In August, the manager of a vegetable farm in Carignan, on the South Shore, reported the presence of a hornet’s nest that was particularly active in one of the agricultural storage sheds. This building, used to store vegetables harvested before they were marketed, was frequented several times a day by farm workers. The presence of hornets represented a direct risk to the safety of the staff and also compromised the sorting and packaging operations that took place in this space. The situation was all the more urgent as the peak harvest season was underway.
Peculiarities of the agricultural environment
Farms in Carignan and the rural areas surrounding Chambly have particularly favourable conditions for hornet nesting. The abundance of vegetation, the presence of water sources, the old wooden structures of the sheds and the availability of protein from insects present in the crops create an ideal environment for these insects. In the hangar concerned, the nest had been built in the space between two planks of the gable wall, about two metres above the ground, not far from the main sliding door. The strategic position of the nest at the entrance to the hangar explained the high frequency of confrontations with the workers.
The agricultural environment imposes strict constraints on product choice. Our technician selected only insecticides approved for use in agricultural buildings not intended for animal consumption, and ensured that no treatment was carried out within fifteen metres of outdoor crops. These precautions are consistent with Health Canada’s guidelines for the use of pesticides in agricultural settings.
Safe intervention and nest treatment
The intervention was planned for the end of the day, after all the agricultural workers had left the shed. Our technician, equipped with a full protective suit and a filter mask, applied an injection of insecticidal powder directly into the nest opening using a telescopic blow gun allowing a safe remote treatment. This choice of method for our hornet extermination service is particularly suitable for naturally ventilated spaces such as agricultural sheds, where a liquid spray could disperse in an unpredictable way.
Forty-eight hours after the initial treatment, the monitoring visit confirmed the complete elimination of the colony. The nest was physically removed and evacuated. The surrounding logs were treated with a residual powder product applied in the cracks and gaps, to eliminate any latecomers returning to the nest after the intervention. The farm manager was informed that a few stray hornets could still be observed for twenty-four to forty-eight hours after the nest was removed, without this being a sign of treatment failure.
Prevention on farm buildings
Following the intervention, our team carried out a complete inspection of the other buildings on the farm, including the main barn and the equipment sheds. This proactive approach identified two potential pre-nesting sites: a space under the eaves of the west shed and a cavity in the barn’s siding wall. Targeted caulking measures were recommended for both of these sites prior to winter to remove cavities that were conducive to the establishment of new colonies the following spring. Our specialized team in Carignan is familiar with the characteristics of agricultural buildings in the region and adapts its recommendations to each type of structure.
An annual pest prevention plan was proposed to the farm manager. This program includes a preventive inspection in May, before the nests are founded, and a control visit in July when the colonies are at their peak. For farms where hornets are a recurring risk, this planned approach is much more efficient than emergency response during the high season.
Comparable achievements in agricultural and rural areas are documented in our portfolio, in particular in this case dealt with in a neighbouring rural property and in this intervention concerning wasps in agricultural buildings. Our certified extermination team is trained to intervene in all types of environments, including agricultural environments where regulatory and operational constraints are the most demanding.