In the bustling urban sprawl of Montreal and its surrounding suburbs, where historic architecture meets modern high-rises, a quieter but persistent struggle unfolds daily. Beneath the charm of cobblestone streets and the hum of city life, pests-rodents, bedbugs, ants, and more-pose a growing challenge to residents, businesses, and policymakers. As Canada’s second-largest city grapples with these unwelcome intruders, the pest control industry is undergoing a transformative evolution, driven by innovative technologies, stricter regulations, and a heightened focus on sustainability. From the rise of eco-friendly extermination methods to new legislative frameworks aimed at protecting public health and the environment, Montreal is at the forefront of redefining how pest control is managed in urban settings. This dynamic interplay between pests, people, and policies reveals a city adapting to modern demands while confronting age-old adversaries.
Montreal’s pest problem is as diverse as its population. Rodents, particularly rats and mice, thrive in the city’s dense neighborhoods, drawn by abundant food sources and aging infrastructure. Bedbugs, once nearly eradicated, have staged a dramatic comeback, hitchhiking through hotels, apartments, and public transit. Ants, wasps, and cockroaches round out the roster of common nuisances, each presenting unique challenges to homeowners and businesses. The city’s proximity to waterways and its humid climate exacerbate these issues, creating ideal conditions for pests to flourish. In Montreal North, for instance, rat infestations have surged in recent years, with residents reporting brazen rodents scurrying through backyards and alleyways. The summer of 2024, marked by intense heat, further fueled pest proliferation, pushing extermination companies to their limits. As one local exterminator noted, “The warmer it gets, the faster they breed. It’s a race against nature.”
The pest control industry in Montreal has responded with a blend of traditional expertise and cutting-edge innovation. Companies like Abas Prix Extermination and Infestation Montréal, both prominent players in the region, emphasize integrated pest management (IPM), a strategy that combines biological controls, habitat modification, and minimal chemical use to achieve long-term results. IPM is not a quick fix but a philosophy, prioritizing prevention over reaction. For example, Abas Prix Extermination‘s technicians conduct thorough inspections, sealing entry points and eliminating attractants like standing water or food debris before resorting to pesticides. This approach reflects a broader trend in Montreal, where consumers increasingly demand eco-friendly solutions that protect both their homes and the environment. “People want to know their kids and pets are safe, (it could be any quote from the client)” says Rejean Lessard, the owner of Abas Prix Extermination. “They’re asking for green treatments, and we’re delivering (it could be any quote from the client).”
Technological advancements are also reshaping the industry. Drones, though not yet fully approved for pesticide application in Quebec, are being explored for monitoring insect populations in agricultural areas and wetlands around Montreal’s suburbs. Smart traps, equipped with sensors that alert exterminators to pest activity, are gaining traction in commercial settings like restaurants and warehouses. Heat treatment units, which raise temperatures to lethal levels for bedbugs and cockroaches, are becoming a staple for companies like Exterminateurs Associés, offering a chemical-free alternative to traditional fumigation. These innovations are critical in a city where structural vulnerabilities-crumbling mortar, warped wood, and unsealed soffits in older buildings-create endless entry points for pests. Montreal’s pest control professionals are not just fighting insects and rodents; they’re battling the city’s own architecture.
Regulatory oversight is a cornerstone of this evolving landscape. In Canada, the Pest Control Products Act (PCPA), administered by Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA), governs the use of pesticides, ensuring they meet stringent safety and environmental standards. Recent amendments to the PCPA, announced in June 2024, aim to enhance transparency and sustainability in pest control. These changes stem from a 2021 government commitment to invest $42 million over three years to strengthen PMRA’s oversight, prompted by public and stakeholder concerns about pesticide impacts on biodiversity and at-risk species. The amendments address issues like access to confidential test data, maximum residue limits for pesticides, and the need for risk assessments that consider cumulative environmental effects. In Montreal, where urban and natural ecosystems coexist, these regulations are particularly relevant. For instance, mosquito control programs in suburban Laval must balance public health with the preservation of local wetlands, a challenge that requires careful adherence to PMRA guidelines.
