Bees and wasps, bedbugs and mosquitoes, cockroaches and ants: Summer pests can sure prove a pain, can’t they? Fortunately, winter serves as a welcome reprieve for homeowners and business owners, the cold sends creepy crawlies and irritating rodents into dormancy — right? Well, not quite. Yes, it’s true that many types of pest problems improve during the winter. For instance, most pest control companies notice a dip in bed-bug activity during the winter, which may owe as much to fewer people traveling as it does a change in the insects themselves. But winter pests are real, and few can afford to ignore them entirely when the mercury begins to fall. In this post, we will explain why cold weather doesn’t drive away every kind of pest, why the cold months can put your home at greater risk, and why winter pest control should become part of your sanitation protocol. Read More about 4 Reasons Why You Need a Pest Control Service During the Winter »
Articles under General
When does a Bee Infestation Require Professional Pest Control?
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? »
Welcome Pioneer Pest Control Customers and Friends
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.
2 Restaurant Regulations for Pest Control You Need to Know About
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 »
Flying Termites: A Home’s Worst Nightmare
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 »
Spotting Termites with the Human Eye: What to Look For
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 »
8 Reasons Why You Need a Monthly Pest Control Service
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 »
Best Way to Stop an Infestation of Cockroaches in my Kitchen
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 »
What’s the Best Approach to Pest Control in Restaurants?
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? »
Are Pest Control Services Safe for Pets?
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? »