How Can I Tell If I Have a Pest Infestation?

Signs You Have a Pest Infestation

Every pest infestation leaves behind some sign of the pest’s presence. Look for grime or other buildups on walls, smeared droppings, or bite damage on fabric and paper. See if you can smell strange odors in your basement, attic, or crawlspace. Check pest-prone areas consistently to look for changes.

If you can learn to identify pest infestations quickly, you can take action to remove them sooner. The sooner you can remove pest infestations, the lower the chance that they’ll do permanent damage… or spread. If you’re worried you have a pest infestation, look for any of the following four signs. The sooner you find evidence like this, the sooner you can take the next steps:

Old wall with smudged buildup in the lower corner - Signs you have a pest infestation

Grimy Buildup

Whatever pest infestation you have, they’re making a mess somewhere. Bugs, rodents, spiders, and beetles all prefer dark, enclosed, humid places, so start your search in the basement or attic. Look high-and-low, in corners, under furniture, along the edges of the walls, and near window frames. You might find grease stains, crumbs or other food remains, dirt smudges or even discarded hair.

Rodents, in particular, tend to familiarize themselves with set routes and then stick to them, so look for trails of grease or grime where their bodies may have rubbed off against the walls. If your floors or sills are dusty, look for trails left behind by pests moving around. Early signs like these are often subtle, so look closely, be patient, and believe yourself. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.

Clump of rat hair - signs you have a pest infestation

Droppings

It turns outs pests don’t practice great hygiene. There’s a reason they’re called “pests”, after all, and it isn’t because they’re fun to have around. Pests leave behind their waste just like everything else. Look for small droppings around the same pest-attractive areas you search for less conclusive evidence.

The type of dropping you may find will help you determine the kind of infestation you have. Rodent droppings are spindly or conical and solid. They’ll be small and may not look or smell like much of anything. Insect droppings are even smaller, but may also include shed or discarded skin, wings, or body parts. It’s tough to be a bug. Obviously, spiders make webs to catch prey. They tend to know their stuff when it comes to pest-catching, so anywhere you find webs, look for ways other pests may be getting in nearby.

Woman wearing clothes pin on her nose so she won't have to smell - signs you have a pest infestation

Smells

Pests can produce a wide variety of smells, and pretty much all of them are unpleasant. All kinds of pests, including ants, beetles, rodents, or other bugs often carry off food to enjoy in a secluded place. The problem is, sometimes they don’t finish their meal and it begins to rot. If you smell rotting food and you can’t find it, it could be that a pest carried a piece of fruit into your walls.

Pests may also bite through food packaging in an attempt to get at its contents, breaking an airtight seal and exposing perishable foods. If you smell particularly foul odors, it’s possible that your pests are dying in their hiding places or walls and then rotting. Of course, their droppings often smell, too. If you’ve got a strange scent in your house that you can’t quite place, and it’s definitely not pleasant, an infestation could be the problem.

Torn fabric - signs you have a pest infestation

Fabric Damage

Unfortunately, moths aren’t the only pests who damage fabric and clothing. Different kinds of beetles, ants, rodents and bugs also feed on or at least chew through vulnerable fabric. Look for small holes or tears on clothing, drapes, carpeting, furniture, and any other fabric-based stuff you may have. It may not seem particularly appealing to us, but pests don’t mind the taste of underwear one bit.

When we say “fabric damage,” we don’t just mean bite marks, either. Like anything else they’re around, pests can make fabric dirty. Look for smudges of dirt, grease, grime, or droppings on your fabric. These dirty patches may be very small, but they could get big too. Look at freshly washed and dried clothing especially. See if your fresh laundry gets dirty or damaged before you even have a chance to wear it.

 

If you find any of these four signs during your inspection, give us a call. We’ll use the info you helpfully provide to figure exactly what kinds of pest infestation you’re dealing with, where they’re coming from, and how we can keep them out. We know we can take care of your problem quickly and effectively, because we’ve done it countless times before. Happy hunting!

Letting the Honey Bees Just Be

honey bee on blossom

Certain species of stinging insects, like honey bees and bumble bees, are very beneficial to Michigan’s environment since they pollinate crops and flowers. The flowering plants and crops provide food to bees and bees help with plant reproduction. It is a pretty good relationship for both parties.