At the municipal level, Montreal has implemented its own measures to combat pest infestations. The city’s By-law concerning the sanitation and maintenance of dwelling units mandates that landlords address pest issues within 10 business days of notification, with borough inspections available if problems persist. This by-law, updated in January 2025, reflects a growing recognition of tenants’ rights in the face of pest-related health risks. The Office municipal d’habitation de Montréal (OMHM), which manages public housing, has also taken proactive steps, developing a mobile app to track infestation levels in real-time and collaborating with public health officials to refine extermination protocols. Bedbug treatments, for example, often require multiple visits due to the insects’ resilience and the limitations of Health Canada-approved products, which are designed to be safe but may not kill eggs. The OMHM’s efforts underscore the complexity of pest control in multi-unit dwellings, where clutter, hoarding, and tenant cooperation can significantly impact outcomes.
Public awareness is another critical factor. Montreal residents are increasingly educated about pest prevention, thanks to campaigns by the city and organizations like the Association québécoise de gestion parasitaire (AQGP). Simple actions-sealing cracks, using mesh screens, and avoiding outdoor lights that attract insects-can make a significant difference. The city’s website offers tools to identify pests and report infestations, encouraging swift action to curb outbreaks. Community science initiatives, supported by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), invite residents to report unusual insect sightings, contributing to broader surveillance efforts. In 2024, Montreal intensified its monitoring of the brown marmorated stink bug, an invasive species that damages crops and infiltrates homes. While not harmful to humans, its foul odor and tendency to overwinter indoors make it a growing concern for suburban homeowners.
The commercial sector faces unique challenges. Montreal’s thriving tourism industry, which draws millions of visitors annually, is particularly vulnerable to bedbugs, which can hitchhike in luggage and spread rapidly through hotels and short-term rentals. Restaurants and food processing plants, governed by strict standards from the Quebec Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPAQ), must maintain rigorous pest control to comply with health regulations. Companies like Rentokil and Abell Pest Control offer specialized services for these industries, using electronic fly control technology and rodent-proofing measures to meet audit requirements. The cost of non-compliance is high-pest sightings can deter customers and lead to fines or closures. As one restaurant owner in Old Montreal remarked, “A single rat can ruin your reputation overnight.”
Despite these advancements, challenges remain. The data on pest infestations, particularly bedbugs, is often unreliable due to manual reporting by pest managers, which lacks validation by city officials. This gap complicates efforts to track and address outbreaks systematically. Additionally, the rise of pesticide-resistant pests, such as cockroaches and bedbugs, poses a growing threat. Exterminators report that some infestations require multiple treatments, driving up costs and frustration for clients. The social stigma of pest problems also persists, discouraging some residents from reporting issues promptly. In low-income neighborhoods, where access to professional extermination services may be limited, infestations can spiral out of control, exacerbating health disparities.
On the horizon, Montreal’s pest control landscape is poised for further transformation. The PMRA’s ongoing review of drone-specific pesticide labels could unlock new possibilities for precision pest management, particularly in suburban and rural areas. Advances in biocontrols, such as introducing natural predators to manage insect populations, are gaining attention as sustainable alternatives to chemical treatments. Public-private partnerships, like those between the OMHM and local extermination companies, are likely to expand, improving access to services in underserved communities. Meanwhile, climate change, which is extending pest breeding seasons and introducing new species to the region, will continue to challenge the industry’s adaptability.
For Montreal residents, the battle against pests is both personal and collective. A homeowner in Laval sealing cracks in their foundation, a tenant in Plateau-Mont-Royal reporting bedbugs to their landlord, and a restaurant manager in Ville Saint-Laurent scheduling monthly pest inspections-all are part of a citywide effort to reclaim spaces from unwanted intruders. The pest control industry, backed by robust regulations and driven by innovation, is rising to the occasion, blending science, strategy, and community engagement to create a safer, healthier urban environment. As Montreal navigates this evolving landscape, one thing is clear: the fight against pests is not just about eradication but about building a resilient city where humans and nature can coexist, even in the face of persistent adversaries.
To identify rodents and avoid an infestation, it’s essential to carefully observe certain signs and characteristics. The main methods consist in recognizing their physical appearance (size, body shape, coat color, tail, ears), spotting their tracks (droppings, footprints, teeth marks), and observing their behavior (nocturnal activity, noise in walls, nests made of various materials). By consulting detailed descriptions of rodent types, their specific characteristics and behaviors, you can more effectively identify the presence of a rodent species and act quickly to prevent a home invasion.
Rodents are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors on each jaw. It is with these jaws that they create most of their damage. The jaws enable them to gnaw their food, chew anything they find in their path, make galleries, etc.
Note that the shape of a rodent varies from one species to another. For the most part, however, they are small, with robust bodies, small legs and long tails. Their diet is also more varied, but most of them feed on seeds or other plant matter.
