Were one to only pay attention to popular presentations about the importance of bees, you could be forgiven for thinking these little yellow-and-black insects did nothing but good for the world. As one advocacy group puts it, “Honeybees — wild and domestic — perform about 80 percent of all pollination worldwide. A single bee colony can pollinate 300 million flowers each day. Grains are primarily pollinated by the wind, but fruits, nuts and vegetables are pollinated by bees. Seventy out of the top 100 human food crops — which supply about 90 percent of the world’s nutrition — are pollinated by bees.” Read More about When does a Bee Infestation Require Professional Pest Control? »

We are happy to announce that we have recently acquired Terre Haute, Indiana-based Pioneer Pest Control, a family-owned and operated business since 1982. We will continue to service existing and new residential and commercial customers throughout Chicagoland and the Midwest.

We are confident that Pioneer Pest Control’s existing clientele will be pleased with the recent merger. Customers can be certain they will continue to receive the highest levels of service and support they’re accustomed to. Pioneer Pest Control shares the same eco-conscious values and goals as our team and we are excited to welcome them to the Smithereen family.

This recent merger will allow Smithereen Pest Management to continue to grow and provide thorough, effective and environmentally sensitive pest control services throughout the Midwest. Contact us today at (847) 647-010 to learn more about our services.

According to the National Restaurant Association, 2020 saw restaurant revenues reach $659 billion, a decline of more than 25 percent from expected amounts. But as the COVID-19 pandemic starts to wane, consumer demand has begun to ramp up — and the need for pest control services for restaurants is also increasing. Everyone understands that no restaurant customer wants to encounter a skittering cockroach and that cooks would cringe if they found rat droppings. But pest control regulations for restaurants mean that restaurateurs risk more than their reputations if they run a dirty establishment. They could also get shut down. Read More about 2 Restaurant Regulations for Pest Control You Need to Know About »

Homeowners face plenty of situations that make their blood pressure spike. The constant pressure of making mortgage and insurance payments. The sudden need for unexpected repairs. The threat of natural disasters such as floods, blizzards, mudslides, windstorms, and wildfires. But despite the challenges posed by these alternately normal and extraordinary challenges, they don’t normally cause as much damage as a little thing that gets no larger than three-eighths of an inch: an ordinary flying termite. Read More about Flying Termites: A Home’s Worst Nightmare »

When it comes to terrifying insects, homeowners generally agree that termites rank near the top of the list. They may not have the irritating sting of mosquitoes, the painful bite of ants, or the ick factor of cockroaches, but termites do something that’s even more troubling: Termites can wreck untold damage on structures — structures that cost a pretty penny and are typically difficult to repair. According to the USDA, the desert subterranean termite “causes an estimated $1.5 billion in losses each year.” And that’s just one subspecies! Read More about Spotting Termites with the Human Eye: What to Look For »

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 about 8 Reasons Why You Need a Monthly Pest Control Service »

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 about Best Way to Stop an Infestation of Cockroaches in my Kitchen »

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 about What’s the Best Approach to Pest Control in Restaurants? »

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 about Are Pest Control Services Safe for Pets? »

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 about 6 Reasons You Need a Pest Control Service »