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Pest control may not be the most glamorous industry in the world, but it’s one of the most essential — and one that leaves a substantial economic footprint. According to Fortune Business Insights, the global pest control market is worth roughly $20 billion, and it’s expected to grow at a brisk 6 percent clip year over year. And that growth doesn’t just owe to slick marketing. The National Pest Management Association offers some truly startling statistics, and the numbers help the industry’s aggressive expansion make much more sense. For instance, did you know that approximately one-fifth of all worldwide foods gets consumed or spoiled by rodents? What about the fact that “99.6% of pest professionals have treated for bed bugs in the past year”? Or what about how termites cause a whopping $5 billion in property damage each and every year? Read More »

In his 1915 novella “The Metamorphosis,” Franz Kafka describes how the story’s protagonist Gregor Samsa faces ostracism and rejection from his parents, his sibling, and society at large. That’s not a strange theme in and of itself, but the way in which Kafka chose to embody it was. Just consider the novella’s inimitable first line: “One morning, when Gregor Samsa woke from troubled dreams, he found himself transformed in his bed into a horrible vermin.” And if you’re wondering just what kind of vermin Samsa found himself metamorphosed into, Kafka makes it clear that he’d become a cockroach. Read More »

In 2007, the animation studio Pixar released its film Ratatouille, a kind-hearted comedic tale about imagination and French cooking. Much of the movie’s humor, though, owed to an odd fact about the character behind the title’s delectable cuisine: It was a rat. Having vermin who nosh on trash also cook gourmet grub proved delightfully horrible — at least in fiction. In real life, though, there’s nothing delectable about it, and pest control within restaurants is a big part of a restaurant’s operational responsibilities. Read More »

In her short story “Mr. Gilfil’s Love Story,” nineteenth century novelist and poet George Eliot wrote, “Animals are such agreeable friends―they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms.” Pet lovers the world over have testified to this truth. When chums and family fall short, a faithful dog or affectionate cat often stands in the gap. That mutual affection has also caused many owners to wonder if pest control services are safe for pets. Read More »

Whether dealing with a global pandemic (such as the one that’s occurring during the writing of this post) or simply the ordinary economic pressures that affect everyone, times are tight. None of us really feel as though we have all of the time or all of the money that we would like. So we start to trim expenses — and often one of the first ones to go is pest control service. Read More »

Bug sprays, weed killers, and basically any kind of eradicating chemical frighten people. Just consider the case of glyphosate, a 40-year-old weed killer that many consider extremely safe. In recent years, though, concern about its effects on people and the environment has grown, leading to legal cases and increased calls for its regulation.

When it comes to bug sprays, things can quickly become much more frightening, especially when there are children in the house. After all, anything designed to kill living creatures can’t be that good for humans, right? Well, things aren’t quite that simple, which is why we’ve put to together this short guide about indoor bug spray and child safety. Read More »

Readers, allow us to share a true pest-control story in order to introduce the topic of what you should look for when hiring a pest-control management service. There was once a young couple who purchased a fixer-upper home they believed was pest free. Unfortunately, it was not, and they quickly discovered the fact when cockroaches started showing up around the property. In the kitchen. In the dining room. Even in the cupboards. Read More »

Do you have hard-to-kill pests that just keep coming back? Do creepy crawlies tend to crop up in every corner of a room? Do you want to treat several areas all at once? If so, you might have considered purchasing a bug bomb (which is also known as a home insect fogger). These consumer-grade pest-control products purport to eliminate a wide variety of pests within a broad area.

Do bug bombs really work, though? The evidence just might surprise you. Not only do bug bombs fail to adequately eliminate insects, they also can have significant downsides for humans. Read More »

Smithereen Pest Management Services is supporting hospital workers and local restaurants by delivering meals to frontline workers.

As part of Smithereen SELECT, a company-wide volunteer program that began in 2011, Smitheereen is partnering with local businesses McWethy’s Tavern in Romeoville and Bartolini’s Restaurant in Midlothian to deliver box meals to their hospital customers treating COVID-19 patients.

Hospitals included in the first phase were:

• Amita Health Adventist Medical Center Bolingbrook
• Amita Health Adventist Medical Center Hinsdale
• Amita Health St. Joseph Medical Center
• OSF Little Company of Mary Medical Center in Evergreen Park.

Smithereen donated over 100 meals in the first weeks of April 2020, and plans on a second stage of meal delivery. “The restaurant and healthcare industries are very important to our business and we are grateful to be able to support these two industries during a time of need,” explained Scott Seifert, Director of Sales and Marketing at Smithereen. “These warriors are dealing with unprecedented stressful times and we wanted to show a small token of our appreciation.

Smithereen is planning on expanding the meal program with other customers in Illinois, as well as in Kansas and Missouri. “We look forward to expanding the program and support until our restaurant and hospital clients can return to more normal operations,” said Seifert.

See our press release here:  Smithereen Pest Management Provides Assistance to Restaurant and Hospital Customers During Coronavirus Outbreak

Pest control is included under essential services, Smithereen continues to serve during this time of need. The safety of our employees and customers remain our first priority, all our services have been modified to CDC guidelines.

We will continue to be your partner for a healthy environment. If you have specific questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us or visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/ for more information.