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Black Rat (Rattus rattus)
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Norway Rat (Rattus norvegicus), also known as Sewer Rat, Brown Rat
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Field Mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus)
Vole (Microtus arvalis)
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Squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris)
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Each female black rat gives birth 2 or 3 times a year, with 6 to 12 young in each litter. With its pointed snout, the black rat’s large, hairless ears spread wide.
This rodent, like its consort the mouse, a human commensal especially in coastal regions, has a coat of variable color: there are totally gray strains, others with grayish-brown backs and white or gray bellies. There are numerous subspecies, such as Rattus rattus, sometimes completely black, Rattus rattus alexandrinus and Rattus rattus frugivorus, which live in the wild or near houses in warmer regions. All these subspecies can interbreed.
The black rat’s head is pointed, the ears are large and pink, and the front legs end in 4 toes and are smaller than the hind legs, which have 5 toes.
The tail is generally longer than the body and covered with 200 to 260 hairless, scaly rings. This very light animal leaves hardly any visible traces of its passage, so it’s impossible to recognize species solely by their footprints.
The droppings, on the other hand, are specific in shape and location.The black rat is a good climber, and usually frequents attics and the upper parts of dwellings, avoiding competition with the Norway rat or mouse, which prefer cellars and basements. The places where it lives can be recognized by the greasy marks left by the rubbing of its fur, in particulier sur les poutres ou le long des murs.
The Norway Rat, or black rat, is a rather aggressive omnivore. A pack of hungry rats won’t hesitate to attack a mammal of respectable size, such as a rabbit or a pig.
Like all animals of the genus Rattus in general, surmulots often live as human commensals, forming a rather strange and fearsome class of “domestic” animals.
We don’t like them, we chase them, but they continue to prove their unfailing loyalty to mankind. Since they began living in the company of man, they have forcibly conquered new areas of distribution all over the world.
They are robust in appearance, with a pointed muzzle, gray-brown fur on the back and dirty gray on the belly. There is also a black and an albino rat form, used as laboratory test subjects.
Unlike the black rat, which almost never digs galleries, surmulots establish a dense, complex network of gutters at a shallow depth (40 to 50 centimeters), with an elaborate system of communications;
From place to place, chambers more or less densely lined with hay open up. In front of the exits, which have a diameter of 6 to 8 centimetres, excavated earth is piled up. The droppings, which resemble those of the black rat, are deposited in specific places.
They often feed on foods of animal origin, such as small rodents and fish, but they do not disdain other forms of food.
They usually carry this food inside the den to consume it in peace. They are most active at night.
When a female is in heat, she emits a secretion with a distinctive odor that signals her condition. Males in the vicinity of this trail follow her by scent until they reach the entrance to the female’s den.
Then they rub themselves on the ground to impregnate it with their own scent, after which the female comes out of retreat to sniff her suitors on the snout. This ritual can last a whole night and the following day; the following night, the female comes out and the males come after her.
When one of them manages to reach her, the female hides in a corner and mating takes place. Then she suddenly withdraws, and the whole ceremony starts all over again. At the moment of mating, the other males remain around, on the alert, ready to resume the race.
Exceptionally, the long, scaly tails of very young surmulots, also known as sewer rats, become entwined in an inextricable knot: each rat is thus indissolubly bound to its fellow rats; unable to free itself, it quickly dies of hunger and thirst.
The word mouse is used to designate both the domestic species (known as the white mouse) and the common mouse that populates our cities.
The term is also used to designate a host of other rodent species in the Murine subfamily (mice, rats and various field mice, voles, lemmings, muskrats).
A particularly urban animal, the house mouse has large ears and a coat ranging from light brown to dark gray, with a lighter underside.
In the countryside, the deer mouse is brown or grey, with white legs and belly.A mouse doesn’t stay unique in your home for long: in the wild, it only lives for around twelve months, but that’s enough time to give birth to up to 8 litters, each with between 5 and 12 young. The young are born blind and naked, weighing just a few grams – a frightening potential for the species to multiply!
If you do nothing in your home, you could find yourself harboring a teeming colony in just a few months! It’s time to take action and exterminate mice.
Mice are fascinating and diverse creatures that play an important role in our ecosystem. There are many species of mouse, each with its own unique characteristics and behaviors. In this article, we’ll explore the different types of mice and their specific behaviors.
