Pest Control Insulation

A worker blowing pest control insulation into an open wall.

Many homeowners deal with pest control on a yearly basis. In the lower Michigan Peninsula, pests come around in the spring and summer time. During the winters months when pests are in hibernation, it is easy to forget how important year-round pest control is. TAP Insulation has you covered – it is an ongoing and long-term pest control solution that can prevent pests from even entering your home!

What Is TAP® Insulation?

TAP (Thermal, Acoustical, Pest Control) insulation is made mainly from recycled paper products that are destined for the landfill, such as ground up newspaper.  After being chopped into small pieces the paper is run through a disk mill which grinds it into “cotton-ball-like” fibers. TAP insulation works on three different fronts to ensure your home is warm, quiet, and pest-free year-round. 

  • Thermal: TAP Insulation uses the cotton like fibers to create air pockets. As heat rises, these air pockets help to slow down and trap rising air. As a result, this keeps your house warm in the colder months and cooler in the warm months. 
  • Acoustical: The plush texture of TAP insulation can help muffle noises from your home. The same features that help TAP insulation retain heat will be the ones keeping your home from sounding like a concert hall.
  • Pest Control: Through a patented process, the insulation is treated with a borate solution, which is a natural insecticide. As insects attempt to infiltrate your home they’ll be covered in borate. When the insects clean themselves, they are unable to pass the borate through their system and will ultimately die. Pests won’t be able to make it through the insulation before they pass away – keeping your home pest-free.

TAP Insulation Benefits

Insulation is important to any home, but TAP goes beyond just insulation. It is the only insulation that is registered by the EPA for its insecticide properties.. This special insulation offers a number of additional advantages:

  • Cost Effective: A one-time treatment lasts for years to come.
  • Safe and Non-Toxic: This insulation is generally made from recycled, natural materials that are non-toxic. This makes it safer for homes with children, people with sensitivities, and pets.
  • Improved Energy Efficiency: TAP insulation has earned an Energy Star because contains more than 80% recycled material. It will keep your home cooler in summer and warmer in winter
  • Eco-Friendly Pest Prevention: Treated insulation is environmentally friendly and does not contribute to pollution of the water, air, or soil, like conventional chemical pest prevention methods may.
  • Long-Lasting Protection: Unlike chemical pesticides, which need to be applied frequently, TAP insulation can provide long-lasting protection from your home from new and existing pests.

Why Go with Pest Control Insulation?

Many insulations on the market have been treated with pesticides so you may be asking why you would need TAP insulation. It’s important to note that pesticide-treated insulations simply protect the insulation itself. They do not prevent pests from entering your home. This leads to invading pests going through the insulation and straight into your home! 

In contrast, TAP insulation is designed to keep pests out long-term. Pests only need to come into contact with the insulation for it to work. With the insulation actually providing a barrier from inside of the house there’s no need for repeat visits from a pest control company to treat the perimeter of the house. Considering TAP Insulation is a pesticide, it needs to be installed by a licensed pest control company. Griffin Pest Solutions is certified and trained to apply TAP insulation and other pest control measures you need. Our trained technicians are certified and ready to provide you with this long-lasting solution!

Spring Cleaning – Prevent Pests Inside

A woman spring cleaning windows for pest prevention.

After a cold and snowy winter, all of Michigan celebrates the arrival of spring. Here in the lower peninsula of Michigan, springtime is one of the most beautiful times of the year. The Crocuses, Daffodils and Tulips are starting to peek up out of the earth, soon to show their brilliant colors. Along with routine spring cleaning, focus on the areas below to prevent pests from getting inside. Griffin Pest is committed to bringing our community prevention tips to keep pests away before they ever become a problem. For information on pests that are common in our area, look at our Pest Identification Library.

