In Contrecœur, on the South Shore, the manager of a family daycare operating in a single-storey house in the Moulins district, near Boucherville, contacted our team after seeing a mouse in the playroom. In an environment that welcomes young children, any presence of pests represents not only a health problem but also a risk of legitimate concern for parents. Our response had to be fast, discreet and above all permanent thanks to a rigorous caulking and exclusion program, designed for an environment where air quality and safety are top priorities.
Targeted inspection in a sensitive environment
The inspection was carried out outside the childcare hours, at the request of the manager, so as not to disrupt the daycare activities. The house, built in the 2000s on a concrete slab, seemed at first glance to be well-maintained, but a close inspection of the exterior and basement revealed several unsuspected vulnerabilities. The first problem identified was a gap around a natural gas pipe running through the foundation wall, leaving a gap of more than two centimetres between the pipe and the concrete. Second, the silicone joints around the foundation, between the wood frame and the concrete slab, were completely peeled off over a length of several meters on the north façade. Third, the access hatch to the void under the front porch did not have a functional perimeter seal.
Inside, the basement inspection revealed gaps around the heating columns and electrical wire passages in the walls, as well as structural anchor holes in the foundation walls that had never been filled in after the original construction. Biological clues (balls of hair, droppings) confirmed the presence of mice in the void of the foundation for several months already.
Family-friendly closing work
All materials used have been selected for their safety once installed and dry, with no volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions that can affect indoor air quality, which is particularly important in a space for young children. The space around the gas duct was filled with compressed refractory mineral wool and then sealed with a high temperature resistant fireproof mortar suitable for gas duct penetrations. The loosened silicone joints around the foundation were completely removed, the substrate cleaned and prepared, and then a new bead of external-grade neutral silicone sealant was applied continuously.
The porch access hatch received a wood frame treated with a compression joint and latch closure. The anchor holes in the foundation were filled with hydraulic mortar from the inside, and the wire and column passages were treated with low-expansion polyurethane spray foam, whose chosen formulation does not contain free isocyanates once cured. To go further in the protection of this type of environment, our team recommends a documented pest prevention plan , which can be presented during visits by the Home Daycare Coordinating Office to attest to the rigour of the environment.
Communication with parents and documented follow-up
At the request of the person in charge, we have written a short simplified work report that can be shared with parents who wish to be informed of the measures taken. This document mentioned the points treated, the materials used and their safety, as well as the result of the follow-up inspection confirming the absence of any residual activity. A follow-up was carried out three weeks after the work, then a second after two months, without any sign of reinfestation in the building. Consult our previous work in residential caulking and our complementary case study in exclusion to see other interventions in sensitive environments. Nova Extermination operates throughout the South Shore, including Contrecœur and its surroundings, with a professional approach adapted to each particular context.