Townhouses present a particular challenge when it comes to pest management: insects that colonize the perimeter of a unit easily migrate to neighbouring units, making an isolated intervention ineffective. This is precisely the situation experienced by the syndicate of co-owners of an eight-unit townhouse complex in Mont-Saint-Hilaire, on the South Shore, not far from Beloeil. Administrators called in Nova Extermination after several residents reported the presence of pavement ants, wasps and centipedes along the common back wall overlooking a vegetated embankment. Treating a single dwelling would have been useless: it would have been necessary to have a preventive exterior treatment of the entire perimeter of the building.
State of play and issues specific to co-ownership
The preliminary inspection was conducted by our technician in the presence of the condominium manager. The entire perimeter of the building, including the two ends, the front façade and the rear wall overlooking the embankment, was methodically surveyed. Key observations included:
- An uncontrolled rear slope with dense vegetation directly touching the bottom of the exterior cladding, creating a natural corridor for insects.
- Mortar joints between the concrete blocks of the foundation in an advanced state of degradation on several sections of the rear wall.
- Three active wasp nests located under the plastic soffits of the end units.
- Lack of preventive treatment on service entrances and air intakes located at the base of the foundation.
- Accumulation of organic waste in the corner of common flower boxes, attracting ants.
Our team of exterminators in Mont-Saint-Hilaire has submitted a formal inspection report to the syndicate to support collective decision-making and facilitate communication with residents.
Coordinated treatment throughout the building
The protocol used combined several methods to respond to the different parasitic pressures observed. Active wasp nests were treated first, in the evening when the workers returned, using an expanding foam insecticide injected directly into the cavities under the soffits. This approach ensures maximum contact with the individuals present in the nest.
Once the nests were neutralized, the entire perimeter of the building, a total length of approximately one hundred and twenty linear meters, was sprayed in a strip on the ground. A microencapsulated insecticide was selected for its increased durability in the face of the frequent rainfall cycles in this sector of the South Shore in summer. This type of formulation gradually releases the active ingredient, prolonging the effectiveness of the treatment for several weeks longer than conventional spraying.
The degraded mortar joints were recommended for urgent repair to the manager, accompanied by an insecticide powder treatment in the most open cracks to eliminate the insects already present before sealing. A pest prevention plan was also submitted to the syndicate to establish an annual maintenance schedule adapted to the specificities of a row building.
You can read our work on an exterior treatment of another type of building and our file on a wasp treatment on the South Shore to discover other contexts of intervention.
Resident Coordination and Results
One of the challenges specific to condominiums is coordinating with residents on the day of treatment. Our technicians have respected a strict protocol: 48 hours’ prior notice given by the manager, time for the return of balconies and terraces clearly communicated, and complete drying confirmed before the lifting of restrictions. No incidents were reported and all residents were able to return to their outdoor spaces at the end of the day.
The assessment made one month after the intervention was very positive: disappearance of active wasp nests, clear reduction in ant colonies pavement and absence of centipedes in the dwellings located on the ground floor on the embankment side. The syndicate has also undertaken, following our recommendations, the pruning of the vegetation of the embankment to create an open area of at least sixty centimetres between the vegetation and the exterior cladding. This structural measure significantly reduces the pest pressure on the building envelope and naturally prolongs the effectiveness of the chemical treatments applied. The union confirmed its satisfaction and is considering an annual contract with our extermination services in Quebec to maintain the protection of the building each spring, before the wintering colonies resume activity.