A family daycare manager in Saint-Constant, on the South Shore, contacted us earlier this week after discovering an active wasp nest in the backyard where the children played daily. The presence of young children, many under the age of three, made the situation particularly urgent and required same-day intervention. Saint-Constant is a town in full residential development, neighboring Delson, where new constructions with recently landscaped gardens create areas of vegetation conducive to wasp nesting in the summer. The manager had already closed access to the courtyard as a precautionary measure while waiting for our visit. Nova Extermination dispatched a technician within hours of the call to assess the situation and proceed with the treatment.
Risk assessment and nest location
When he arrived, the technician located a large underground nest under the lawn, near a sandbox. This type of underground nest is particularly dangerous in a daycare setting because it is invisible on the surface and children can trample it or play nearby without being aware of it, causing an immediate defensive reaction from the colony. The entrance to the nest, a tunnel about three centimeters in diameter, was hidden between two tufts of grass, making it difficult to detect to the untrained eye. A thorough inspection of the fences, flower beds and corners of the deck ruled out the presence of other active nests on the property. The species identified was the common wasp, whose underground colony could number several hundred individuals at this time of the season. Our exterminator in Saint-Constant confirmed that the treatment could be done the same day.
Treatment of the underground nest and securing the yard
Treating an underground nest in a child care setting required an approach that was both effective and safe for young children. The technician injected a long-afterglow insecticidal powder directly into the nest entrance tunnel, using a fine cannula to diffuse the product deep into the underground galleries. The opening of the tunnel was temporarily blocked with a cotton pad soaked in insecticide to trap the workers inside and maximize contact with the product. The treated area was then demarcated with a visible safety perimeter and kept out of access for the entire day. A wasp extermination surface treatment was applied to the edge of the lawn to intercept the returning workers not affected during the initial treatment. All products used comply with the safety standards applicable in daycares.
Verification, withdrawal and preventive recommendations
The next morning, before the children arrived, the technician returned to the site to confirm the complete inactivity of the nest and remove the security perimeter. The entrance tunnel was permanently sealed with compacted gravel, and a check of the entire yard was carried out to ensure that no new points of activity had appeared during the night. A pest prevention plan adapted to the daycare context was given to the person in charge: monthly inspection of the yard perimeter during the summer season, identification and sealing of any holes in the ground that could be used as a nest entrance, and reduction of sources of attraction such as snack remains left outside. To see how we intervene in other high-risk contexts, see our realization on a wasp treatment in a family space. Our team of certified exterminators understands the importance of intervening diligently and rigorously in environments frequented by children, and is committed to providing solutions that are both quick and safe for all. In daycare settings in particular, transparent communication with parents is just as important as the treatment itself: the person in charge sent a written notice to the families explaining the nature of the intervention, the products used and the restricted-entry intervals, which reassured all the parents involved. This approach of total transparency is systematic in our mandates involving children or vulnerable people, because it reinforces trust and demonstrates the seriousness of our professional approach throughout the South Shore.