Good Riddance Critters, Toronto, ON (2026)

06/05/2026

Here's what most people don't know about wasps: in early spring, a single queen starts a nest completely alone. By June, that nest might be the size of a golf ball with just a few dozen workers. Manageable, right?

Not for long.

Through July and August, wasp colonies grow exponentially. What starts as a small papery structure tucked under your eave, in your shed, or behind your siding can balloon into a colony of 3,000–5,000 wasps by late summer. And here's the kicker — wasps become significantly more aggressive in late summer when food sources dry up and they're protecting a much larger nest.

That's why timing matters so much. A nest spotted in June is a quick, low-risk job. The same nest left until August? A much bigger, much angrier problem.

At Good Riddance Critters, we don't just remove the nest — we figure out why wasps chose that spot in the first place and help prevent them from coming back next season.

Spotted a nest forming? Don't wait. 🏠

👉 goodriddancecritters.ca | 📞 416-480-9373

05/29/2026

🐜 Friday Fact from Good Riddance Critters!

Have you noticed ants in or around your home lately? You're definitely not alone — ant calls are our most common request this time of year.

And we hear the same story over and over: "I cleaned up the trail, put down those little bait traps, and they were gone for a couple of weeks… then came right back."

Here's why that happens.

Ants use pheromone trails — invisible chemical signals — to guide other ants from the colony to a food or water source in your home. When you clean the trail or put down a bait trap, you may reduce the visible activity for a while. But the colony itself is still very much alive, often hidden in walls, under your foundation, or in the soil just outside. It could contain thousands — sometimes hundreds of thousands — of ants.

Store-bought traps can help in mild cases, but they have real limitations: they use generic bait that doesn't attract every species, they often don't pe*****te deep enough to reach the queen, and they don't address how ants are getting into your home in the first place. Without sealing entry points, new scouts will keep finding their way in.

This is why DIY ant control so often feels like a losing battle — it's not you, it's the biology!

At Good Riddance Critters, we take a different approach. We inspect inside and out, identify the ant species, treat the colony at the source, and seal the entry points they're using. Smart, targeted pest control that actually solves the problem.

If ants have been a recurring issue at your home, give David a call — we'd love to help you get rid of them for good.
📞 416-480-9373
🌐 goodriddancecritters.ca

Have you tried the bait traps? Did they work, or did the ants come back? Tell us below! 👇

05/15/2026

🐭 Friday Fact — Did you know a mouse can squeeze through a hole the size of a dime?

I know, it sounds unbelievable. But it's true — and it's why so many Toronto homeowners are shocked when they find signs of mice despite thinking their home is buttoned up tight.

As a pest control professional (and engineer), I've inspected a lot of homes, and the same entry points come up again and again:

• The gap around the pipe under your kitchen sink — often just enough space
• Worn or missing weatherstripping on your side door or garage door
• Where your home's foundation meets the siding or brickwork
• Dryer vents and bathroom exhaust fans that aren't properly screened
• Small cracks around window frames — especially in older Toronto homes

Mice don't need much. And once one finds a way in, others follow the scent trail.

The good news? These entry points can be found and sealed. That's exactly what I do at Good Riddance Critters — inspect inside and out, identify how they're getting in, seal the breaches, and deal with any active problem.

If you've been hearing things at night or spotted droppings, don't wait. A small problem becomes a big one fast.

Feel free to share this with a neighbour who might need it — and reach out any time.

📞 416-480-9373
🌐 goodriddancecritters.ca

— David Kalman, P.Eng. | Good Riddance Critters | Toronto Pest Control

05/08/2026

🐀 Friday Fact: That strange smell in your home might not be nothing.

This week's Friday Fact is for anyone who's ever caught a whiff of something "off" in their basement or inside their walls and chalked it up to an old house smell.

It might be more than that.

Rodents leave behind a trail of odours that can be one of the earliest warning signs of an infestation — long before you ever see one. Here's what different smells can mean:

🟡 Ammonia or urine smell: Mice and rats urinate constantly as they move — it's how they mark trails for other rodents to follow. A strong ammonia-like odour, especially near baseboards, in closets, or in the basement, is a red flag.

🟡 Musty or musky odour: Rodents have scent glands they use to communicate and claim territory. A persistent musky smell, even without visible droppings, can signal an active colony nearby.

🟡 Rotting or decomposing smell from inside walls: This is the one you really don't want to ignore. It often means a rodent has died inside your wall cavity — and left behind more than just a smell.