Pests Inside

  • Kitchen – Prevent ants and cockroaches by cleaning your kitchen surfaces regularly, as well as appliances such as toasters and grills. Clean out your pantries, an unkempt pantry is like a buffet line. Clean your fridge, and cabinets by removing expired and unwanted items. Scrub your drawers with bleach or kitchen cleaner, and afterward, sweep and mop your floor. Even random crumbs can be enough to create the need for pest control.
  • Bathroom – Moisture in your bathrooms can attract cockroaches and silverfish.  Regularly wash shower curtains, dry bathroom surfaces, and clean out drawers and cabinets. Pests may enter through window sills, and drains. Check screens and any gaps around window sills. Pour bleach down drains as pests may come up your drains. Check pipes under the sink for any leaks, as water attracts pests. 
  • Basement – In your basement insects thrive in the dark, and out of sight. The dark allows them to avoid predators when they search for food, which is often at night. They hide in crevices, which is why they are less likely to be seen until it’s too late – especially in an unfinished basement. 
  • Declutter – Remove clutter inside your home, basement, garage and sheds. Storage spaces are ideal for spiders, cockroaches and rodents as they are often dark and filled with lots of clutter. These conditions are perfect for breeding and hiding.

Pests Outside

  • Home Exterior –  Look for cracks and holes in the foundation or openings around windows. Ant problems can usually be traced to tiny fissures around windows. Remember, insects must enter your home before they can pose a real pest control problem. Ants are especially diligent about locating new entry points. Seal any cracks you find and repair or replace screens in windows. By eliminating any openings in your home’s periphery, you’re taking the first step in pest control. 
  • Trash Cans – Trash cans are an area that commonly hold food and will act as a magnet for pests. The trash can is a common weak point in pest prevention and control. Store your cans away from the house if possible. Ensure your trash cans have a tight-fitting lid and are lined with trash bags.
  • Firewood – Store firewood away from your home and off the ground, if possible. Piles of firewood are attractive to pests such as termites. A stack of firewood acts as both shelter and a food supply. To keep pulp-eating pests out of your home, move your firewood pile away from any buildings. 
  • Garden Maintenance – Try reducing pests from entering your home by placing plants away from your home’s structure. Many residential pests are fully capable of surviving in nature as well as inside your home. Maintaining a clear, plant-free zone around your home is an excellent habit for pest prevention and control.
  • Remove Water Sources – Removing water sources will have a great reward in the reduction of mosquito breeding. People often ask how they can get rid of the mosquitoes that are in their yards, patio, or area around their homes. The ideal approach for controlling mosquitoes is to never let the population explode in the first place. You can do this by making your entire yard less attractive to mosquitoes.
    • Be sure to eliminate (or treat) any of these breeding grounds in your yard. 
    • Lawn or yard ornaments with standing water features
    • Buckets that accumulate rainwater or runoff
    • Puddles
    • Landscape ponds
    • Bird baths
    • Ruts that hold standing water
    • Clogged gutters and downspouts
    • Plant bowls saucers
    • Other items that can collect rainwater or runoff – such as a wheelbarrow that is not turned upside down

Spring Pest Prevention and Control

If you have or suspect a pest problem or would like to know more about protecting your home and yards, call our team of experts at Griffin Pest Solutions. Our team is innovative, reliable, and ready to meet you and your property in whatever you might need. Above all, Griffin Pest Solutions has 90 years of experience. Call us today for your free quote!

Say “Auld Lang Syne” to Pests This New Year!

friends holding sparklers outside under lights

As we cross the threshold from this year to the next, many of us have aspirations to fulfill in the new year. Now that we’re opening the first page of a brand-new calendar, what are you going to do differently? Maybe you’ll exercise more, be more frugal, or pick up a creative hobby. Whatever you do, prioritizing pest-fee habits in your household is a great addition to your New Year’s plans. Griffin Pest Solutions is ready to treat pest infestations of any variety for homes and businesses across Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, but we’d rather you never get an infestation to begin with. And you can help make that happen with these three simple, pest-deterring resolutions!

Resolution One: Declutter Your Home!

Spring cleaning shouldn’t only be relegated to when the world outside is in bloom. You should be clearing clutter from around your home on a regular basis for many reasons. It’ll keep important things from being lost and improve the aesthetics of your home. More than that, avoiding a mess in your household will remove dark and secluded places where roaches and mice can nest and hide. So, this new year, take the time to clean from the core of your home to less-frequented areas like your pantry, closets, basement and other storage spaces. That way you’ll enjoy all the benefits of a neat and orderly home, while also knowing that pests have fewer places to hide.

Resolution Two: Clean Your Kitchen!

