4 Infestations You Should Deal With Fast

4 Pest Infestations You Should Deal With Right Away

There’s no such thing as a pleasant pest infestation. While all pest infestations are inconvenient, however, some are worse than others. Significantly worse.

These are four examples of the worst kind of pest infestation. Dealing with one of these infestations for any length of time gets expensive, stressful, and frustrating. These are the pests you should call in the cavalry about the moment you notice they’ve made their home in yours:

Termites

Termites can do a lot of damage to your home's woodDid you know that termites never sleep? In fact, they never rest at all. When they have access to food, a termite colony feeds 24/7. That means if they’re chomping down on the wood in or around your home, they’re never going to stop. Termites feed by breaking wood down into cellulose, boring holes through it in the process. These termite “tunnels” can eventually compromise the structural integrity of whatever wood they’re built into.

It’s simple: the sooner you identify and treat your termite infestation, the less damage they’ll inflict on your home. Ideally, you want to stop them before they do any damage whatsoever. Damage to wooden structures can be very expensive or even impossible to replace! The best way to handle termites is to prevent them from ever getting into your home. Failing that, however, you’ll need professional help to drive them out completely and effectively.

Rodents

Rats and mice may cause electrical fires when they bite through wiringNobody wants mice or rats scurrying around unattended in their house. They’re creepy, dirty, and distressing. The real reason you deal with rodent infestations quickly, however, is that they’re surprisingly dangerous. Rats and mice need to chew on something constantly to keep their teeth sharp. That means they’ll chew on anything they can find. Unfortunately, what they can find is usually something you really don’t want them putting in their mouths.

Electrical cords and wires, for instance, happen to be the perfect chew toys. At least until they start a fire. Rats and mice start a surprising number of house fires after chewing on cords or wires. They can also chew through structures, making your home vulnerable to other pest infestations. Then there’s the hygiene problem. Rodents leave behind grime and waste wherever they go, they’re often infested with fleas, and they spread human-transmittable diseases. The minute you think you have a rodent infestation, you should do something about it.

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Moths

Pantry moths ruin stored food products, and clothing moths can eat through your clothingThere are two main “categories” of pest moth: pantry infesters and fabric infesters. You want to deal with both of them right away. Pantry moths lay eggs in dry foods stored in your pantry. When these eggs hatch, the larvae feed on this food until they’re old enough to pupate. Then they grow up, mate, and lay eggs… on another nearby food source. Fabric moths do the same thing, except they eat your clothes instead of your food.

All this happens on a larger scale and faster than you might think. Most pest moths complete their entire life cycle within 60-90 days. They also lay hundreds of eggs at a time. Add all that up and it’s an infestation that spreads quickly and does a lot of damage. Plus, moth damage is just nasty. You don’t want to bite into bread and find caterpillars inside it.

Bed Bugs

Bed bugs don't inflict major structural damage or transmit diseases, but the psychological damage they can do shouldn't be underestimatedThis one seems particularly obvious. Bed bugs bite you so they can suck on your blood. While you’re asleep. It’s all very upsetting. As if that wasn’t bad enough, bed bugs reproduce, lay eggs, and spread. Bed bug lay eggs in and around beds. When those eggs hatch, the young will feed on the bed’s occupants, too. The longer bed bug infestations last, the harder it will be to reliably eliminate them all effectively.

Compared to the other pests on this list, bed bugs don’t inflict major damage. There’s no evidence that they transmit diseases to humans. They don’t harm structures or property. The damage they do usually isn’t significant at all, in fact. But there is the psychological trauma. Bed bugs are extremely upsetting pests to have and deal with. No one deserves to have to feel paranoid about just getting in bed. The faster you deal with them, the sooner you can get back to having a good night’s sleep.

So: we’ve made the case as to why you should deal with these pests as soon as you find them. But how do you do that? Easy: just call Griffin Pest Control and schedule an appointment. We’re ready to help you quickly and effectively, so you don’t have to deal with any of these problems. Next time you have a pest infestation, call right away. You’ll be glad you did!

