Pest Shield handles the insects and rodents that show up in homes and businesses across the GTA, from Toronto and North York to Mississauga, Brampton, Vaughan, and Markham. Every job starts with a proper look at what you’re dealing with. The fix for carpenter ants isn’t the fix for pavement ants, and the fix for German cockroaches isn’t the fix for a few spiders in the basement. We figure out the pest first, then treat it.
Ant Control
Ants get into GTA homes looking for food and water, especially in spring and summer. A few scouts in the kitchen usually means a colony nearby, sometimes inside a wall or under a slab.
Signs of an ant problem
Trails of ants along counters or baseboards. Small piles of sawdust near window frames or door trim, which can mean carpenter ants are nesting in the wood. Ants showing up again a day or two after you wipe them away.
Our process
We identify the species first, since carpenter ants, pavement ants, and odorous house ants all need different bait and different entry-point work. We place bait where the colony will actually find it, then follow up to confirm it worked.
Prevention tips
Keep food sealed, wipe up spills quickly, and fix any small gaps around windows and doors. Trim back branches or shrubs that touch the house, since ants use them as a bridge.
Bed Bug Treatment
Bed bugs travel in luggage, furniture, and clothing, so they show up in single homes, apartments, and hotels alike. They’re stubborn, but they’re treatable with the right approach.
Signs of bed bugs
Small rust-coloured spots on sheets or mattress seams. Itchy bites in a line or cluster, usually noticed in the morning. A faint musty smell in a heavily infested room.
Our process
We inspect the mattress, bed frame, baseboards, and nearby furniture to find where they’re hiding. Treatment targets those harborage points directly, and we follow up to make sure the infestation is actually gone, not just quiet for a week.
Prevention tips
Inspect secondhand furniture before bringing it inside. After travel, check luggage and wash clothing on high heat. Use a mattress encasement if you’ve dealt with bed bugs before.
Cockroach Control
Cockroaches are one of the more stressful pests to deal with, and one of the most common calls we get from restaurants and apartment buildings across the GTA.
Signs of a cockroach problem
Roaches seen during the day, which usually means the population is already large, since they’re nocturnal by nature. Small dark droppings near appliances or under sinks. A musty odour in cupboards or behind the fridge.
Our process
Gel baiting and crack-and-crevice treatment in the areas roaches actually use, kitchens, bathrooms, behind appliances. German, American, and Oriental cockroaches behave differently, so we treat based on the species. A follow-up visit confirms the colony is gone.
Prevention tips
Clean up food debris and grease, especially around stoves. Fix leaking pipes, since roaches need water as much as food. Seal gaps around baseboards and under sinks.
Rodent Control
Mice and rats move indoors as the weather cools, usually starting in fall. Both can chew through wiring and insulation, and both leave droppings that are a real health concern, not just a nuisance.
Mouse Control
Signs of mice
Small droppings, about the size of a grain of rice, along baseboards or in cupboards. Scratching sounds in walls or ceilings at night. Gnaw marks on food packaging or wiring.
Our process
Trapping combined with sealing the entry points mice actually used, gaps around pipes, vents, and foundation cracks. A mouse can fit through a gap the size of a dime, so we check thoroughly.
Prevention tips
Store food in sealed containers, keep garbage bins closed, and seal obvious gaps around the foundation and utility lines before fall.
Rat Control
Signs of rats
Larger droppings than mice, often near the base of walls or in basements. Grease marks along baseboards where rats travel the same path repeatedly. Burrows near foundations, sheds, or woodpiles outside.
Our process
Norway rats are strong and cautious, so trap placement matters. We target the paths they’re actually using and seal entry points once activity stops, including around foundations and garage doors.
Prevention tips
Keep firewood and debris away from the house. Store outdoor garbage in bins with tight lids. Check the foundation for gaps every fall.
Wasp & Hornet Removal
A wasp or hornet nest close to a door, deck, or play area is an urgent problem, not something to wait on, especially if anyone in the home has an allergy.
Signs of a nest
Wasps flying in and out of one spot repeatedly, often under eaves, in a shed, or in a wall void. A visible paper nest under a roofline or in a tree.
Our process
We treat the nest directly using the right product for the species and location, and remove the nest once it’s no longer active. Most wasp calls are handled same day given the risk involved.
Prevention tips
Check eaves and sheds in early spring, when queens are first building. Keep sugary drinks and food covered outdoors in late summer.
Spider Control
Most spiders in Ontario homes are harmless, but a heavy population usually means they’re finding plenty of insects to eat, which is worth addressing at the source.
Signs of a spider problem
Webs building back quickly after being cleared. Spiders noticed regularly in basements, garages, or window wells.
Our process
We treat entry points and the insects spiders feed on, rather than just knocking down webs, since that only lasts until the next batch of prey shows up.
Prevention tips
Reduce outdoor lighting near entry doors, since it attracts the insects spiders hunt. Clear webs regularly and seal gaps around window frames.
Mosquito & Tick Control
Standing water anywhere on a property, a clogged gutter, an old planter, a low spot in the yard, is usually enough to keep mosquitoes breeding all summer. Ticks are a growing concern across the GTA, particularly near wooded or grassy areas.
Signs of a problem
Noticeably more mosquito bites than neighbouring properties. Standing water sitting for more than a few days anywhere on the lot.
Our process
Yard and perimeter treatment focused on breeding sites and resting areas, timed through the warmer months for the best results.
Prevention tips
Empty standing water weekly. Keep grass and brush trimmed short along the yard’s edge to reduce tick habitat.