FAQ

• Use Insect Repellent
• Wear Light Colored Clothes
• Avoid Areas with High Grass
• Wear Long Pants
• Wear Long Sleeved Shirts
• Wear Socks

Despite their bad reputation, spiders are extremely useful in our gardens and ecosystem. They are nature’s top pest control agents. Spiders aid in controlling other common pests like mosquitoes, cockroaches, grasshoppers, and flies. All of these insects have been known to devastate crops, gardens, and homes. In fact, it’s estimated that worldwide, spiders eat 400-800 million metric tons of insects every year

Chemical control can only do so much. Spiders can aid in limiting the population of the pests and can do more! Spiders significantly decrease the onset of several diseases such as malaria from mosquitoes and typhoid from house flies. In addition to being crop protectors and disease defenders, spiders’ venom is currently being studied by scientists as a way to help to treat arthritis. Medical applications that also involve the use(s) of spider silk and spider venom are increasing in number.

A common household item that will help keep spiders away from your home is vinegar. 

• Half vinegar & water spray
• Spray directly on spiders, webs, and in places you find them

Another way to get rid of spiders is by keeping you home clean.

• Spiders like to hide in nooks and crannies
• Use plastic containers instead of cardboard (harder to climb in)
• Regular dusting and vacuuming

• Peppermint Oil
• Tea Tree
• Lavender
• Rose
• Cinnamon

Boxelder bugs are black with red or orange markings on their back. They have 6 legs and two antennae, and get their name from the trees they live on and lay their eggs in during the warmer months. They can often be found congregating together in warm spots while they attempt to find safe, warm places to stay alive during the winter months.

Your home is a favorite place where boxelder bugs like to overwinter. They enter your home through small cracks and crevices and present a real pest control issue when large groups of them infest your home. Boxelder bugs rarely bite, but their mouths can penetrate the skin if mishandled and leave you with a small red bump similar to a mosquito bite. Their feces can leave reddish stains on fabric. If crushed, the boxelder bug can release a strong unpleasant odor. 

The Asian Ladybug, also known as the Asian Lady Beetle, is a common insect that will often use your home to overwinter, congregating in warm spots in large numbers when temperatures begin to cool. These beetles have the ability to squeeze into small cracks and crevices, and have even been known to squeeze themselves through closed windows! They tend remain dormant for the winter, but are known to resurface throughout a home when temperatures warm up to 50 degrees or more.

The Asian Ladybeetle looks very similar to the native Ladybug. When congregated in large groups, they emit a foul odor. This beetle can and will bite. Asain Ladybugs don’t appear to breed indoors, so any that you find over the winter in your home likely found their way inside from the outdoors. 

Cluster Flies are slightly larger than the common housefly. They are dull gray in color with black markings and numerous tiny golden-yellow hairs. This pest tends to show up during the colder fall months in large numbers, and they are often seen on the sides of houses warming up in the sun while searching for a safe spot to protect them during the cold winter months. They do not reproduce indoors.

Cluster flies are a nuisance pest. They are unsightly and may leave small dark spots from their excrement. Fortunately, there are no known diseases that are carried by the cluster fly.

The easiest pest control strategy is to prevent these flies from entering your home in the first place. If indoors, you may use insecticides to eliminate them from your home. However, it’s best to hire a professional exterminator since using insecticides in your home can be a potentially serious health risk to you and your family. 

The Brown Marmorated Stink Bug is a common pest that can wreak havoc on fruits and vegetables during the summer months. They are brown colored with a flat body that is shaped like a shield. During the winter months, this overwintering pest can invade your home in large numbers, creating a serious pest control problem.

Like all pests seeking shelter in your home, the best strategy is to prevent them from entering in the first place. Stink bugs enter your home through windows, cracks, and crevices around your home. Locate these openings and seal them before temperatures begin to fall. One inside, you can find these pests hiding behind baseboards, window and door trim, and around exhaust fans or lights in the ceiling.

If crushed, the Stink Bug emits a pungent odor that can linger for a long time. Home Stink Bug removal can be tricky. It’s advised that you seek a professional exterminator to help get rid of Stink Bugs in your home. 

Fleas rarely jump from host to host. Instead, flea transmission is done through eggs. After their first blood meal, female fleas can lay up to 100 eggs in a day. These eggs are not attached and will often fall off the host. A flea egg can lay dormant for up to 100 days until the right conditions for hatching occur. 

A majority of infestations originate from outside. Common carriers are dogs, cats, raccoons, opossums, and coyotes. While these carrier animals walk around they continuously drop eggs off their bodies. Fleas thrive in the same shady protected areas your pets like to cool off in. During the day these animals seek shelter from the elements and create what is known as flea hotspots. A cool place like under a deck or beneath bushes are great places to relax for wild animals and pets alike.  