Pests That Wake Up in Spring

Pests that wake up in spring

The whole world seems to come back to life in spring. Unfortunately, “the whole world” includes some things we wish would stay sleeping. Along with grass, flowers, trees, and birds, a whole host of Michigan’s most annoying pests wake up every spring.

When pests wake up in spring, they’re usually hungry, thirsty, and ready to find mates. To make up for their long winters off, they tend to pursue these activities ferociously. Their single-minded pursuits make pest problems all-too-common this time every year. Here are the pests you’re bound to run into this spring, what they’re up to, and the problems they cause.

Boxelder bugs

boxelder bugsStarting in early fall, boxelder bugs go looking for dry, warm places where they can wait out the winter. Unfortunately, those dry, warm places often include our homes. When spring comes around, boxelders become active again to seek their newly rejuvenated food sources and, eventually, to reproduce. When that happens, they vacate their winter hideaways en masse. If they were hanging out in your home over winter, you’re going to run into them again this spring.

Boxelder bugs are obviously a nuisance, but luckily they’re not a dangerous one. These pests don’t bite, spread disease, eat fabrics or stored foods, or lay eggs indoors. Instead, they simply vacate the premises to seek the seeds and flowers of acer trees like the boxelder. The nuisance part comes from how many of the gross bugs you may notice vacating. Boxelder excretions and feces may also stain window ledges and other favored areas.

Stink bugs

stink bugsStink bugs follow a similar seasonal routine to boxelder bugs, and they’re around for the same reasons. During fall, they desperately seek out any warm place where they can wait out the winter. Once they’re in position, they go dormant until outdoor temperatures rise back up to survivable temperatures. Once that happens, they wake up with one thing on their mind: mating. In their mad scramble to get back outdoors, however, they tend to get lost… or stuck.

Like boxelder bugs, stink bugs don’t reproduce or nest indoors, cause disease, or bite. They do… stink, however. When threatened or crushed, stink bugs secrete a foul-smelling substance from a special scent gland. This scent smells like rotten vegetables or coriander. The more stink bugs secrete at once, the more powerful the stench. These secretions can also leave behind a dark yellow stain on carpets, furniture, or window sills.

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Carpenter ants

carpenter antsDuring spring, the infamous wood-infesters come marching in to build their nests and search for water. Carpenter ant invasions tend to be the most noticeable during the start of the season. Starting in mid spring, the reproductive carpenter ant castes swarm in order to seek mates and start new colonies. After mating, queen ants seek good places to lay their eggs. These eggs hatch into workers, and the infestation begins in earnest.

Carpenter ants are a problem because they make their colony nesting grounds by boring through wood. The tunnels they carve compromise the structural integrity of wood products. Carpenter ants don’t actually eat the wood they infest. Instead, they have to hunt for sources of protein and sugar. You may find foragers in your kitchen, basement, or garden. Keep a close eye out for swarmers, in particular. If these flying ants get trapped in your home, chances are their nest is also inside your home.

Pavement ants

pavement antsUnfortunately, carpenter ants aren’t the only ants reproducing and foraging in the spring and summer. In late spring, the brief but very active pavement ant mating season begins. During this time, you may notice swarms of larger-than-average, reddish-black ants flying in large clusters. After mating, pavement ants lay eggs in tight crevices (hence their association with pavement, and the cracks in it). When young pavement ants emerge, they start looking for food almost immediately.

Pavement ants are most often encountered in groups in your kitchen. They break down and carry off all sorts of stored food, especially grains and sugars. When they find food, they tend to stick around. It’s not uncommon to find ants infesting cabinets, pantries, cupboards, and anywhere else they could find food. They’ll attack any scraps they can get their mandibles on. Unlike other pests on this list, they can stay active as long as they’re warm and they have food.

 

Spring should be a wonderful, refreshing time of year–especially after a brutal Michigan winter. Don’t let pests ruin that for you. If you need some help fighting back an infestation so you can enjoy the nice parts of spring again, give Griffin a call. We can deal with the dirty work so you can enjoy the rest.

