Category Archives: Mice

Winter is on its way

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Personally, I do not approve. Especially this year, when the garage is so full there isn’t any room for my poor car. It is going to have to stay out in the driveway and be cold and covered with yuck!

Hopefully we’ll get it sorted by the time I have to start driving in to school again. That won’t be until January, so …. it could happen.

It’s unlikely. We have a lot of ~stuff~ in need of new places to be. But it could.

Anyway – we have time to worry about that. For now I’m just worrying about getting what absolutely has to be done, done. My mom’s stuff is arriving early in November, and we need to have the rest of our stuff out of the area we’ve renovated for her. Most of my ~stuff~ is up in my office (aka the attic) or at my store (still not open but I have plenty of inventory). Ross’s, on the other hand, is still in there. All of his glass and supplies currently have no place to be, and all the tools he’s been using are all over the place. So chances are, all of that will go out to the garage. I don’t think my zoom-zoom is going to get in there any time soon.

Oh well. These days I drive the SUV a whole lot more than my own car, anyway. It is a lot better at getting in and out of the places some of you guys have your cottages. There are some very steep and/or narrow and/or muddy roads throughout our area. But you know that already.

Anyway, as you might expect at this time of year, most of what we are dealing with is rodents. We don’t do raccoons or skunks for the most part; Jessa and I don’t have the experience for that and Ross isn’t into coaching us. So – rats, mice and squirrels.

Lots of rats, mice, and squirrels. Thank goodness for toys. Ross was better at being able to just spot where things were getting in and out than I am – but I am way better at collecting toys than he is. We’ve added a bunch of toys to our toolkit to help us to figure out where critters are getting in.

Of course, we can still just treat the problem …. in some places where it’s just not practical (or cost effective) to find and seal up every access point, we can use traps or bait, and come back as needed. But our preference (unlike some of the other companies) is always to prevent and solve your pest problems – managing is a last resort.

Still got one more set of assignments to mark so I guess I’ll have to leave showing you Jessa’s nifty bedbug shot till next time. There you go – something to look forward to!

In the meantime, if you have mice, rats, squirrels, or unidentified furry critters in your home, cottage or business in Tiny, Tay, Simcoe or Muskoka, you can reach us at ccpestcontrol@gmail.com, or by calling 705-534-7863. Jessa has her own M – F business in Oshawa and I teach 3 days a week and do the gramma thing the other two, so we work almost entirely weekends right now, though, just so you know.

Crazy weather for bugs!

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Gotta love this heat!  STILL getting calls about spiders; pretty late in the season for that! Just realized something too – this is the first year in a while that we haven’t had any calls for either brown recluse or black widow spiders in Penetanguishene. That is most assuredly a good thing.

Anyway, carpenter ants seem to be slowing down now which is another good thing. They started early this year, so we did lots & lots of them all throughout Tiny, Tay, Muskoka and Simcoe.

And still only the one termite call – which has responded very well to treatment, thank goodness.

This heat can’t last TOO much longer though! Soon it will be time to book Ross to come out and refill/replace mouse baits, and/or to tackle any bat problems. Sure wish someone would call up for some bat houses sooner rather than later !! He’s left them sitting right where I planted morning glories; just happened to notice a few determined little flowers poking up from behind the blasted thing. THEY need to move!  Wouldn’t you like a nice seasoned bat house? I’m sure you would 🙂

If you are calling us this time of year, please do leave a message if need be and either Ross or I will get back to you as soon as we’re able…. my teaching schedule this semester is NOT ideal – have to drive down to Barrie 4 days each week for 2 or 3 hours each day. They can and will do better when I whine – but I save that for the Winter semester when I really REALLY don’t want to drive 2 hours for a 2 hour class every darn day. If I take what I’m given in the Fall semester, usually get what I want in Winter. Here’s hoping!   It does mean that I’m often not here to answer the phone right away though – but Ross will check & return messages if/when he stops in, and if he doesn’t, I will get to them as soon as I get home.

 

 

And we’re back

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Had a great time at NoFishIn Lake, as Ross has taken to calling Lake Nosbonsing, where we were. Disappointed in his quest for walleye yet again! Didn’t see much of anything worth keeping, actually. The only fish that made it to the very nicely outfitted cleaning shack at Birch Hill Camp was a nice-sized bass which “I could have caught at home.” Maybe – but t’wasn’t him that caught the one up there; it was his daughter.

She out-fished us all; more of the little guys, including four too small pike in the same outing that she got the bass, and the only one worth cleaning. Clearly the champ.

Me, I think when you’re going to lakes you’ve never been to, a fish-finder is pretty much a necessity. We have two that came with the boat but neither works. Thinking to buy Ross one for his birthday next month but he wants one that is really really SIMPLE and easy to use and I have yet to find anything that straight forward. They all have multiple bells, whistles, etc – and he doesn’t WANT that; he wants to be able to use it all by his own self, darn it!!

View from our cabin at Birch Hill Camp, Nosbosing Lake. That’s Ross with his two grandkids – they went down in the pouring rain to make sure my kayak was secured.