The tricky part? These odours can be subtle at first, especially in larger homes. By the time the smell is strong, the problem is usually well established.

At Good Riddance Critters, owner and operator David Kalman (P.Eng.) conducts thorough indoor and outdoor inspections to find exactly where rodents are entering your home and what it will take to stop them — for good.

If something smells wrong in your home, don't wait. 👃

📞 416-480-9373 🌐 goodriddancecritters.ca 📧 [email protected]

Smart solutions for a pest-free home.

05/05/2026

🐭 Tuesday Tip — Hantavirus & Rodents: What You Need to Know 🐭

By now you've probably seen the news about the hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship. It's a timely reminder that this virus is closer to home than you might think — it's spread right here in Canada through rodent droppings, urine, and saliva.

🚨 If you spot droppings in your home — stop. Don't touch anything. Call me.

I'm David Kalman, owner and operator of Good Riddance Critters. I'll come in, safely clean up the mess, find out how rodents got into your home, seal those entry points, and make sure they can't come back. You don't have to deal with this yourself.

📞 416-480-9373 | 🌐 goodriddancecritters.ca

---

If you do choose to handle it yourself, here's how to do it safely:

❌ Do NOT sweep or vacuum droppings — this sends particles airborne, which is exactly how the virus enters your lungs.
✅ Ventilate first — open windows and let fresh air in for at least 30 minutes.
✅ Gear up — rubber gloves and an N95 mask before you touch anything.
✅ Wet before you wipe — spray droppings with a bleach solution (1 part bleach to 10 parts water) and let it soak 5 minutes.
✅ Wipe, don't sweep — use paper towels, bag them immediately, and dispose carefully.

But remember: droppings mean rodents are (or were) in your home. Cleaning up is only half the battle. The other half is making sure they can't come back — and that's where I come in.

📞 416-480-9373 | 🌐 goodriddancecritters.ca

05/01/2026

🦉 FRIDAY FACT: That poison you put out for mice or rats? It might be killing your neighbourhood owl.

Here's how it works: A mouse or rat eats rodenticide bait. It doesn't die immediately — it wanders around, slowing down. An owl swoops in for an easy meal. Then the owl ingests the poison too. This is called secondary poisoning, and it's devastating for raptors, foxes, and other wildlife that keep our ecosystems in balance.

Rodenticides — especially the more potent second-generation ones — accumulate in the food chain. Studies have found these compounds in the livers of owls, hawks, foxes, and even neighbourhood cats and dogs. In urban areas like the GTA, where great horned owls and barred owls nest in parks and backyards, this is a very real threat.

And here's the thing: poison doesn't even solve the problem long-term. Kill a few mice without sealing the entry points, and more will move in within weeks.

At Good Riddance Critters, we believe in smart pest control — finding out HOW critters are getting in, sealing the breaches, and using targeted, responsible methods that don't create collateral damage to the wildlife we love.

Think you have a mouse or rat problem? Let's talk about doing it the right way. 🐭🔍🏠

👉 goodriddancecritters.ca | 📞 416-480-9373

04/24/2026

🐾 Friday Fact from Good Riddance Critters!

Hearing scratching inside your walls? Before you panic, here's a quick guide to figuring out what's sharing your home with you.

🐭 Mice — Light, rapid scurrying sounds, often at night. You'll usually notice it near the kitchen, baseboards, or behind walls on lower floors. Mice are small but fast movers.

🐀 Rats — Similar timing to mice (nocturnal), but the sounds are noticeably heavier — slower dragging, thumping, and persistent gnawing. Rats tend to stick to lower levels: wall cavities, under floors, and crawl spaces. If the scratching sounds more purposeful and the gnawing is loud enough to wake you up, rats are a real possibility.

🐿️ Squirrels — Louder rolling and bounding sounds, typically in the attic. Squirrels are active during the day (especially early morning), so if the noise stops at night, squirrels are a strong suspect.

🦝 Raccoons — Slow, heavy thumping — these are large animals and they move like it. Raccoons tend to settle in attics and soffits, and you may hear vocalizations too. Toronto has one of the largest urban raccoon populations in the world, so don't rule them out!

If you're hearing any of these sounds, it's worth getting it looked at sooner rather than later. What starts as one animal can become a much bigger problem quickly.

Good Riddance Critters serves homeowners across the Greater Toronto Area. Give us a call — we'll identify the culprit and take care of it for you.