Rainy Day Pests to Watch Out For

Rainy day pests to look out for

Rain is a welcome change of pace in spring time, especially since it helps push away the winter grey. As you might expect of any meteorological change, however, rain can also be disruptive. Spring is a already a transitional time of year. Flora and fauna are struggling to adapt to the changing season. When rain disrupts this process, it can create some awkward circumstances.

The most unwelcome of these awkward circumstances would have to be the pests. When rain disrupts their behavior, all kinds of pests may end up in places where they wouldn’t normally be. Places like your home. Here’s what to expect from pests after a long rain, why, and how to react.

Cockroaches

cockroachCockroaches need moisture and humidity to stay alive, so they’re naturally attracted to moist and humid places. The problem is, the moist and humid places where they naturally congregate also tend to be vulnerable to flooding. Millions of cockroaches live in sewers, gutters, or drain pipes. When we get heavy rainfall in the spring, these places flood. Flooding forces cockroaches out of their homes and into new places – like your home!

After periods of heavy rain, it’s common to find cockroaches in your kitchen, bathroom, or basement. These roaches are probably flooding refugees that snuck up your drains or through cracks in sills or frames. Once inside, roaches look for food, shelter, and moisture. They love to squeeze under tight hiding places like boxes and furniture, where they can hide until night time. Unfortunately, once cockroaches get inside, they’re in no hurry to leave. They’ll stick around as long as they have access to food and shelter.

Snakes

snakeSnakes tend to come out after rain for several reasons. First, most snakes naturally live close to water. When rainfall floods the banks of rivers and streams, the snakes are forced to seek higher (and drier) ground. Snakes also have to come out after rain to warm back up. As cold-blooded reptiles, snakes rely on sunlight to keep their internal body temperatures up. After days of clouds and rain, snakes get desperate to get warm.

Particularly severe rainy conditions may even force snakes into your home. As dry shelter becomes less and less available, snakes have to get creative if they want to survive. They’ll twist and contort themselves to fit through small cracks and crevices to enter basements and attics. They may even follow other pest-refugees while they’re hunting and stumble into your home inadvertently. Unlike cockroaches, snakes don’t typically stick around after the rain stops, but you might find them in your yard nearby.  

Spiders

spiderFor most pests, heavy rainfall is a nuisance. While it can be a nuisance for spiders, too, it can also be an opportunity. The busiest insect hunters in the world aren’t about to stop their grind for a little rain. After all, the itsy bitsy spider wins out in the end, even in the nursery rhyme. They go where their prey goes, no matter what. That means, when it rains, they’ll follow their prey into your home.

Spiders want to build their webs wherever they think they can catch prey. They’ll find the places where other pests get into your home – window sills, baseboard cracks, etc. – and set up shop there. Often times, spiders already living nearby during rain will move inside to follow prospective prey. Other times, their homes will get wiped out by flooding, just like their prey. Either way, expect to see more spider activity when it rains.

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Termites

TermitesEveryone knows termites eat wood. What fewer people know is, ironically, termites are more attracted to moisture than they are to wood. When you think about it, it makes sense: eating wood has to be thirsty work. Termites need moisture to survive, just like everything else. If they get too dried out while they’re munching away at wood, they’ll die. Termites prefer to strike at wet food, so they can keep hydrated while they work.

Obviously, all wood is wet when it’s getting rained on. During rainy periods, termites may seize the opportunity to attack wood sources that are normally dry. The wetter the wood, the easier it is for termites to chew through it. Rain is a great deal for termites–as long as they can survive it. Just like other pests, termites can easily drown in flooding. They may also target wood that lets them avoid this danger.

 

We know this is probably kind of a bummer. You were just looking forward to being done with winter, and now you have all this to worry about? Maybe April really is the cruelest month! Well, the good new is you don’t have to deal with it alone.

