The warm season inevitably brings crawling and flying insects back to the vicinity of homes in Greenfield Park, on the South Shore. This is the case of a family living in a residential neighbourhood on the outskirts of Brossard who contacted Nova Extermination last spring. Every year, homeowners noticed a return of carpenter ants, woodlice and common wasps that colonized the perimeter strip of their single-family homes and foundation joints. Despite the commercial products used in the past, the problem recursed in a cyclical fashion. The objective: to set up a structured and sustainable outdoor treatment against insects , capable of breaking this cycle.
Perimeter inspection and identification of risk areas
Our certified technician has performed a thorough inspection of the entire perimeter of the property before recommending anything. This step is fundamental: we do not deal with what we have not correctly identified. The review covered the following:
- Cracked foundation joints, especially on the north side where persistent moisture promotes carpenter ant activity.
- Eaves and soffits with small, unsealed spaces that are conducive to wasp passage.
- Lawn border adjacent to the concrete slab of the patio, a favorite area for woodlice and centipedes.
- Stacking firewood against the foundation, which was an ideal habitat for several species.
- Partially clogged French drain creating a build-up of moisture at the edge of the basement.
This comprehensive picture allowed for precise targeting of interventions rather than applying a generalized treatment that was not very effective. The results of the inspection were communicated to the owners with concrete recommendations on structural changes to be made to support the effectiveness of the treatment.
Applying Preventive Treatment to the Periphery
The protocol chosen for this residential building in Greenfield Park combined several complementary methods to ensure in-depth protection of the foundation and perimeter. The first phase consisted of residual insecticide-based contact spraying applied in a strip over the entire foundation base, driveway steps, wood patio, and transition areas between the ground and the built structure. This type of product forms an active barrier that lasts for several weeks and eliminates insects on contact.
The second phase targeted potential wasp nests in roof cavities. An insecticide powder treatment was blown into the voids spotted during the inspection, forcing the queens and workers to cross the treated area. In addition, an application of insecticidal granules was carried out in the perimeter strip of lawn to control the populations of woodlice and ants in the soil. These pellets are particularly effective because insects ingest them during their natural movements. Finally, our technicians sealed the main foundation cracks using a professional caulk, reducing the available entry points.
To learn more about our similar interventions carried out in the region, consult this outdoor treatment as well as our file on a wasp nest treatment on the South Shore.
Follow-up and prevention recommendations
A follow-up visit was scheduled four weeks after the initial treatment to assess the effectiveness of the protocol and, if necessary, to perform targeted adjunctive therapy. During this monitoring, carpenter ant activity had decreased significantly and no new wasps had established nests in the treated areas. Sowbugs had almost disappeared from the perimeter band.
Owners have also been given a series of preventive recommendations to put into practice to prolong the effectiveness of the treatment:
- Move the firewood pile at least two metres from the foundation.
- Correct drainage by clearing the French drain to remove residual moisture.
- Treat annually at the beginning of the season, before the insect queens begin to lay eggs.
- Keep foundation joints in good condition and resume caulking as soon as new cracks appear.
At Nova Extermination, we consider prevention to be as important as curative treatment. Annual maintenance of the outdoor perimeter is much less expensive than fighting an established infestation in the walls. Our team serves Greenfield Park and the neighboring municipalities of the South Shore with solutions adapted to each type of property.