The administrator of a syndicate of co-owners in Candiac, on the South Shore, mandated us to solve a wasp problem that affected several units of a three-storey condominium building. Two owners of the second floor had noticed wasps entering through their windows and a third co-owner had discovered that the balcony of her unit was home to a nascent nest under the concrete shelf of the railing. The town of La Prairie, neighboring Candiac, had experienced the same wave of early nesting that spring. The main issue in this context of co-ownership was to treat the common areas and prevent any recurrence in the private portions, while respecting the rights of all co-owners. Our extermination company carried out a methodical inspection of the entire building and its surroundings before proposing a consensual action plan.
Diagnosis and identification of risk areas
A complete inspection of the building revealed three active nests. The first, the most developed, was located under the soffit of the flat roof at the northeast corner of the building, where a cracked seal left an access opening. The second nest was located precisely under the railing shelf of the balcony of Unit 207, which was still in the initial phase of construction. The third was hidden in a dense shrub along the façade on the parking lot, an aerial nest characteristic of the yellow-legged wasp. Examination of the soffits and roof joints also revealed four additional potential penetration points that were not yet home to a colony, but posed serious risks for the upcoming season. Our exterminator in Candiac recorded all of these observations in a preliminary report submitted to the union.
Coordinated intervention in common and private areas
The intervention required the coordination of several parties: access to the balconies of the co-owners was obtained with their prior consent, and the syndicate sent a written notice to all residents to inform them of the work and the safety deadlines to be respected. The nest under the soffit was treated by injecting insecticide powder from the outside, without access to the roof, using a long-span flexible cannula. The nest on the balcony was removed early in the morning before daybreak, by direct spraying, and then removed manually. The nest in the shrub was treated with insecticidal spraying and the shrub was pruned short to remove the structure that supported the nest. The extermination of wasps in a condominium context requires this rigor of communication and coordination to obtain lasting results while satisfying all stakeholders.
Collective sealing and prevention program
After the treatment, all cracks and openings identified during the inspection were sealed as part of a caulking operation of the entry points covering all soffits, façade joints and window sills. The union has been strongly encouraged to incorporate annual wasp monitoring into its preventive maintenance plan, starting in June each year, to intercept colonies before they reach full summer development. Examples of other interventions in multi-unit buildings are included in our portfolio, including our work on a wasp treatment in a condominium and our work on a hornet’s nest in a dense residential environment. All the co-owners were able to enjoy their outdoor spaces safely for the rest of the summer season, and the syndicate set up a seasonal watch for the years to come. It is useful to remind co-owners that private balconies and terraces are areas to watch out for, as their shelves, railings and raised floors provide plenty of shelter for queen wasps looking for nesting sites in the spring. An annual check of these areas, carried out before July, often avoids the formation of large colonies and the resulting emergency interventions. Our team offers annual maintenance contracts adapted to condominium syndicates on the South Shore.