Poulin's Pest Control

05/15/2025

Winnipeg to start spraying for tree caterpillars next week

Tree pest caterpillars are back in Winnipeg, meaning the city will soon start spraying to control them.

05/12/2025

75 years of Alberta's mission to keep rats at bay

Twice a year, a patrol team scrutinizes barns, straw bales and grain storage bins along a 600-kilometre stretch of the Alberta-Saskatchewan boundary. They're looking for rats, continuing a 75-year mission to stop the rodents from making themselves at home in the province.

02/11/2025

Available on our online store at www.poulins.ca

Ketch-All Multiple Catch Mouse Trap

Ketch-All Multiple Catch Mousetrap has earned the title of “The World’s Best Mousetrap.” The trap uses a mouse's own curiosity to lure it into the paddle wheel mechanism. Trapped mice attract other mice to the trap! The Ketch-All trap capture captures several mice in one setting!

01/24/2025

Available on our online store at www.poulins.ca

Onguard Commercial Fruit Fly Trap

The design of the trap captures fruit flies but does not let them escape. The natural lure has no chemicals and is proven to attract fruit flies. Effective for 30 days. Peel back the cover and start catching fruit flies.

06/19/2024

Available on our online store at www.poulins.ca
Lee's Metal Gopher Trap
There have been dozens of gopher solutions invented over the years...always with mixed results. Lee's gopher trap is the humane and efficient way to deal with your gopher problem. Designed in the heart of gopher country (Saskatchewan) Lee's trap has proven effective in dealing with your varmints. The Lee's trap can be checked, emptied, and reset in seconds.
Made in Canada!

06/18/2024

Odorous House Ants

Odorous House Ants are small ants that range in color from brown to black and vary in length from 1⁄16 to 1⁄8 inches (1.5–3.2 mm). When crushed, these ants leave a smell which leads to their nickname "stink ant". Their life cycle: The queens lay eggs which incubate between 11–26 days. After hatching, the larval stage lasts between 13–29 days, and the pre-pupal and pupal stages last between 10–24 days. Queens can live at least 8 months, workers at least a few months, while males appear to live only approximately a week.

These ants can be found in many different areas, including within houses. Outside, they forage mainly for honeydew, which is produced by aphids and scale insects that the ants tend to, as well as nectar and other sugary substances. They are common household pests and are attracted to sources of water and sweets.
Odorous House Ants have polydomous colonies, meaning that one colony has multiple nests. Because of this, they are very good at foraging for food when it is found in various locations. Instead of going back to a faraway nest to deliver food, they move workers, queens, and the brood to be closer to the food.

These ants are scavengers/predators that will eat most household foods, especially those that contain sugar, as well as other insects. Indoors they will colonize near heat sources or in insulation. In hot and dry situations, nests have been found in house plants and even in the lids of toilets. Outdoors they tend to colonize under rocks and exposed soil. They appear, however, to form colonies virtually anywhere, in a variety of conditions. They are also highly tolerant to heat and cold.

Odorous House Ants are not hard to control. This can be accomplished using ant baits. The workers carry the baited material back to the nest, eliminating the colony. Choose baits designated for sweet-loving ants (such as ones that use honeydew as the attractant). Place the bait stations in areas where ant activity has been seen and make sure that children or pets cannot reach them. Refill/replace the bait every week to two weeks to keep the bait levels high. It may require two weeks or longer to obtain control.
To discourage the ants from coming back, standing water should be eliminated in the house, as the ants are attracted to moisture. Plants should be trimmed away from buildings, so they do not make convenient routes for above-ground entry. Cracks, holes, and joints should be sealed, especially close to the ground. Firewood, rocks, and other materials should not be stored next to a home.

05/08/2024

Digging bees

Carpenter bees and digging bees, unlike honeybees or bumble bees, are solitary and do not make nests/hives. However, many of them will often like living in the same spots.

Right now, is the emergence time of many solitary bees, such as our native digging bees. These bees are typically not an issue with humans or pets and will just bury underground instead of making a nest/hive. They do not live in colonies and live on their own. The reason why you’d see so many of them in one spot is that they simply like that area. They are fantastic pollinators. However, you can get rid of them if you like. We have sprays and powders that can be used to kill them off directly, but as there are no nests/hive, more of them may show up again at a later date.