House mice are the most common and well-known of all mice. They are small, with long, slender bodies, thin tails and large ears. House mice are generally brown or gray in color, but white and black mice also exist.
House mice are social animals that live in groups. They are very active at night and spend the day sleeping in nests they build from materials such as paper, cloth and leaves. House mice feed on seeds, cereals, fruit and vegetables.
Deer mice are larger than house mice and have longer, thicker fur. They are brown or gray in color, with a white belly. Deer mice live in forests and fields, and feed on seeds, nuts and fruit.
Deer mice are solitary animals and do not live in groups. They are very territorial, defending their territory against other mice. Deer mice are also very cautious and avoid humans.
Field mice are the smallest of the mice. They have short, stocky bodies, short tails and small ears. Field mice are brown or gray in color, with a white belly. They live in fields and meadows, feeding on seeds, insects and worms.
Field mice are social animals that live in groups. They are very active at night and spend the day sleeping in burrows they dig in the ground. Field mice are very prolific and can reproduce several times a year.
Spiny mice are mice with long, sharp hairs on their backs. These hairs are very prickly and can be used to defend against predators. Spiny mice are brown or gray in color, with a white belly. They live in deserts and arid regions, feeding on seeds, fruits and cacti.
Spiny mice are solitary animals that do not live in groups. They are very territorial, defending their territory against other mice. Spiny mice are also very cautious and avoid humans.
Conclusion
Mice are fascinating and diverse creatures that play an important role in our ecosystem. There are many species of mouse, each with its own unique characteristics and behaviors. In this article, we explore the different types of mice and their specific behaviors.
Find out more about the life cycle of these small rodents
Here’s what you need to know about the life cycle of field vole:
| French name: | Mulot |
| English name: | vole |
| Latin name: | Apodemus sylvaticus |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodent |
| Family: | Muridae |
Mice, rats and other species of rodents are notorious for residing inside walls and may require a muscular method to combat them. In this article you’ll learn more about field mice in your walls, and we’ll explain how to put an end to an invasion of field mice in your home or garden.
Le mulot sylvestre (Apodemus sylvaticus) est considéré comme un rongeur nuisible.
Also known as the field vole (Microtus pennsylvanicus), the field mouse is both a diurnal and nocturnal rodent, which means it moves around both day and night. Its hair is long, and its tail is shorter than its body. Compared to the mouse, it has small ears, which are almost hairless and hidden under its fur, so they are barely visible. Finally, it has small, protruding black eyes.
It measures 7 to 15 cm, and its tail lengthens it by a further 6 to 8 cm. Weight is around 20 to 35 grams, but some field mice have been found to weigh up to 65 grams.
At birth, young field mice weigh less than 3 g.
They build their colonies in fallow fields, green meadows and wetlands (near rivers, lakes and marshes). Forests and clearings also suit them well.
The various crops in the vicinity, such as alfalfa and grasses of all kinds, determine the location of its nest or burrow.
It avoids tall grass and high humidity.
They build their nests so that they are well hidden and safe from predators, such as in a bush, under a pile of stones, inside a stump or in a small burrow.
Nests are often found on the ground, made from dried grass twigs and rounded in shape.
Once winter is over and all the snow has melted, you can sometimes see mounds of earth or a crossroads of small tunnels dug under the lawn, a visible sign of their passage. Care must be taken not to fall, as the soil can sink in when walked on.
It’s a well-known fact that field mice are prolific breeders, with females able to procreate as early as one month old and males at 6 weeks. Mice mate all year round, with a peak between early spring and late autumn..
Females can have 3 to 6 litters a year, giving birth to 4 to 6 pups each time.
The gestation period is only 19 to 21 days, and the pups are born hairless and blind. It takes around twenty days for them to be weaned by their mother and then follow their parents in search of food.
In the wild, because of predators, they only live for a year, whereas in captivity they can live up to 36 months.
Voles love corn, wheat and oat kernels above all, but also feed on vegetation such as buds and moss, and like certain types of berries such as blackberries.
When it’s short of food, it can also feed on different kinds of insects such as millipedes, caterpillars, earthworms and others.
During the winter, it may nibble the bark of certain trees or shrubs, to the great dismay of homeowners. To prevent this from happening, install a wire mesh at the base of the tree to protect its roots from vole damage.
The field mouse is an efficient little rodent, capable of “cleaning up” a large quantity of weeds, which is why its presence is appreciated.