Another common source of fleas is from dormant eggs. Moving into a new home can cause a previously dormant flea population to re-emerge. You don’t even need to have pets. If the previous owner had fleas simply living inside will trigger the flea eggs to hatch causing a new infestation.

After her first blood meal, a female can lay up to 100 eggs a day! These eggs are not attached so they fall off the host and lay dormant until conditions are right for hatching. Larvae hatch from the eggs and feed off any available natural material like dead insects, pet hair, vegetable matter, etc. The larva can live up to 18 days before they die, or given adequate food, cocoon for up to 4 days while it metamorphosis into an adult. An average adult flea lives for 2 to 3 months, but given optimum conditions, an adult flea can live up to a year and a half!

When exterminating fleas it’s important to attack all stages of the flea life cycle. Even if you thoroughly clean and do everything right, you may find yourself fighting the same flea infestation a few months later. If you’ve done everything and you’re still having flea problems contact a professional for advice.

Keep an eye on your pets. Indoor pets are not safe from flea infestations! The first sign that you have fleas is an itchy pet. It’s important to note that not all itching is from fleas. Dry skin or allergies are just a couple of other reasons your pet may be itchy. A good indicator is if the itching is sudden and intense. If your pets jump up and begin gnawing on itself you should thoroughly check your pet for fleas. Chances are your pet was just bitten by a flea.

Fleas are tiny and can be very hard to spot, especially if your pet has long or dark fur. If you do find a flea it can be extremely hard to get off. Fleas are tiny, fast, and can jump extremely far! Fortunately, fleas leave behind clear signs of their presence. If you can’t find any fleas look for tiny black specs. These specs are the droppings of fleas after they digest their blood meal. Fleas like dark and warm places so be sure to look around the groin, tail, and armpits of your pets for signs of fleas.

Fleas carry a large number of bacteria that can be harmful to humans. These can cause disease in humans. Fleas are responsible for the Black Death in Europe during the 1300’s killing 20 million people in 5 years. 

Fleas can cause serious problems with your pets. They can carry parasites like tapeworms that can pass onto your pets if they swallow one while grooming themselves. Pets can develop allergic reactions to flea bites. When a pet becomes allergic the itching can be unbearable and impossible to ignore. If left untreated the bites become infected and require extensive veterinary care. Fleas can make your animal sick. In extreme infestations the fleas can drain so much of a host’s blood they can become very ill.

There are countless ways to treat your pets for fleas. Fleas are resilient and hard to kill. Not only that, but you generally have to fight off multiple generations of fleas depending on how bad the infestation is. There are a large number of topical solutions you can put on your pet to prevent or kill fleas. Be careful! Many of these topical treatments use harsh insecticides and if not used properly (or in some cases even if used properly) may cause serious injury or death of your pet. Be sure to read and follow the directions exactly to reduce the chances of harmful side effects. There are natural remedies out there, some better than others.

Aside from topical flea treatments, there are also medication and apparel like flea collars that can help fight fleas. Do your homework and consult a vet before applying anything to the skin of your pet.

Simply put, yes! Treating your pet is only the first step to stopping fleas. You must also treat your home. Flea eggs drop off their hosts and can lay dormant for up to 100 days! This means you could potentially be battling fleas for over 3 months before you can be confident they are eradicated. 

Fleas and their eggs are durable, but they aren’t invincible. Start with the common areas your pets lay. Wash their bedding with hot water and soap. Add borax to ensure all the fleas are killed. After the wash, run your load through the dryer on its hottest setting.

Talcum powder is another tool you can use to help eliminate your flea problem. Thoroughly vacuum your entire home, especially any “hotspots” your pets may spend time, like their crates and bedding areas. There are countless flea sprays and foggers on the market. These are toxic so all animals and children should be removed and not returned until the area is properly ventilated. After any fogger be sure to wipe down all surfaces you may come in contact with to avoid getting the poison on your skin.

Carpenter bees are found all over the United States, especially here in West Michigan. Unlike most bee species, these animals are solitary creatures, however, it’s not uncommon to find a male and female working together.

Carpenter bees do not eat wood for nutrition. Instead, they burrow through the wood to make galleries where the eggs and carpenter bee larvae grow. They eat pollen and nectar from flowering plants and bring it back to the nest for the carpenter bee larvae to feed on. While they do provide pollination for plants, they aren’t “heavy-lifters” like other bee species such as the Honey Bee or Bumble Bee. 