👉 Comment below if you've ever had a mystery critter in your walls — we'd love to hear your story!

04/17/2026

Meet Your Home's Tiny Bodyguards

In Toronto, we share our homes and gardens with some pretty incredible creatures — and honestly? Some of them are working hard to protect you.

Before you take action to bid good riddance to these critters, here’s why you may be happy to see them:

House Spiders — Yes, really. A single house spider can eat hundreds of mosquitoes, flies, and even cockroaches every year. That web in the corner? It's a 24/7 pest trap.

Ladybugs — One ladybug can devour up to 5,000 aphids in its lifetime. If you have a garden in Scarborough, Etobicoke, or anywhere across the GTA, these little red beetles are protecting your plants for free.

Toads — Got a toad in your backyard? Lucky you. They can eat up to 10,000 insects in a single season — slugs, ants, beetles, grubs — patrolling your garden every evening while you relax.

Ground Beetles — These fast, aggressive hunters live in the soil around your home's foundation, quietly eliminating the root-eating grubs and slugs before you ever know there's a problem.

House Geckos — More common in warmer parts of the world, but increasingly spotted in Ontario homes as pets and escapees. Nighttime mosquito and cockroach hunters — they go straight for the light sources where pests gather.

At Good Riddance Critters, we know the difference between the critters that belong and the ones that don't. We target the problem — not the whole ecosystem.

Got something in your home that you're NOT sure about? Drop us a message or give us a call. We're always happy to help you figure out what's sharing your space — and whether it needs to go.

04/10/2026

🐜 Friday Fact from Good Riddance Critters! 🐜

Did you know ants are basically wasps in disguise? It's true! Taxonomically speaking, ants are highly specialized, social, wingless wasps — and both evolved from the same ancient wasp-like ancestors.

They have a lot in common too: that classic "narrow waist," complex colonies ruled by a single queen with sterile female workers, and the same four-stage life cycle (egg → larva → pupa → adult). Even the stinger is shared — in both ants and bees, the egg-laying organ evolved into a defensive weapon.

So next time a fire ant nails you, remember: you've just been stung by a wasp that forgot how to fly.

Have a pest problem? Give us a call — we've got you covered!
Check us out at grcritters.ca.

03/27/2026

🦝 Friday Fact: Raccoons & Your Roof — Don't Ignore the Signs!

Did you know raccoons are one of the most destructive wildlife pests Toronto homeowners face? And right now, as temperatures fluctuate in spring, they're on the move.

Here's why your roof and attic are prime targets:

🏠 Why They Want In: Raccoons are looking for exactly what your home offers: warmth, shelter from predators, and a quiet enclosed space to raise their young. Your attic is, quite literally, their dream home. And once a raccoon finds a weak point — they exploit it fast.

🔨 The Damage They Do: Don't underestimate how destructive these animals can be:

* They tear apart soffits (the horizontal panels along the base of your roofline) to create entry points
* They can rip through several shingles in a single night
They damage roof vents, fascia boards, and any weak spots along the eaves
* Once inside, they destroy insulation, chew through electrical wiring (a serious fire hazard), and damage your attic structure
* Raccoon droppings and urine soak into insulation and wood — carrying parasites like roundworm and bacteria that pose real health risks to your family and pets
* What starts as a small hole can lead to thousands of dollars in roof, attic, and electrical repairs

🍼 Female Raccoons Are the Most Aggressive: Spring is denning season. A female raccoon searching for a safe place to give birth is especially persistent and destructive. If you hear heavy thumping, scratching, or chattering sounds coming from your attic — especially at night — don't wait.

⚠️ Signs You May Have a Problem

* Loud thumping or walking sounds from above at night
* Torn shingles, damaged vents, or holes near the roofline
* Droppings or nesting materials on your roof or in your gutters
* Uneven snow melt on your roof (a sign of heat escaping through raccoon damage)

🚫 DIY Won't Cut It: Raccoons are strong, smart, and legally protected in Ontario. Simply patching a hole won't work — they'll tear open a new one. And trapping requires a licensed professional to comply with local wildlife regulations.

✅ If you suspect raccoons have moved in, call the professionals at Good Riddance Critters. We'll remove them safely and humanely, seal all entry points, and make sure they don't come back.

📞 416-480-9373
🌐 https://goodriddancecritters.ca/
📍 Serving Toronto and the surrounding GTA

Don't let a cute masked bandit cost you thousands in repairs! 🦝

Good Riddance Critters

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