Why Do These Pests Keep Coming to Michigan?

Michigan river in the fall. "Why do pests love Michigan?"

Griffin Pest Control has served Michigan since 1929, and since then we’ve been kept the same pests out of homes and businesses every single year. What is it about Michigan that keeps pests like these coming back? What do they find here that they can’t get anywhere else?

Like all animals, pests adapt to survive and thrive in their environments. The pests of Michigan keep coming back because they’re literally built to get everything they need from our environment. Understanding what common pests like these need to survive can help you learn how to deprive them of it. Then, they’ll go elsewhere for food and shelter.

termite on wood

Termites

The state of Michigan is 36 million acres of land. 20 of the 36 million acres of this land are considered forest. That means Michigan is one of the most heavily forested states in the country. 8 million acres of this forest is owned and protected by the government, meaning it hasn’t been developed or harvested. It’s the largest state forest system in the country, with three national forests, three national parks, two national wildlife refuges, and 2 million acres of open hunting and fishing land.

What does all that add up to? Trees. About 11.4 billion of them. As you’re probably all-too-aware, termites eat wood. Especially natural, growing or rotting wood. Michigan’s abundant and protected forests are a paradise for hungry termites, and unfortunately, so are any nearby homes.

stink bug

Stink Bugs

Like we covered last month, stink bugs are relatively new to Michigan, but we’re included them because they’ve quickly become a problem. The main problem species is the brown marmorated stink bug. This species is native to Asia and considered invasive in the US. It was first discovered in Michigan in 2010 in Berrien County. Stink bugs are notoriously good at proliferating by hitching rides with travelers by stowing away in luggage, bags, cars, or even clothes.

Stink bugs feed primarily on vegetable, fruit, nut, and legume crops, so they’re a big problem for Michigan farmers. While they aren’t nearly unique to Michigan, our climate, farms, and ecological diversity make the state a perfect environment for stink bugs to stink up.

bedbug

Bed Bugs

Bed bugs become a problem for any area that has a highly mobile populace, an older urban infrastructure, and/or a rural and urban areas in relatively close proximity. Michigan, like many states in America, has all of these. Bed bugs are even better at hitching rides with unsuspecting travellers than even stink bugs.

As people travel into and out of Detroit and Michigan’s other major cities, they often end up carrying bed bugs in and out, too. Once they make it to the big city, bed bugs find their way into buildings by exploiting the sorts of cracks and crevices that naturally show up in older buildings. Worst of all, bed bugs can be really difficult to get rid of, because they lay tiny eggs in great numbers and reproduce quickly. A lot of the bed bugs in Detroit have been living there for hundreds of generations.

boxelder bug

Boxelder Bugs

For boxelder bugs, the motivation is right in the name. This species of true bug (boxelder bugs are not a beetle, contrary to popular belief) feed almost exclusively on acer tree species like boxelder trees, along with maple and ash trees.

As you may have guessed, Michigan has a lot of acer trees. Unlike a lot of pests, boxelders need to hibernate in the winter. Boxelder swarms happen in Michigan around fall for two reasons: one, the eggs adult boxelders hatch on acer trees hatch. Two, because boxelders need to find shelter to get through the winter. Michigan winters get cold and come fast, so boxelders get desperate, and you see a lot of them around your house.

 

Every region in the world has its own ecosystem and its own unique set of pest problems. At least the pest problems we have generally come about because of how pretty and well-preserved our state is! If you have an infestation, however, chances are you’re not thinking too much about how beautiful Michigan’s forests are.

Luckily, Michigan also has us: one of the best pest control companies in the country. The next time you have a pest problem, no matter how minor or severe, give us a call today.

Michigan’s Most Wanted

A "No Invasive Pests" logo

Pests serve important roles in maintaining nature’s balance, but only in their proper place. When human tampering alters nature, pests thrive more than they naturally would. Every role in an ecosystem is interconnected, so when one element thrives too much, it throws everything off.

One of the worst consequences of ecological disruption are invasive pests. Pests are invasive when they don’t naturally occur in the environment they inhabit. When these species enter an ecosystem, they can significantly throw off its balance.

According to the Michigan Invasive Species Information Network (MISIN), Michigan is at risk from 18 species of invasive insect. The four covered here pose the greatest threat to our environment. We consider them “Michigan’s Most Wanted,” and we’re putting the bounty out: here’s what you should know about these four desperados, and how you can help stop them.

The Brown Marmorated Stink Bug

Brown Marmorated Stink Bug

The stink bug is a mottled-brown, shield-shaped bug that superficially resembles a small beetle. Adults grow to .5 to .75 inches long. Look for white bands on the legs and antennae, and black-and-white patterning along the abdomen. Stink bug nymphs tend to be orange or reddish. These pests typically live near their food sources: fruit trees, vegetable crops, and ornamental plants. Come winter, stink bugs attempt to move to sheltered areas such as houses.

According to Michigan.gov, the brown marmorated stink bug can adversely affect fruit, nut, and legume crop yields. They also damage ornamental plants. When stink bugs feel threatened, they release a foul odor. This odor also emanates from their bodies after death. Their smell and constant presence can make stink bugs an annoying pest to have around your house.

wooly adelgid on a pine tree

Balsam and Hemlock Woolly Adelgids

Balsam and Hemlock Woolly Adelgids are two different species in the Adelgidae family and Adelges genus of insects. Of the two species, only the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid has been positively identified in Michigan, but both species are on Michigan’s invasive species watchlist. Adelgids are small, pill-like bugs. As they grow they produce a distinctive wool-like wax filament covering. Look for woolly pilling on the branches or bark of trees.

Balsam and Hemlock Woolly Adelgids feed on the sap of balsam fir and hemlock trees. As an Adelgid feeds, they secrete a salivary substance into the tree. This substance stimulates unhealthy growth  that weakens the tree. Vulnerable trees may die as a result of Adelgid feeding and also become more vulnerable to weather and other pest damage.

Asian longhorned beetle

Asian Longhorned Beetle

The Asian Longhorned Beetle is one of the few pests considered so dangerous that possessing it in Michigan is illegal. The beetle is typically .75 to 1 inch long. They’re a shiny black with white spots on their bodies and white bands on their antennae. While the pest isn’t in Michigan, they’re established in NYC, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Ohio, so they may be headed this way.

Adult females dig holes into maple bark and bury eggs inside them. When the eggs hatch, the larvae feed on the inside of the tree, creating tunnels in the process. Mature larvae can penetrate the tree’s heartwood, substantially compromising its sturdiness. There are more than a billion maple trees in Michigan, and all of them would be at risk should Asian Longhorned Beetles invade our state. If you suspect you’ve identified a Longhorned Beetle, contact the MISIN immediately!.

Emerald Ash Borer

Emerald Ash Borer

Like the Longhorned Asian Beetle, Michigan prohibits the Emerald Ash Borer. Unlike the beetle, the Ash Borer is already established here. The Emerald Ash Borer gets its name from its bright, metallic green coloration. Adult Ash Borers are about half an inch long. Ash Borer larvae are cream-colored and resemble fat worms.

Ash Borers have killed tens of millions of ash trees in Michigan. The insect feeds on ash tree foliage and lay eggs in its bark. Larvae squirm under the bark to feed, creating S-shaped tunnels under the surface. The holes produced damage Ash tree structure, depriving them of nutrients. Michigan’s currently engaged in all-out war against the Emerald Ash Borer, so if you see one, let someone know!

Invasive pests aren’t just a problem for your house or yard; they’re a problem for the whole state! If you suspect you might have an invasive species infestation near your home, let the MISIN know and then give us a call. Together, we can protect the beautiful nature of Michigan!