When pests make their way into the home, it’s because they’re looking for food, shelter and warmth. By clearing clutter you’re removing potential shelter, and by keeping your kitchen clean you’re limiting the percentage of available food supply. This can involve many things, like keeping your pantry goods in sealed containers and taking out the kitchen trash regularly throughout the week. Don’t let dirty dishes pile in the sink, and every time you cook you should make sure to clean crumbs and spills as soon as they happen. With all of that in mind, your kitchen will look better, run smoother, and be free of pests.

Resolution Three: Store Your Firewood Right!

We’re in the cold season in the Lower Peninsula, and many homeowners are getting through the weather huddled by the fire. But where are you keeping your firewood? Many pests, from spiders and ants to overwintering wasps, hide in logs. You bring the wood in, and without realizing it you invite the bugs in too. So what can you do? We suggest storing your firewood on an elevated surface at least twenty feet away from your home. Only take what you plan on burning at a time, and always inspect the wood before you bring it into the home. That’s the best way to make sure you don’t invite any unwelcome guests to warm up by the fire.

Griffin Pest Solutions for Pest Control in Michigan

Sometimes you can do everything right and still get pests. When that happens, you need a qualified team ready to help – that’s where Griffin Pest Solutions comes in. We have over ninety years of experience in pest control for homes and businesses. Our team is innovative, reliable, and ready to meet you and your property in whatever you might need. The New Year is a chance to do things better, but that doesn’t mean you have to do it on your own. If you need pest control, you can get the best in town with Griffin Pest Solutions. Contact us today to get started!

Why’d It Have to Be Snakes?

why did it have to be snakes?

Keeping Snakes Away

With our long winters, sweltering summers, and wild weather changes, you’d think we wouldn’t have to worry about snakes in Michigan too. It’s definitely too cold up here, right…?

Wrong! Turns out there are 18 species of snakes native to Michigan. They can thrive here just as easily as they can farther south, they just have to get a little creative to keep warm during winter. This means either hibernating in a nest called a “hibernaculum” or sneaking into a cozy house. Don’t worry, most of them are harmless and we’ll teach you how to keep snakes away from your home and yard.

.

eastern massasauga rattlesnake

Where Did They Come From?

Of the 18 types of Michigan snakes, only one of them – the Eastern Massasauga – is venomous. Lucky for you, these snakes are shy and rarely seen. They’re also listed as a threatened species. If you are bitten by a Michigan rattlesnake, seek medical attention immediately.

Snakes are considerably more common in the lower peninsula than the upper. They prefer the south’s wetlands, swamps, and marshes which are more akin to their ideal habitats. Away from this terrain they adapt by finding safe, quiet, secluded areas to dwell. Often under a porch or in an overgrown yard.

Snakes manage their body heat very carefully. Even though they need sunlight to keep warm and active, too much will dry them out and they’ll die. That means they need an environment with a lot of shade, vegetation, humidity, and places to cool off. Wet places like swamps provide this plus an abundance of prey. If you live near a prime habitat like a marsh or a brackish lake you may end up seeing more snakes in your neighborhood.

red belly snake

Why Are There Snakes in My Home?

It’s all about shelter. You’ll probably start seeing snakes starting in late summer, when they get serious about finding a place to stay over the winter. The environment where snakes build their hibernaculum needs be dark, warm, enclosed, hidden, and underground. Chances are that your home’s crawl space, basement, foundation, or walls check off all these boxes.

Snake infestation may be a sign that you’re hosting other pests, too. As predators, they’ll often chase prey into a home. After they move in, they’ll make themselves comfortable in the tightest, darkest, warmest, and most hidden area they can find. If you suspect you have snakes, they’re probably under floorboards or basement furniture, in tight corners, or in damaged insulation. If you’re going to look for them, be careful! Snakes are afraid of humans and may lash out if cornered.

foundation cracks that might let snakes in

How Did They Get In?

Finally, a little good news. Snakes have more limited home-infiltration options than most pests. They can’t fly, and they’re not particularly adept climbers. Unlike rodents or other burrowing pests, they can’t chew or dig their way in, either. If snakes got into your home, they got in from the ground. Most likely, they found a small crack in the foundation or the baseboard.