Give Griffin Pest Solutions a call any time you’re worried about a pest infestation. We can make sure your home stay pest-proof this spring and beyond. Rain or shine, Griffin has your back.

The Most (Potentially) Destructive Pest Infestations

The most (potentially) destructive pest infestations

If there’s one thing worse than finding out you have pest infestations, it’s what happens next. As you begin to investigate how long you’ve had the infestation and how extensive it might be, you start to worry. “How long have these pests been living in my home?” “What have they been doing since they got inside?” “What have they been doing since then?”

The scariest thing about pest infestations is how they can do some serious damage before you even find them. Pests like the four listed here could cause hundreds or even thousands of dollars worth of damage to your home or property. We’re not writing this just to scare you, however. We say “could” because if you find these infestations fast enough, you could prevent all this potential damage. Here are four pests you want to deal with as soon as you find them.

 

Termites

Termites can inflict major damage on wooden structures.You knew termites were going to occupy the #1 spot on this list. No other pest does nearly $5 billion dollars worth of property damage every year! Termites have the shocking damage potential they do because they (infamously) infest and eat wood. Termite colonies eat by breaking down the cellulose in wood and carrying it back to their colonies. As their colonies expand, they venture further into the wooden structures they inhabit, carving deeper tunnels. Eventually, these tunnels seriously compromise the structural integrity of the infested wood.

When load-bearing wood becomes compromised, it could fail to, well, bear its load. Termite-infested wood may crack, splinter, or even give way entirely. It’s not unheard of for entire buildings to collapse following a particularly bad termite infestation! As generations of termites grow, they’ll even create “satellite” colonies in new wood sources, spreading the damage they inflict. The longer termite infestations go unaddressed, the worse the damage they inflict could be.

Pantry moths

Pantry moths eat grain products right out of your pantry, which can get expensive surprisingly quickly!Pantry-infesting pests like the common Indian meal moth do a very different kind of damage compared to termites. Where termites could destroy an entire home, moths can’t do any property damage at all. Instead, they go after something even more basic: your food. It might seem silly to call humble, food-infesting pests like moths “destructive”. After all, you can always get more food. But that’s just it. Consider how much you spend on groceries!

If all that food was ruined before you had the chance to eat it, it would be like flushing money down the drain. And pests will ruin that food. If you found caterpillars writhing around in your cereal, you’d lose your appetite–and the cereal box–pretty fast. The damage inflicted by pantry pests adds up in a hurry, especially if you don’t address the root of the problem. Then there’s the psychological toll to consider. Imagine looking forward to some tasty cereal, only to find that some pest beat you to the punch. Not a pretty picture, is it?

Powderpost beetles

Powderpost beetles hollow out wooden furniture, and inflict serious damage on it over timePowderpost beetles tend to be far less well-known than other wood-destroyers, which accounts for some of their destructive potential. Beetle damage can be difficult enough to identify. Some homeowners may not realize they even have a problem until significant damage is done. Powderpost beetles are wood-boring insects that reproduce and lay eggs in the cracks of furniture and other wood sources. When the eggs hatch, larvae begin eating the wood they hatched on immediately.

The tunnels larvae carve through their food sources in the process of eating damages the wood’s structural integrity. Powderpost beetles can eat, mate, and reproduce on a single wood source for several generations, inflicting continuous damage. Identify powderpost damage by looking for small exit holes left behind when larvae emerge from the wood to molt. They also tend to infest moist and/or unfinished wood. Furniture is expensive and difficult to replace, so powderpost beetles can be a particularly infuriating infestation to contend with.

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Rodents

Rodents can start fires if they chew through electrical chords.Yes, unfortunately, the extremely common mice and rat infestations also have the potential to be seriously expensive. Our furry foes can do just about any kind of damage you can imagine. They’ll go to ridiculous lengths to access your food. They’ll nibble and push their way through structures to get inside. They’ll make nests out of paper, insulation, and other materials. And worst of all, they never. Stop. Chewing.