Carpenter bees build their nests in softwood, earning them the nick-name Wood Bees or Wood Burrowing Bees. Old, untreated, and unpainted wood around your home makes perfect nests for carpenter bees. You’ll often find them burrowed in porches, old trees, sheds or any other structure with softwood. Coniferous trees are a favorite home for them. They’ll burrow round holes about ½ inch in diameter and can leave “frass” or sawdust outside the entrance.

Most carpenter bee nests will consist of a male and a female. The male bee stands guard, hovering around the nest to protect it from predators. Most often if you are attacked by a carpenter bee it will be the male. The female is the only bee that actually burrows in wood. She can burrow 2-4 feet through wood every season as she makes her nesting gallery for her carpenter bee larvae to grow.

Like termites, Carpenter Bees are one of the primary wood-destroying insects in the United States. Unlike termites, Carpenter Bees don’t actually eat the wood. They prefer softwoods like conifers. Always the opportunist, carpenter bees are just as likely to find a home in your home or other outside structure. The female will burrow a hole a ½ inch wide about 4 – 6 inches deep. Once inside she will begin to branch off into multiple chambers perpendicular to the main tunnel. These tunnels are often inhabited by multiple generations and can grow up to 4 feet each season!

While rare, given enough time, carpenter bees can cause serious structural damage to any structure. They have also been known to kill trees if gone unchecked. And the bees themselves are not the only problem. Woodpeckers can wreak havoc on the structure while they peck at your structures or trees trying to get at the bees. In fact, a single woodpecker will cause significantly more damage than the bees ever could. By removing the bees you are also deterring woodpeckers from looking for food within your home or structure.

The male Carpenter Bee is EXTREMELY territorial. They spend their day hovering around the nest. They’ll dive-bomb any insect, animal or human that wanders too close. This can be very intimidating due to their large size. The male Carpenter Bee will make a very loud buzzing sound and bump into you with its large body. But this is all an empty threat. Male Carpenter Bees don’t actually have a stinger so they are unable to hurt you.

Only the female carpenter bee has a stinger. Fortunately, it’s very unlikely you’ll ever be accidentally stung by one. Female carpenter bees are generally docile but will defend herself if necessary. But she’s not easily threatened. If you’re waving your hands around trying to swat at her, or are digging into her nest, you’ll very likely get stung. If you stay calm and leave her alone, she’ll do the same.

Despite the aggressive nature of the male Carpenter Bee, he can’t hurt you in any way since he doesn’t have a stinger. The female, however, can and will attack if threatened. The carpenter bee sting is very similar to a bumblebee sting, but since they are solitary creatures, you’ll never be swarmed by a nest of carpenter bees. The female is capable of stinging multiple times. Each sting injects venom containing Melittin, a component that causes pain and the destruction of tissue.

A typical reaction to a Carpenter Bee sting is an immediate sharp pain for a few minutes, followed by dull aching. The bee sting often causes redness and swelling in the immediate area around the sting. The redness and swelling will reduce in time. The skin may continue to be sensitive and itch over the next few days.

Carpenter Bees are not usually dangerous to humans. However, people allergic to bee venom may experience a severe allergic reaction to the sting. If stung, they can experience any number of the following symptoms, and should seek immediate medical attention! Extreme allergic reactions can be fatal!

1. Significant skin reactions like hives, itching, and flush or pale skin
2. Difficulty breathing
3. Swelling of the throat or tongue
4. A weak, rapid pulse
5. Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea
6. Dizziness or fainting
7. Loss of consciousness

There are a number of ways you can get rid of nuisance Carpenter bees on your property. Due to the potentially dangerous nature of bee stings, we strongly recommend hiring a professional exterminator to inspect and remove any nests.

Safeguard Pest Solutions is your best choice for quality, local bee removal services. We specialize in beehive removal and will advise you on how to prevent future infestations. We offer quality home pest control and commercial pest control solutions and reasonable rates. Call or contact us today for a free consultation.

Bed bugs are tiny insects capable of being seen with the naked human eye. Depending on where they are in their life cycle, and whether they just fed or not,  will determine what you’re looking for. All bed bugs are flat and oval-shaped. They have 6 legs, two antennae, and no wings. They are great climbers capable of scaling vertical surfaces with relative ease. 

Nymph bed bugs are translucent in color. If they just fed, the abdomen will appear a reddish color. That color will change to a rusty color all the way to black as it digests its meal. The newborn nymph bed bugs range in size from 2 – 5 millimeters in length.

As bed bugs grow into adults they molt their skin and turn a darker brown color. Adult bed bugs are rusty red / brown in color. A fully grown adult is a quarter of an inch long or larger! An adult bed bug is roughly the size of an apple seed. 

