.

Roof rats are slender and black or dark brown in colour, with large ears. They nest outside in trees or indoors in the attic. Norway rats are stockier with gray or yellow-white fur and small ears.

Rodent Removal in Saskatoon

Regardless of the species causing the problem, rodent control involves removing the animals and then blocking their access to re-entry. Find out more about rodent removal services from Truly Nolen.

GenomeCanada estimates that honey bees contribute over $4.6 billion to the economy annually through honey production and pollination. Although wasps aren’t as effective at pollination as bees, they do help pollinate crops and control crop-destroying grubs and weevils. Bees and wasps do have some benefits in nature. However, they’re also seen as threats to humans. Their stings hurt and many people are dangerously allergic. Wasp and bee removal is best left to professional technicians.

How To Identify a Bee or Wasp Colony

Bees and wasps tend to be active in the early spring months, looking for a place to settle down for the season. You may notice a lot more bees or wasps in and around the property, which could indicate there is a hive nearby. You may even see visible structures or nests. Buzzing sounds also are an indication that a colony has moved in. Bees and wasps are diurnal insects, so you’ll see more activity during the day. Wasp removal of smaller nests is best handled at night. Wasps won’t reuse a nest from year to year, nor will bumblebees. Honey bee colonies can survive the winter months.

How to Avoid Stings

Bees and wasps sting to protect their nests. Most people have a small reaction to the sting. The spot may swell or itch for a while. More serious allergic reactions may require immediate medical attention. If you do get stung, apply a cold pack to the area. Don’t try to pull out a stinger. Instead, scrape it out with a credit card or another dull-edged object. Avoid stings by staying away from a colony or nest. Don’t disturb the insects. Small colonies may appear docile, but bees and wasps can be quite defensive. When you work outside, wear light-coloured clothing. Don’t use strong scents, such as perfumes or soaps. Protect your pets from stings by keeping them leashed to prevent them from disturbing a colony. If you do disturb a colony, don’t flail your arms and try to fight the wasps or bees. Get away as quickly as possible, but try to remain calm.

Wasp Control and Bee Removal

If you find a colony of bees or wasps near your home, contact Truly Nolen for professional bee removal services. Our technicians will thoroughly search your property, identify nests and remove them safely and humanely. You can enjoy your patio and garden without having to worry about disrupting the insect’s home.

Spiders are everywhere. They come in many different shapes and sizes. Some spiders are dangerous, while others are just annoying. A lot of the time spiders are found outside, but occasionally they can find their way into homes, basements and garages. Although spiders will not damage buildings or structures, their presence is creepy and some spider bites can be painful. It can actually be quite helpful having some spiders in your home. The insect can reduce infestation from other bugs. A spider’s diet consists of small insects. Saskatoon, SK Truly Nolen Pest Control uses advanced techniques to remove spider infestations. Contact us today for an inspection.

Spiders In Your Home

• Look for spider webs. They can vary in size and shape depending on the species.
• Not all spiders live in a web. Some live in burrows in crevices.
• Some spiders are attracted to damp environments such as basements, walls and other damp locations.
• Spiders can be found in attics, the junction of a wall and ceiling, closets and storage boxes.
• Their diet consists mainly of other insects like flies and ants. Where you find other insects you might see spiders.

Spiders aren’t so bad.

Although spiders can be creepy, they might not be a terrible thing to have around. Their diets mostly consist of other insects, so they help control insect problems. Spiders can also be a good indicator of larger more serious infestations. Seeing a lot of spiders can mean there’s a lot of food around. You might have an infestation of the insect spiders eat. Just like every other pest, spiders are attracted to a reliable food source.

Some Saskatchewan Spider Species

Truly Nolen Spider Treatment

In controlling large spider problems we begin by securing the interior and exterior of the home. Treating the exterior starts with spot treating around windows, door frames, downspouts and other entry points. Moving indoors our professionals do a web wipe followed by targeted treatment to cracks and crevices where spiders like to hide. Insect monitors may be placed in areas with higher spider concentrations.