Did you know that rodent teeth never stop growing? To keep their teeth sharp, mice and rats have to teethe continuously by gnawing on… anything and everything. Unfortunately, that can include things that are very bad to gnaw on, like electrical wiring. Rodents start a surprising number of serious home fires every year after biting through wires. It’s a frustrating absurd way to have your home burn down, but that doesn’t make it any less tragic. Don’t underestimate the destructive potential of a rodent infestation–and don’t let it go unchecked.

 

Remember:we call these infestations “potentially” destructive because they don’t have to be. No matter how severe the infestation, taking care of it quickly spares your home (and pocketbook!) from the worst of the damage.

Next time you need some help making sure a “potentially” destructive infestation stays that way, give Griffin a call. We’re always happy to help protect your home and well-being. Especially if it means we can send some termites packing.

The Most Common Pest Problems in Michigan

The Most Common Pest Infestations in Michigan

Every human-populated region on earth deals with its own host of pest problems, and Michigan is no exception. Many of the same features that make Michigan so great–our forests, our interconnected metro areas, our proximity to water–also bring pests from far and wide. Some of these pests comprise a serious, long-lasting threat to the health of the local ecosystem. Some are just out to ruin your day.

We’ve talked at length about the first variety before, so now we’re covering the problems a bit closer to home. These are the four varieties of pest that you’re most likely to encounter in your home. Chances are, you’ve dealt with at least one of these ne’er-do-wells before–even if you didn’t realize it. Here are the Michigan pest “usual suspects”, and how to keep them from bothering you.

Stink bugs

stink bugThe brown marmorated stink bug is Michigan’s newest nemesis, but it’s more-than made up for lost time. The stinky pests are mostly a problem for farmers, since they’re notorious for eating crops. They really only bother households during the fall and spring, when they’re either looking to get warm or trying to get back outside. Even if they infest homes, they don’t reproduce indoors, inflict property damage, or eat human food or fabrics. If you’ve never had them before, you’d be forgiven for thinking stink bugs don’t sound like “pests” at all!

Then you remember what they’re called. When crushed, threatened, or congregated, stink bugs secrete a gross-smelling liquid from specialized glands. The more of it there is, the stronger the smell. Stink bugs often congregate around sunny perches by the hundreds. The best way to deal with stink bugs is by vacuuming them up and throwing out the vacuum bag. Afterward, wipe down surfaces stink bugs walked over to remove the scent and pheromones they may have left behind.

Rodents

rodentsAdmittedly, mice and rats aren’t just the among the most common of pests in Michigan. Anywhere people live, chances are mice and rats are scampering around trying to live alongside them. They’ve been at it long enough, in fact, that rodents have evolved into the ultimate human-home infiltrators. Mice and rats use their sense of smell and amazing ability to sense minute air currents to find ways into homes. They don’t need to find much either; mice and rats can squeeze through unbelievably tiny openings.

Mice and rats may live in your home all year, but they’re particularly prevalent in early to mid fall. As soon as they sense the season begin to change, they’ll start looking for a warm shelter. Rodents use small openings around foundations, utility lines, or window and door frames to get into homes. Finding cracks and gaps like these and sealing them up is the best way to prevent future rodent problems today.

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Carpenter ants

carpenter antsDespite being equally prevalent, carpenter ants are often mistaken for their cousins the sugar, pavement, or field ants. Unfortunately, though carpenter ants may look like their less-distressing cousins, they don’t behave like them at all. Most ants may be content to pursue your home’s food, but carpenter ants have another prize in mind: your home itself. Specifically, the wood your home is made of. Carpenter ants are second only to termites in terms of their wood-destroying, property-damaging potential.

Unlike termites, carpenter ants don’t eat the wood they destroy. Instead, they simply tunnel through it to build their ever-expanding colonies. The ants infest wood that’s moist and easy to bore through, so the best way to prevent them is moisture control. Ensure your plumbing isn’t leaking and your attic, basement, and crawl spaces aren’t too humid. Dispose of any water-damaged wood as soon as you find it, so that carpenter ants won’t.