Anyway, we did have a good week – but OMG I was happy to get back home to my own bed and even more importantly, a bathroom with a tub, a fully functional toilet, and a door that closes properly and does not have little boys opening it at will! Next time we’re looking for a cottage to rent I am SO going to remember to ask what kind of bathrooms they provide, and if there are locks on the door. Bad enough we paid so much to rent a cottage that is further away from the water (and with a lesser view, also) than our home is – shouldn’t have to give up privacy, too. Or is that just me?

 

 

 

So – now we’re back and will get back to work and

View from our front yard. 7-June-17 sunset. We are a ~little~ spoiled.

everything caught up within the next few days. Keep waiting on carpenter ants to slow down, but they don’t seem inclined to do that, especially in Tiny and Tay. Starting to get a whole lot more wasp calls this week – fall must be on its way.

And bat calls too!! Happy to hear that the bats are coming back … hopefully a good sign that perhaps the white nose fungus that has been decimating Ontario bat populations is waning? Once can only hope! But we have started seeing them outside our own home in Victoria Harbour, and we have received quite a number of inquiries about them already this year, so finger’s crossed.

Got pests? Other than the ones you brought into the world yourself? Give us a call at 705-534-7863 or email me at ccpestcontrol@gmail.com.

Mice, mice & more mice

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mice-150x150Tis the time of the year for mice, it seems…. well, actually, we get mouse calls years round – but at this time of the year, as the weather starts to get cooler, we do tend to see a major upswing in the number of calls. And of course, Ross is happy to come out and deal with them for you. Not only will he provide you with whatever baits are needed, but he will also do a site survey and help you to sort out what needs to be done to solve the problem so that you won’t need to keep having him back.

Not that we don’t like having to go back to see our customers regularly, of course! But it’s cheaper – and cleaner and less aggravating – to have your pest problems solved properly the first time whenever possible, and that is what we prefer to do.

Give us a call at 705-534-7863, or email us at ccpestcontrol@gmail.com and we’ll be happy to help you get rid of your unwanted ~guests~

Mouse Call!

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With the temperatures starting to dip as we approach the colder months, mice are searching for a warm and safe place to spend the winter and continue to raise their young. Houses, cabins, and storage sheds all offer protection from the elements for these tiny creatures, and most offer a steady supply of food.

The house mouse (mus musculus) is a small rodent with beady small eyes, relatively large ears, and weighs in at less than an ounce. They are typically dusty gray or brown in colour, with lighter underbellies. With its keen senses and inquisitive nature, the mouse is very adaptable to indoor living and will take advantage of this living arrangement whenever the opportunity presents itself.

Mice are reportedly able to squeeze through openings as small as 1/4 inch and thus any unsealed openings, such as from utility lines or pipes, make the shelter easily accessible. Once inside, mice are able to procreate quickly and under ideal living conditions, a single mated pair can produce 100 direct offspring within their lifespan. Each offspring reaches sexual maturity at 5-6 weeks of age which can result in a large population within a very short period of time.

Damages and risk factors from a mouse infestation include:

Food Losses Food loss occurs not only from actual consumption by the mouse population, but also contamination from feces and urine resulting in pantry items and feed, such as grain and pet food, needing to be discarded.

Structural Damage Mice gnaw and chew on a wide variety of items for numerous reasons. They often make nesting material from insulation or upholstery furniture. They may also chew through electrical wires, resulting in not only costly repairs, but also fire hazards.

Noise and Odour Despite their small size, mice can be quite noise intrusive, especially at night when they are most active. It is not uncommon to hear mouse activity in the walls and bare floors as they navigate their way throughout the house. Urine and natural oil build-ups along common travel paths can result in a persistant, musky odour.

Health Issues Mice can carry life threatening viruses such as Hantavirus and Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis. Seemingly healthy rodents may not show any symptoms, but humans can become ill from direct contact with mouse droppings or fluid secretions from infected animals. Hantavirus can also be contracted by inhaling ‘nest dust’ – airborne particles from decaying fecal matter. Salmonella bacteria can be spread on food prep surfaces if the mouse tracks fecal matter with it’s paws.

Don’t invite mice into your home this season… Call Cottage Country Pest Control at 705-534-7863, or email us, to book your fall pest control maintenance service.

Mice, rats, raccoons, bats? Fall Special

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As we move towards winter it is a great time to think about ensuring that your home or cottage is safe, secure, and free of pests. Bats are heading off to their winter habitats, so now is the time to clean up after them, and ensure that they can’t return.

mice-150x150And mice and other rodents will soon be looking for winter homes. You do NOT want to be their winter host, as they can do an alarming amount of damage in a very short time. Squirrels are especially problematic: in addition to spoiling food and leaving droppings wherever they happen to be, they are prone to chewing wiring & other objects as well.

Call Cottage Country Pest Control at 705-534-7863, or email us, to book your fall pest control maintenance service. Services include:

  • thorough inspection
  • rodent-proofing & exclusion
  • bat removal, clean up & exclusion
  • bait stations & product

Winter cottage maintenance services also available.