Fall · September
September in an Ontario home
September in Ontario — Peak season for mice & rats, wasps & hornets, spiders, cockroaches, bed bugs, cluster flies & boxelder bugs, fleas, squirrels and skunks; also active: pavement & house ants, mosquitoes, ticks, silverfish, stink bugs & lady beetles, raccoons and bats.
Fall move-in: as nights drop below ~10 °C, mice push through gaps as small as a dime. Droppings along baseboards, scratching in walls at night, chewed pantry packaging.
Do this now: Seal gaps around utility lines, garage doors and foundation vents before the first frost; move bird seed and pet food into sealed bins; book exclusion in September, not November.
Covered by Mice Protection · $895/yr
Queens start nests in May; colonies peak in late August–September when workers turn aggressive around food and drinks. Nests under eaves, in sheds, in ground burrows.
Do this now: Knock down golf-ball-size starter nests in May while the queen is alone. From July on, a nest is a same-day professional job ($247 standard access).
Covered by Insect Control · $845/yr
Late summer is mating season — large orb weavers on porches and window frames, house spiders moving indoors as nights cool.
Do this now: De-web eaves and soffits, switch porch lights to warm LEDs (fewer insects = fewer spiders), seal window screens; quarterly exterior treatment cuts populations before fall.
Covered by Insect Control · $845/yr
German cockroaches breed year-round indoors; summer heat speeds the cycle. Sightings at night in kitchens, behind fridges, in multi-unit buildings.
Do this now: Never bomb — it spreads them. Reduce moisture and crumbs, report to building management if shared walls, and book a gel-bait and monitoring program.
Covered by Insect Control · $845/yr
Year-round, with a summer travel peak. Bites in lines, rust-coloured spots on sheets, live insects in mattress seams and headboards.
Do this now: Inspect used furniture and luggage before it comes inside, bag and hot-dry bedding, and do not move rooms — that spreads them. This is a one-time professional job; an inspection confirms it.
One-time professional treatment — get the price
Sunny September–October afternoons: dozens on south- and west-facing walls, then inside attics and window frames on warm winter days.
Do this now: Seal around window frames, soffits and siding gaps in late August; an exterior treatment before the first cool nights stops the mass entry.
Covered by Insect Control · $845/yr
Late summer peak on pets and in carpets; eggs drop wherever the pet rests.
Do this now: Treat pets on a vet schedule, wash bedding hot, vacuum daily during an outbreak (empty the canister outside), then treat the home.
Covered by Insect Control · $845/yr
Two litters — February–April and August–September. Daytime scampering in the attic, chewed fascia, gnawed wiring.
Do this now: Trim branches 2–3 m back from the roofline, screen vents with steel mesh, and exclude with a one-way door outside the litter windows.
Covered by ELITE · from $2,795/yr
Denning under decks and sheds in spring; grub-hunting cones dug in lawns in May and again in September.
Do this now: Treat grubs, close the space under decks with buried mesh, and use one-way exclusion outside the May–June kit window.
Covered by ELITE · from $2,795/yr
Trails along kitchen counters and patio slabs from May through August; mounds of fine soil between paving stones.
Do this now: Wipe trails with soapy water, seal sweet foods, and treat the perimeter in spring so colonies never establish inside.
Covered by Insect Control · $845/yr
Breeding starts in standing water once daytime highs pass ~15 °C; June–August is peak. Dusk activity around decks, ravines and pool covers.
Do this now: Tip and toss standing water weekly (gutters, saucers, tarps). Season-long yard treatments every 3–4 weeks from May keep the backyard usable.
Covered by VIP Protection · from $1,395/yr
Two peaks: adult blacklegged ticks in April–May and again in October–November; nymphs in June–July. Tall grass, leaf litter and trail edges.
Do this now: Keep lawn edges cut, create a wood-chip barrier at the treeline, check pets and kids after ravine walks, and treat the yard perimeter in spring and fall.
Covered by VIP Protection · from $1,395/yr
Steady year-round in humid basements and bathrooms; more noticeable in winter when the furnace runs and they seek moisture.
Do this now: Run a dehumidifier below 50 %, store paper and cardboard off the floor, seal baseboard gaps.
Covered by Insect Control · $845/yr
Overwintering entry in late September–October; re-emergence indoors on warm days in February–March.
Do this now: Vacuum rather than crush (the smell), seal entry points on the sunny side of the house, and treat the exterior in September.
Covered by Insect Control · $845/yr
Denning season March–May: mothers tear into roof vents and soffits to raise kits. Heavy thumping in the attic at dusk; torn shingles; latrine spots on decks.
Do this now: Do not seal an entry in spring without confirming no kits are inside. Humane one-way exclusion after the young are mobile; secure green bins and remove roof access.
Covered by ELITE · from $2,795/yr
Maternity colonies roost in attics and wall voids from June to August; scratching at dusk, guano below a gap the width of a finger.
Do this now: Bats are protected — exclusion is done outside the maternity season (typically before June or after August) with one-way devices. Never seal a bat entry in July.
Covered by ELITE · from $2,795/yr