The Orkin Blog

How do I know if I've been bitten by a bed bug? How do I identify a bed bug when I see one? Get the answers to the most frequently asked questions on bed bugs, all answered by the experts at Orkin Canada.

Whether you are buying an old Victorian or a new, custom-built home, you could be sharing a roof with unwanted visitors—pests. Just like you never know what’s lurking behind the walls, it’s hard to tell what underlying pest problems a home might be hiding.

Leaky toilets. Clogged pipes. Broken A/C units. The type of maintenance requests property managers receive depends on the size, age and condition of the building. But whether managing brand-new high-rises or condos that are full of character, there’s one complaint every multi-residential property manager will deal with eventually — pests.

We’ve all seen them before. They scamper across the floor and the walls, causing panic as they appear around corners or amongst stored food items. But don’t be fooled by the fact that cockroaches are so common—they’re still some of the filthiest pests imaginable.

Chances are, you’ve seen it before. A resident lets dirty dishes or smelly trash pile up for way too long, and suddenly, there’s a pest crisis on the premises.

It’s easy to think of bees as aggressive or harmful, but the truth is, they’re quite beneficial. Bees are pollinators, which means they help plant populations bloom and thrive. So, while they may annoy you at a backyard cookout—or potentially cause an allergic reaction when they sting—bees are also essential stewards of the environment.

With warm weather around the corner, there’s no better time to spruce up your home than the spring. From reorganizing your closet to decluttering your garage, there’s a lot to be done to make sure your home sparks joy. With a few extra steps, you can easily add “protected against pests” to your list of accomplishments.

Spring cleaning may seem like a household chore, but you need to make sure things are tidied up around your workplace, too. If this crucial step is overlooked, you could end up with a pest problem when summer arrives. Just like at home, insects can overwinter in wall voids, storage areas and the nooks and crannies around the property you manage. And at the end of the winter, you’ll be left with one of two unpleasant scenarios: pests emerging en masse from hibernation or piles of dead insects that can create foul smells and attract new pests.

The end of winter means the beginning of vivid, green summers. But it also means the arrival of something far less pleasant—severe flooding. When snow starts melting, it’s important to be prepared for the long-term consequences of floods, including increased pest activity.

While the variety of vermin may vary from season to season, as a whole, they’re a problem year-round for commercial office buildings — from the breakroom to the board room. But just who are these full-time menaces and what can you do to stop them?