You think you found a bed bug. There are signs of bed bugs on a mattress or in sheets that you can look for. If you wake up with itchy areas that weren’t there when you went to bed you may have bed bugs. Remove your bedding and do a thorough search of the mattress, sheets and surrounding area. Look for signs like:

Bloodstains on your sheets or mattress.

Dark or rusty spots on your bedding and nearby walls from bed bug excrement.

Bed bug fecal spots, eggshells, or shed skin in areas bed bugs may reside.

An offensive musty odor from the bed bug’s scent gland.

Be sure to also check the surrounding area around the bed. Bed bugs will hide in many places. Remove the dust cover of box springs and carefully examine the seams in the wood frame. Peel back the fabric where it’s stapled to get a closer look. Check anything on your nightstand including inside any books, telephones, and radios. Also, check the edge of carpets and even electrical outlets for signs of bed bug infestations.

Under ideal conditions, you can have a bed bug infestation in as little as 3 – 4 weeks!

A female bed bug can lay 3 to 5 eggs a day, and up to 500 in the span of its lifetime. These eggs hatch in 6 to 10 days into baby bed bugs called nymphs. Nymphs will molt their skin five times before reaching adulthood. They require at least 1 feeding before they molt. An average lifespan of a bed bug is 2 – 4 months.

Where do bed bugs come from? Bed bugs are found where a lot of people come and go. You’ll find them in hotels, hostels, shelters, and apartments. They like to hide in small nooks and crevices. Bed bugs can hitch a ride on luggage, pets, furniture, clothing, boxes and pretty much anything you bring into your home.

Bed bugs are found worldwide but are more common in developed countries. Bed bugs were once a rare thing in the United States, but has seen a rise in population due to more international travel and the government’s ban on a popular, but dangerous, insecticide DDT.

Most bite victims are unaware they were ever bitten until later. Bed bugs have a numbing agent in their saliva that prevents you from feeling the bite. In addition, bed bugs are nocturnal and tend to bite victims when they are in deep REM sleep.

Each person reacts differently to bed bug bites. Most bites are itchy at first and turn into tiny red welts. Many people mistake these for mosquito bites. Reactions range from nothing to mild red spots, or to severe rashes or hives. Bed bug bites tend to be in straight lines around your ankle, arms, or shoulders. In order to positively confirm your bite marks are from bed bugs, you must find and identify them.

First, you should reach out to us for home pest control or commercial pest control services in Muskegon, MI. Next, be prepared to do a LOT of cleaning and laundry! Remove ALL affected areas including bed linens, sheets, clothing, pillowcases, etc., and wash them with hot water and heat. Use hot water and dry on the hottest setting. Get rid of all the clutter around your bed and vacuum the area thoroughly and purchase an enzyme cleaner to clean all surfaces. Seal up any areas where bed bugs may hide by gluing down loose wallpaper, caulking up walls, and sealing cracks. Repeat these steps frequently until the infestation is gone.

Purchase a well-made, tightly woven mattress and box spring zippered cover, which Safeguard Pest Solutions has available to purchase. This will seal any bugs inside and prevent more from getting in. Bed bugs can live for up to a year without feeding. So make sure to leave the cover on for at least 1 year. You may want to get rid of your mattress and buy a new one. If you do, be sure to take care of the rest of your home, or else bed bugs will infest your new mattress.

If you are going out of town for a trip make sure to check your lodging immediately. Bed bugs can stow away in your luggage and clothes and enter your home when you return.

If you have purchased any furniture from a second-hand store or garage sale, be sure to check it thoroughly for signs of bed bug infestation before bringing it into your home.

Visitors entering your home may also bring in bed bugs. They don’t have to stay or sleep in your bed either. Be especially mindful of routine visitors like health aides, maids, and nurses who go in and out of many people’s homes as a part of their job.

When coming home from a trip, launder all your clothing before putting them back. Do not unpack your luggage on the carpet. Unload your bags on a hard light surface like cement or hardwood floors where any potential bugs or eggs can easily be seen. Clean your luggage out with a steam cleaner and/or hot water and heat.

Hotel rooms, restaurants, apartment complexes, or other commercial property. Our pest control treatments to rid your home of spiders include natural solutions and baiting systems, as well as odorless sprays to get rid of them and prevent their return. 

Safeguard Pest Solutions is much more than your average pest control company. Boasting decades of combined experience in the residential and commercial pest control industries, we have the time, talent, and tools you need to remove pests without any abrasive ingredients. We pride ourselves on safe, odorless, and natural solutions for every infestation we find. Plus, our bed bug inspections are always free!

Ready to get started? You can get a complimentary phone consultation with Safeguard Pest Solutions today.