However, they also cause considerable damage to young fruit trees, cereal crops and alfalfa, and are particularly disliked in fields where corn, wheat and oats are grown, as they devour everything in their path.
The life span of a field mouse is 18 to 20 months. Very few live from one summer to the next. For those who have managed to survive the winter, the end of their lives comes in the spring.
The field mouse has many predators, such as weasels, skunks, cats, owls and, of course, humans.
If pursued, as they are small in size, they try to flee by making great leaps, and as they are very agile, they climb trees to escape danger..
It’s not uncommon to come across a Field Mouse that has infiltrated your home, easily recognizable by its long ears and large eyes.
Its coat varies from reddish-brown to grayish-brown, with lighter underparts.
Its hind legs are long, which is why it often jumps, but it is also a good swimmer and an agile runner.
At dusk and during the night, they go in search of food: a small quantity of high-calorie seeds is enough for the whole day.
To eat in peace, he usually carries his food in his burrow; however, if he finds fruit too large to carry, he covers it with dead leaves, adopting a technique that falls somewhere between the squirrel’s habit of burying his reserves on the ground and the typical rat’s method of carrying food inside the den.
To extract pine nuts, he gnaws on pine cones in a characteristic way. Sitting on the ground, he hulls them by holding them between his two front paws, so as to have a scale right in front of him; with his incisors, he gnaws it halfway down, until, by turning his head with a single sharp blow, he can detach it. The pine nuts are thus exposed, and the Mulot extracts them from the shell and eats them.
Then he picks up the pine cone he’d left on the ground and starts on another shell. To get at the hazelnut kernel, he also has his own technique: first he makes a small hole in the shell (the lower incisors work like pliers, thanks to the mobility of the two parts of the mandible) and nibbles everything he can, then he enlarges the hole. It also feeds on green plant parts, peelings and sometimes small invertebrates.
In open areas, the Field Mouse digs a network of galleries up to 1 metre deep, leading to a chamber lined with dry grass. The hole is about 3 to 4 centimetres in diameter, and can be identified by a small conical pile of earth.
The Field Mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus) is considered a rodent pest because it digs up seeds before they have germinated. This rodent causes serious damage to seedlings in forestry operations.
However, the negative impact should be put into perspective, as rodents are also important vectors for seed dispersal.
As is often the case in nature, they therefore play both a positive and a negative role in forest health.
Squirrel classification
In Quebec, there are two types of squirrel: Eastern Grey Squirrel and American Red Squirrel.
Generally speaking, these types are very similar, apart from the difference in color (obviously!) and a slight difference in size. Some urban squirrels will look a lot bigger than others, but it’s a safe bet that the latter feed mainly on fast-food chain garbage cans!
These animals are territorial and tend to defend their space against other squirrels. That’s why we so often notice one squirrel chasing another, or running around a tree.
The squirrel has a very good spatial memory and remembers precisely where it hides its provisions. It builds leaf nests in trees. It moves regularly, to avoid fleas invading its nest. So it’s a relatively clean animal.
Greedy, the squirrel feeds on what it finds. They mainly eat nuts and conifer coconuts.
Squirrels do not hibernate. However, they do seek shelter from the cold in our attics. This is also when they reproduce.
A female has four cubs per litter. They are weaned within four weeks and stay with their mother for up to five months. Mature, they remain close to their mother and siblings.
Lifespan depends on the species:
The extent of damage caused by squirrels depends on how long they’ve been under your roof. If your housemates are staying for several weeks, or even months, you can expect to have to carry out major repairs.
Just like mice, squirrels sneak in everywhere, between the walls and on the insulating foam, making it less and less efficient, which significantly increases your heating bill. Also, their urine and droppings, left here and there, emit foul smells and can have an impact on your health. So if you come across squirrel droppings in your home, take action and don’t wait.
Avoid feeding them, either for pleasure, or involuntarily via bird feeders. These “nut-eaters” are very greedy and skilful. Agile climbers, they move easily from branch to branch and over the roofs of houses. So seeds, which you might think are only for birds, could well be eaten more by squirrels.
To make it a little harder for them to get around, consider trimming the branches near your house. Clean your gutters at least once a year. Finally, check the condition of your house siding.
Squirrels have strong incisors, which they must continually maintain by gnawing. So they gnaw away at rotting materials in your home, penetrating them and taking up residence in your roof or attic.Les guêpes sont des insectes communs à Montréal, particulièrement en été et en automne. Bien…
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