What Ontario requires
Under Ontario's pesticide rules, anyone who performs or offers extermination services needs an exterminator licence from the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP), unless they fall under an exemption. Structural exterminators handle pests in and around buildings.
Five questions to ask before you book
- What is your exterminator licence number? A legitimate company will tell you right away.
- Who will do the work? Ask whether the technician is licensed or working under a licensed exterminator's supervision, as the rules allow.
- Which products will you use? They should carry a Health Canada PCP registration number, and your service report should list them.
- What exactly is included? Number of visits, follow-ups, and whether sealing is part of the price.
- What is the warranty? How long it lasts, what it covers, and whether call-backs are free.
Red flags
- No licence number, or vague answers about it
- Cash-only pricing with no written quote
- Pressure to decide immediately or a "today only" price
- Promises that every pest is gone in one visit, especially for bed bugs
- No written service report after the visit
What a good service report includes
A written report should list what was found, which products were used (with registration numbers and amounts), where they were applied, re-entry times for treated areas, and recommendations. At Exterm, every visit ends with an emailed report and PDF that stays in your account.