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.

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!

Bed Bugs in Michigan: a Report

Michigan Bed Bug Report

Up until relatively recently, Michigan and most of the rest of the US were almost entirely bed bug-free. Unfortunately, that’s no longer the case. All of a sudden, the beauty sleep-wreckers re-emerged, hardier–and hungrier!–than ever. In just a few short years, bed bugs proliferated all over the US and reclaimed their status as major pests.

Unfortunately, Michigan was not spared from the bed bug’s resurgence. In fact, we got hit worse than most of the rest of the US! If we’re going to combat the new bed bug menace infiltrating our state, we have to get organized. That’s why Griffin put together this bed bug situation report for residents of Michigan and the rest of the Midwest. This is everything you need to know about why bed bugs are back and why they’re a problem.

How Bad It Is

Michigan and the rest of the midwest have a serious bed bug problemAs of 2015, 99.6% of all pest control companies in the US reported treating bed bug infestations. 95% of the pest professionals who treated for bed bugs reported infestations in apartments and condos. According to the same report, 1 in 5 Americans have either encountered bed bugs themselves or know someone who has. In 2013, Americans spent around $446 million treating bed bug infestations.

Michigan’s bed bug problem is particularly severe. As of 2017, 605 bed bug infestations have been reported in commercial properties in Michigan on The Bedbug Registry. Detroit ranked #3 on a 2017 list of the top 50 worst cities for bed bugs in the US. In a different 2015 report, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Battle Creek, and Detroit all ranked in the top 20. Griffin gets calls about residential and commercial bed bug infestations almost every single day.

Why They’re Back

Bed bugs have recently become a major problem againThere are a couple theories about why bed bugs are back with a vengeance after their prolonged absence. Most disturbingly, recent studies show that bed bugs have developed resistances to the pesticides commonly used to control them. Resisting these common chemicals means bed bugs survive in much greater numbers, even in controlled environments. The more bed bugs survive, the more they grow, reproduce, and spread out.

Unfortunately, this rapid expansion is facilitated by our commuter and travel-based society. Bed bugs are consummate hitchhikers. Travelers inadvertently transport them from place to place on bags, luggage, clothing, and other commonly transported items. Finally, because they hadn’t been a problem for so long, the public doesn’t quite know how to handle them. Most of the thousands of bed bed infestations that occur every year could have been prevented relatively easily. When it comes to fighting the bed bug menace, knowing is more than half the battle!

Where They Came From

Bed bugs spread by traveling with unwitting commuters and touristsAlright, we’re not going to try to pass the blame onto someone else. The fact of the matter is, bed bugs are everyone’s responsibility. Buuuut… Ok, remember how Detroit was #3 on the list of worst cities for bed bugs? Well, Ohio cities Cleveland and Cincinnati ranked at #1 and #2, respectively. As major urban centers, thousands of people travel between each of these three cities every single day. They bring all their cargo and luggage with them–and often, their bed bugs, too!

Like we said above, the number one way bed bugs spread is by hitchhiking with travelers. Bed bugs smuggle themselves from place-to-place on cargo and luggage. When they reach a new destination, they spread out in search of food and hiding places. If they find either of these in a home or business, they’ll stick around to hunt and reproduce. When the next generation is born, they’ll spread out to find new homes, and the process begins again.

Who’s At Risk

Travelers are at increased risk of bed bug infestationBed bugs spread with travelers, so anywhere that sees lots of traffic is going to see more bed bugs. That means places like hotels are more likely to contend with bed bugs. They’re not the only ones, however. Any frequent traveler should be particularly careful about bed bugs, especially if they frequent hotels or travel with bags. This counts for people expecting company, too.

Contrary to popular belief, bed bugs are not a sign of a dirty home or bad hygiene. Any traveller can carry them, and they can end up anywhere. Bed bugs can hitchhike on virtually any transported item, including furniture, suitcases, bags, laundry, and (of course) bedding. The more opportunities they have to enter a structure, the more likely it is that they will. That means recent movers are at high risk of bed bug infestation.

The situation we’ve painted here looks dire, but remember: you’re not fighting this battle alone. Griffin is here to help. We’ve taught you how to identify bed bugs. We’ve helped you protect yourself when traveling or commuting. All the info on bed bugs you need, we have.

And if you ever need more than info, all you have to do is call. Our treatments will guarantee that the bed bugs don’t bite ever again.