Photo: Digging bee (left), honeybee (right)

04/26/2024

Garter Snakes

Snakes are not the easiest to remove, as there are no good traps or poisons for them. Removal of snakes begins with regular yard work. Plant bushes and shrubs away from the home and trim them back often to prevent surprise intrusions. Frequently mow the lawn to keep grass levels low. Garter snakes find refuge from predators as well as hunt for their next meal in high grasses. Remove large rocks, if possible, as the snakes will often sun themselves on them to keep warm.

Also, remove the snake’s food such as rodents or bugs. This can be done using bait stations and/or traps for rodents, or sprays for bugs.

Alternatively, we can have someone contact you regarding your pests there to discuss your options.

04/02/2024

Geese

There aren’t many ways to repel geese as they are a protected species, though there are some methods available. Most are using scare tactics to frighten the geese away, either with coyote decoys or products such as a Flock Reflector, both of which we carry in our store at 24 Poulin Dr. However, Coyote decoys often have to be moved around to be effective. There is also coyote urine, if you can find it, though if the geese are used to being near dogs it may not work as well as would be preferred.

Geese are protected in Canada, and thus cannot be killed or injured with traps. This includes the geese nests.

Additionally, you can try to alter the landing patterns of the geese, by using a temporary fence in their landing area. However, there is no guaranteed way to deter geese.

03/21/2024

New to our online store at www.poulins.ca

Pro-Ketch® Multiple Catch Mousetrap by Kness

The Pro-Ketch® Multiple Catch Mousetrap is always properly set, giving you the peace of mind that comes from knowing you always have protection. The Pro-Ketch® is a low-profile solution for home and commercial use.

02/09/2024

Mason / Potter Wasps

These wasps are diverse in building nests. The different species may either use existing cavities (such as beetle tunnels in wood, abandoned nests of other bees/wasps, or even man-made holes such as old nail holes), or they construct their own either underground or exposed nests. The most widely used building material is mud made of a mixture of soil and regurgitated water, but many species use chewed plant material, instead.
All known mason/potter wasp species are predators, with most being them solitary wasps. When a larval cell is completed, the adult wasp typically paralyzes and collects beetle larvae, spiders, or moth caterpillars and places them in the cell to serve as food for a single wasp larva. The nest may have one or several individual brood cells.
Mason wasps in particular generally nest in pre-existing cavities in wood, rock, or other substrate. Mud may be used internally to separate cells on occasion. Potter wasps, on the other hand, generally build free-standing nests out of mud, often with a spherical shape to them.

Adults are pollinators, consume nectar as their food source. Both mason and potter wasps are capable of stinging, but rarely do so unless extremely provoked.

01/05/2024

Elm Seed Bugs

The Elm Seed Bug, though their life cycle is not yet fully known, generally has one generation per year. Elm seed bugs overwinter as adults in and around structures and emerge in the spring to lay eggs on elms. Their nymphs feed on elm seeds around May-June and adults are present in the summer. There are five immature stages and because of the long egg laying period, life stages may overlap with adults and immature stages being present in June and July. This bug is native to Europe but has been introduced to North America.
Elm seed bugs feed on elm seeds and leaves but do not cause much damage to the trees. The seed bugs are not agricultural pests but can be a nuisance in high numbers because they enter homes and businesses. They can emit unpleasant odours when crushed and their f***l droppings on structures such as doors and windows can be unsightly. They do not pose a health risk to humans or pets and do not bite.
Elm seed bug adults are 6.5 - 7 mm (about 1/3 inch) long, black and rusty red colour with black triangle bordered by a rusty coloured rectangle on the back. The outer margins of the abdomen have contrasting black and white bands. Immature stages (nymphs) have a black head and a red abdomen; older nymphs have wing buds and two black spots on the back of the abdomen.

For control of these bugs:
• Seal off any access points in windows, doors and screens.
• Vacuum bugs in and around homes. For large numbers, use a shop vacuum with 1-2 inches of soapy water in the bottom to drown the bugs.
• Clean up elm seeds and debris around the home and structures.
• Use sticky traps for trapping bugs around window sills.
• Inspect firewood for overwintering adults before bringing into the home.
• The use of insecticides for controlling seed bugs in the home is not recommended.
• For high numbers, treating immature stages outside the home with a barrier spray along foundations, patios, doors and windows will help prevent bugs from entering homes.
o Products registered for use around the home containing permethrin will provide control.
o Alternatively, homeowners can hire a commercial pesticide applicator for more control options.