About the Honey Bees

Honey bees naturally nest in tree cavities or other suitable sites, and forage in forests and fields where flowering plants are abundant. However, as cities continue to grow and land is used increasingly for agriculture or other purposes, bees’ natural habitats are dwindling.
Habitat destruction is a possible reason for the recent decline in both native bee species and honey bees. The search for suitable nesting sites becomes more difficult and interactions with people increase as honey bees seek out nesting sites in homes or other human occupied structures.
Concerns over loss of habitat and pollinator health, as well as the confusion over which stinging insects pose a threat and which deliver the environmental benefits we mentioned earlier, have been well-documented in the media.

The honey bee is one of the “good guys” and Griffin Pest Solutions knows and respects that. We work closely with local beekeepers to protect bee colonies unless they pose a threat to the public. Griffin only uses products specifically labeled for stinging insects and applies them with great care to prevent bees and other pollinators from being harmed.

Recently one of our service technicians encountered a swarm of honey bees resting in a tree and after assessing the situation he spoke to the property owner. We helped the customer rope off the area to prevent anyone from getting too close, after a few restful hours, nature was able to take it’s course with the honey bees moving along.

What can you do?

But how do you know what stinging insects are friends and which ones are possible foes?
Aggressive stinging insects, such as wasps (i.e. yellowjackets) and hornets are often easily mistaken for “bees.” Knowing the difference between various stinging insects can help people avoid getting stung and know when it’s necessary to have a nest or hive removed.
If you have any doubt on whether or not a stinging insect is harmful, to please give Griffin Pest Solutions us a call. We will come out and make a proper identification and, if necessary, provide treatment recommendations.

We also strongly encourage homeowners not to try to move or destroy a stinging insect nest on their own – this could cause serious harm to you and your family – and leave that task to a trained professional.
If you have questions or concerns about stinging insects call or e-mail Griffin Pest Solutions at 888/547-4334 or callcenter@https://www.griffinpest.com/ for more information and a free estimate.

And, for additional information on honey bees and other pollinators, check out http://www.pollinatorhealth.org/

Bee Safety Tips

Bee safety tips – how you can take the buzz out of stinging insects

According to the National Pest Management Association, stinging insects send more than 500,000 people to the emergency room each year. Stinging insects including yellow jackets, carpenter bees, hornets and wasps call a variety of locations in and around a structure home including trees and bushes, building corners and overhangs, gutters, garbage cans, and under patios and decks.  What can you do to stay safe?  Read on, our bee safety tips can help you & your pets stay safe this summer.

It is also a known fact that certain species of stinging insects, like the honey and bumblebee, are very beneficial to our environment as they pollinate crops and flowers. But how do you know what stinging insect is a friend and which is a foe?

Yes, we know that bees are aren’t the only insect that can sting you, that’s why proper identification of the specie is the first step to determining if they are a threat or not. Stinging insects that pose a threat to humans include the bald-faced hornet, wasps and yellowjackets.

Yellowjackets are the most troublesome stinging insect pest in Michigan and the one Griffin Pest Solutions receives the most calls on. Their top billing on the annoyance chart comes from their close proximity to where people live and play.

Yellowjackets nest in and around homes because they are attracted to many of the foods we enjoy eating outdoors. Depending on the specie present they will build nests in wall voids, attics, crawlspaces and other enclosed cavities while other species will build nests underground.

A yellowjacket nest yellowjacket nest will have a paper Mache-like appearance that is made of wood mixed the insect’s saliva. Their main food source is other insects but they will aggressively forage for foods that are high in sugar content and that are often found on your picnic table or in garbage cans including beer, soda and fruit.

The carpenter bee, another commonly encountered stinging insect, presents a two-headed threat as it will sting if disturbed but also will bore into wood decks and sidings to construct their nests and in the process weaken the structural integrity of the wood.