Snakes can twist and contort themselves into small spaces. Even a tiny gap between a low window and its frame can be an access-avenue. Cracking molding, baseboard, or even improperly seated doors may be vulnerable if snakes can slip underneath them. Unfortunately, it’s also possible that the snakes in your home were simply born there. If adults can reproduce in and around your home, they will.

How to Keep Rattlesnakes (and other common Michigan snakes) Away

The best way to keep any kind of snake out of your home is to deprive them of the things they want – food, shelter, warmth, and shade. Start outside your home. To get rid of snakes in your yard, look for sources of cover and food.

  • Mow overgrown grass.
  • Trim bushes and other vegetation.
  • Remove any leaves and brush.
  • Harvest ripe or fallen fruit.
  • Keep birdseed in feeders and not on the ground.

If snakes can lounge around in the shade on your lawn undisturbed, they’re more likely to stick around. Spoiled birds and rodents might be easy snake prey. Limit the amount of food you’re leaving out to attract them.

Once you’ve completed your lawn maintenance, walk the perimeter of your home. Look for gaps and cracks in the foundation where a skinny squatter might slither in.

  • Seal around utility lines, windows and doors.
  • Repair screens.
  • Fence beneath decks and porches.
  • Clean basements and other cluttered areas.
  • Remove house pests like mice.

Outside, make sure your home is secure. Inside, get organized – dust, vacuum and remove clutter. Snakes thrive in cluttered environments with plenty of hiding places. Take those hiding places away. Also take away any potential food sources snakes might find in your home.

Snake Control and Removal for Michigan, Indiana and Ohio

Following these steps will help snake-proof your home long term, but they may not do much to the snakes that are already around. We don’t recommend trying to take any freeloading snakes out on your own.

Griffin has the experienced pest control experts and knowhow to handle any and all of Michigan’s native snakes including rat snakes and garden snakes. If you have a snake problem–or any other pest problem, for that matter–let us know. We’ve got your back (and your ankles).

What are House Centipedes?

House centipede running across hardwood floor in someone's home

House centipedes (Scutigera coleoptrata) are rather unique centipedes. For one thing, they don’t really look like what you picture when you think of a centipede. They look… creepier. More importantly, unlike almost all other centipedes, they can live in your house (hence the name). If you see a centipede in your house, it’s almost certainly a house centipede.

Like most pests, the scariest things about these centipedes are the things you don’t know. If you don’t know what you’re looking at, they look like your worst nightmare. They’re all legs, fangs, and antennae, and they’re fast. Learning about centipedes probably won’t mean you’re not afraid of them at all, but it’ll certainly help. At the very least, you’ll know what that freaky thing you saw darting around your bathroom was. 

Take away a house centipede’s sources of food, shelter, and moisture, and you’ll take away their reason for entering your home. If you want some help removing centipedes from your home, get in touch with Griffin Pest Solutions. We’re always ready to help remove creepy crawlies and keep them from getting in again. Never worry about house centipedes again; just give us a call instead!

What’s That Roach? [INFOGRAPHIC]

Roach close-up

Did you know that there are four different species of cockroach common in Michigan? Each of these four cockroaches look and act just a little differently. They’re active at slightly different times, want slightly different things, and live in slightly different places. Despite their differences, however, one thing they all have in common is being a pain for homeowners.

We know what you’re thinking: who cares? A roach is a roach, right? No matter what species it is, it’s not like you’ll want a cockroach in your home! While you’re certainly right about that, there’s still a good reason to be able to tell different roaches apart. If you know which roach you have, you’ll have a better idea on how to get rid of them. We want to help, which is why we put together this quick reference for which kind of roach you might have. Next time you see a gross bug creeping around, take a look at it and consult this infographic:

So: once you’ve identified your roach, what’s your next step? First, you can take some steps to prevent that specific roach. Once you know what it is, you’ll know what it wants and probably how it got in. Plug up their access point and deprive them of their needs, and you’ll go a long way toward solving your problem.

You could also always tell the experts at Griffin about which roach pests are plaguing you. Once we know which roach you have, then we’ll know exactly how to go about taking care of it. You’ll have helped us do our job, and we’ll be able to protect you all the more effectively! Don’t let your roach problem trouble you anymore. Instead, just give us a call today. No matter which roach you have, we’ll make sure they’re gone and can’t get in again.