Bed bugs

bed bugsAs we’ve explained before, everyone’s least-favorite bedfellows have had quite the renaissance in recent years. After developing resistances to the chemicals used to kill them, bed bugs began repopulating at a startling rate. Even worse, the bed bugs’ natural inclination to hide in cramped, dark, and warm places means they are nature’s ultimate hitchhiker. Before we knew what hit us, Americans had transported bed bugs all over the country by plane, train, and automobile. Unfortunately, Michigan wasn’t spared even a little.

Contrary to name and reputation, bed bugs don’t just infest beds. Instead, they gravitate toward any location that’s dark, sheltered, cramped, warm, and near food. It just so happens that beds tend to satisfy those requirements–you’re the food! Find bed bugs by looking for bloody or dark patches on sheets and linens. Prevent them by changing and washing your sheets frequently, and by thoroughly inspecting luggage you bring into your home.

We realize it can’t be comforting knowing that your home state plays host to such a rogue’s gallery. That’s why we’ve decided to end on a bit of good news. Griffin Pest Control has been fighting these common pests right here in Michigan since 1929. As you might suspect, all that practice has made us pretty darn good at it.

Next time you need help clearing out an infestation, or making sure you never get one, give Griffin a call today. We’ve helped thousands of Michigan residents before, and we’re always happy to help you too.

Top 5 Pest Prevention Resolutions for 2018

With each new year comes new responsibilities, new goals, new experiences, and – of course – new resolutions. Our business is pest control so it’s safe to say that our top resolutions all have to do with pest control as well. At Griffin, our goals for 2018 include: 1. Continuing to provide consistent and high quality pest control services to everyone in Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio. 2. Writing a new year’s anthem akin to “Who Let The Dogs Out”, but about bed bugs. We’re… more committed to the first goal, though.

As for you, whatever your resolutions may be, we recommend adding these five to the list. Focusing on them will help you keep your 2018 as pest free, bug free, and stress free as possible.

 

Be more vigilant about cleaning up food waste

Do you know the number one reason pests enter homes? To find something to eat. They don’t care whether it’s soda in a recycling bin, a box of crackers in the pantry, or crumbs on a kitchen counter. Say it with us now: I promise to keep my kitchen cleaner in the new year, both for my own benefit, and to keep pests from making a home in it.

Stay on top of sealing cracks and crevices

It’s really easy not to keep up with the status of things we don’t regularly look at. Case in point: the seals around doors and windows in your home. Cracks that look small to you can be the perfect size for pests to use to get into your home. Promise yourself to take notice of and reseal any cracks with caulk to pest-proof your home in 2018.

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Keep your yard clean

Keeping pests out of your home is as simple as giving them nothing to eat and nowhere to hide. Do you know where pests like to hide? Dirt, trees, piles of leaves, neglected kiddy pools, garden hoses, gutters… and pretty much around all other yard clutter.

A cluttered and messy yard is a yard that’s begging for pests. Paying more attention to the cleanliness and organization of your home’s front and back yards can make a big difference in pest prevention through the new year.

Move your firewood away from the house 

We get it. You’ve read our other blogs. You know there are pesky pests that love to use wood piles as a jumping off point to get inside homes. You’ve probably looked outside and told yourself, “I should move that firewood.”

Well, now’s the time to do it! Keep it at least ten feet from your home so it isn’t a staging ground for future pest infestations. You’ll be happier for it.

Replace cardboard storage containers with plastic ones

Cardboard boxes are easy to come by and easy to use, but it’s not well suited for long term storage. Pests like mice and many varieties of insect love cardboard, because they can chew it up and steal pieces to make nests.

Keeping things stored in cardboard long term is never a great idea. Let this year be the year you finally move all things stored in cardboard in to sturdier, less bite-able plastic containers.

 

Happy New Year from everyone at Griffin Pest. Remember – these resolutions will help you better keep pests out but when disaster strikes despite your best efforts, you can always call us to take care of the problem.