Griffin Pest Solutions Three Tips for Avoiding Harmful Stinging Insects include:

  • Identify It Correctly – There are many kinds of beneficial flies that closely resemble wasps, and there are many kinds of “solitary” wasps, such as sand wasps, which also look exactly the same as yellow jackets but that pose a much lower risk. Griffin will make a proper identification before recommending a treatment option.
  • Take Away the Source of the Infestation – Removing a stinging insect’s source of food and shelter is the first step toward preventing and eliminating these pests. Cleaning up food and grease spills in outdoor patios and cooking areas (especially around the grill), using tight fitting lids on garbage and recycling containers, and emptying them on a regular basis, and covering food in sealed containers.
  • Use Exclusion Techniques – Seal exterior cracks and crevices to prevent stinging insects from entering your home and building nests. Make sure window, door and ventilation opening screens are not torn or missing.

Griffin Pest Solutions recommends that if you have any doubt on whether or not a stinging insect or any pest is harmful, to please give us a call. We also strongly encourage homeowners not to try to move or destroy a stinging insect nests on their own – this could cause serious harm to you and your family – and leave the task to a trained professional.

If you have questions or concerns about ants in and around your home call or e-mail Griffin Pest Solutions at 888/547-4334 or callcenter@https://www.griffinpest.com/ for more information and a free estimate.

You can learn more about bee safety tips and prevention by visiting the Centers for Disease Control’s http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2010-117/

New Medicine Developed to Protect Dwindling Bee Population from Disease

Bumble BeeTo help protect the swiftly dwindling bee population across the world, Swedish scientists and researchers recently developed a new method to protect the bees from diseases. Large populations of bees have been going missing in parts of Europe and the United States. Microbiologists at the Lund University have created a patented treatment made from stomach bacteria of healthy bees as well as lactic acid. Known as SymBeeotic, the team describes the medicine as a major boost to the immune system of bees and is hoping to reduce the rate of deaths. Working on the project, Dr Alejandra Vasquez commented that the product is an active protection from both European and American foulbrood diseases.

Being one of the most deadly diseases for bee population, SymBeeotic tackles the foulbrood bacteria by boosting immunity. The team also added saying that the medicine will be most effective if beekeepers provide their bee cultures with SymBeeotic instead of using antibiotics. The research and development of SymBeeotic has been ongoing for almost ten years and will soon be launched in an annual beekeeper conference in Russia. Co-researcher from Lund University, Dr Tobias Olofsson added that SymBeeotic was the only existing medicine that boosted the natural immunity of bees. Over time, the use of antibiotics often makes them resistant to the effects and more vulnerable to infections from foulbrood.

Why are the bees disappearing?

Honey bees are at a common threat from many sources, including fungal diseases, bacteria, and virus, parasites, pests as well as pesticides. It has been established that since 2006, beekeepers in North America have noted a loss of 30% to 90% in their colonies. The case is similar in many other parts of the world including South America, Central America, Asia, and Europe.

However recently, a new epidemic in bee population has severely affected its presence. CCD, also known as Colony Collapse Disorder results in large populations dying one after another. Some of the main reasons for this sudden change in bee populations include stress, malnutrition, and pollution. This increase in undesirable environments slowly weakened the immune system of bee populations around the global that made them more vulnerable to disease. Other speculated reasons for this sudden decrease in bee populations include man made devices, cell phone radiations, and the advent of genetically modified crops that are not deemed safe for bees.

Why do we need bees?

The impact of honey bees in human lives is far more extensive than imagined. Most crops and vegetation are maintained and furthered through pollination from bees. Without bees, these crops would remain as is and would fail to reproduce. Agricultural crops all over the world rely on bee populations as they facilitation pollination for well over one hundred varieties of fruits and vegetables. The limited growth as well as food supplies would cause global emergencies, leading to starvation. This decrease in bee population can cause a sudden imbalance in food production and cause failure of hundreds of species of nuts, fruits, and vegetables.

While scientists are doing their part in developing new medicines to prevent bacterial and viral diseases in bees, communities and neighborhoods can also make an impact. By taking a proactive stand and helping restore bee colonies, children and adults in the community can preserve and protect bees. Planting bee-attracting crops like vegetables and flowers, sponsoring researches and supporting local beekeepers are simple yet effective ways of making change. You can also join local associations and remain aware of how you can combat colony collapse disorder and protect honey bees. Slowly becoming a global epidemic, bee deaths are becoming alarmingly common all over the world and extensive measures taken immediately are the only way to preserve what is left of honey bee populations.