In-Depth Guides for Smarter Pest Control Decisions
October 3, 2025
Professional pest control does more than eliminate annoying bugs—it protects your family from serious diseases and allergy triggers hiding in your home.
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Mice and rats are notorious disease carriers that spread harmful pathogens through their droppings, urine, and saliva, with diseases such as hantavirus, salmonella, and leptospirosis commonly associated with rodent infestations. But rodents aren’t the only concern.
Disease vectors include mosquitoes, ticks, and rodents, while indoor household pests such as cockroaches can trigger asthma and allergy symptoms. In Michigan, we’re seeing an alarming expansion of tick-borne diseases. Michigan has seen a dramatic rise in Lyme disease cases over the past several years, with a study showing an expansion into nearly every county of Michigan.
The reality is that pests such as rodents, insects, and other common household pests can spread disease to humans, and when pests breed and spread throughout your home, the risk of infection increases, potentially leading to serious health problems.
Michigan residents face a growing threat from tick-borne diseases that many don’t fully understand. In Michigan, tick-borne diseases are rare, but they do occur and can be serious if not properly diagnosed and treated. However, the situation is rapidly changing.
Climate change is directly influencing this phenomenon, as rising global temperatures allow ticks to better survive and thrive in areas of Michigan previously too cold, with milder winters and longer warm seasons allowing ticks to expand their range. The blacklegged tick, especially prevalent along the west coast of Michigan, can transmit Lyme disease as well as other notable infections such as Anaplasmosis and Babesiosis.
Because ticks must be attached for 24-48 hours before the bacteria can be transmitted, prompt removal is extremely important, and with certain precautions, Lyme disease is easily preventable and can be treated with antibiotics if identified early. But here’s the problem—most homeowners don’t know they have a tick problem until it’s too late.
Professional pest control services understand where ticks hide and breed on your property. Ticks can be found in grassy shorelines, wooded areas, or fields near wooded areas, and are not usually found indoors unless they are carried on the clothing of people or the body of a pet. A comprehensive approach includes treating your yard’s perimeter and educating you about risk areas.
Finding and removing ticks promptly can prevent Lyme disease, but prevention is always better than treatment. Professional tick control creates a barrier around your property, dramatically reducing your family’s exposure to these disease-carrying pests.
Michigan residents face a growing threat from tick-borne diseases that many don’t fully understand. In Michigan, tick-borne diseases are rare, but they do occur and can be serious if not properly diagnosed and treated. However, the situation is rapidly changing.
Climate change is directly influencing this phenomenon, as rising global temperatures allow ticks to better survive and thrive in areas of Michigan previously too cold, with milder winters and longer warm seasons allowing ticks to expand their range. The blacklegged tick, especially prevalent along the west coast of Michigan, can transmit Lyme disease as well as other notable infections such as Anaplasmosis and Babesiosis.
Because ticks must be attached for 24-48 hours before the bacteria can be transmitted, prompt removal is extremely important, and with certain precautions, Lyme disease is easily preventable and can be treated with antibiotics if identified early. But here’s the problem—most homeowners don’t know they have a tick problem until it’s too late.
Professional pest control services understand where ticks hide and breed on your property. Ticks can be found in grassy shorelines, wooded areas, or fields near wooded areas, and are not usually found indoors unless they are carried on the clothing of people or the body of a pet. A comprehensive approach includes treating your yard’s perimeter and educating you about risk areas.
Finding and removing ticks promptly can prevent Lyme disease, but prevention is always better than treatment. Professional tick control creates a barrier around your property, dramatically reducing your family’s exposure to these disease-carrying pests.
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The critical role of pest control professionals in preventing health risks is often underestimated, and pest control plays a pivotal role in disease prevention and expert intervention keeps communities healthy. Professional services go far beyond what most homeowners can accomplish on their own.
Regular pest control services and proper sanitation practices can help protect you and your family from the harmful effects of pest-borne diseases, and regular pest control services can help prevent an infestation and catch any potential problems early. The key is prevention rather than reaction.
DIY methods often overlook the root cause, allowing pests to return—and with them, the same health risks, while uncontrolled pest populations can lead to ER visits, costly hospital stays, and ongoing medication needs. Professional intervention addresses the source of the problem, not just the symptoms.
Not all pest control companies offer the same level of protection. Advanced detection methods can identify problems before they become health threats. One of the most effective examples is canine bed bug detection, which promises 95-98% accuracy, whereas visual detection only promises 50% accuracy, and scent detection canines that are properly trained can detect traces of bed bug activity that visual detection will easily miss.
Dogs showed a 97.5% success rate and did not misidentify bed bugs when none were present, according to an academic study. This level of accuracy is crucial because visual inspections are much more time consuming and often result in false positives, and these false positives can cost homeowners money they do not need to spend.
Dogs possess an extraordinary sense of smell, enabling them to detect live bed bugs, viable eggs, and bed bug infestations with remarkable accuracy, and bed bug detection dogs have become a trusted solution in pest control, complementing visual inspections and enhancing extermination strategies. This technology represents a significant advancement in protecting your family’s health.
In Swartz Creek, we offer this specialized canine bed bug detection service, making us one of under 100 companies in the United States with this capability. They can smell up to two parts per trillion and alert their handler to live bed bugs and viable eggs, and dogs will sniff out bed bugs in the smallest cracks and crevices, ensuring quicker and greater control of a possible infestation.
Professional pest control also includes comprehensive programs that address multiple threats simultaneously. For example, our effective mosquito control programs include flea and tick treatment, providing broader protection against disease-carrying pests. This integrated approach ensures that your family receives comprehensive protection rather than piecemeal solutions.
Many homeowners focus on the cost of pest control without considering the cost of not having it. If you suspect you have a pest infestation in your home, it’s important to address it quickly, and contacting a professional pest control service can help identify the extent of the infestation and determine the best course of action.
Pests reproduce rapidly, and a small problem today can escalate into a full-blown infestation tomorrow, putting your health and home at greater risk, while acting quickly not only prevents these issues from spiraling but can also save you money in the long run. The health implications extend beyond immediate discomfort.
Lyme disease can have a lasting impact on quality of life, leading to significant healthcare costs and economic burdens for all Michiganders, and the Ixodes tick can carry other disease-causing bacteria, such as Anaplasma and Babesia, which have equally negative health impacts. Medical treatment for tick-borne diseases can be expensive and lengthy.
If left untreated, Lyme disease can affect joints, the heart, and the nervous system, and Lyme disease can be treated with antibiotics, but it is important to start treatment as soon as possible. Prevention through professional pest control is far more cost-effective than treating the diseases that pests can transmit.
Consider the broader implications for your family’s daily life. Household pests can trigger allergic reactions in people, causing sneezing fits, runny noses and itchy eyes, and those with asthma may find themselves struggling to breathe and wheezing. These ongoing health issues affect work performance, school attendance, and overall quality of life.
Your family’s health is too important to leave to chance. Preventing pest infestations is the best way to avoid the health risks and structural damage associated with pests, and by understanding the dangers of pests and taking preventative measures, we can protect ourselves and our homes from the potential risks associated with infestations.
Professional pest control services provide the expertise, tools, and ongoing support necessary to keep disease-carrying pests away from your family. Regular pest control services and proper sanitation practices are key to keeping your home safe and pest-free. The investment in professional pest control pays dividends in peace of mind and long-term health protection.
When you’re ready to take a proactive approach to protecting your family’s health, we have served the Swartz Creek community for 20 years with personalized service, advanced detection methods, and comprehensive protection programs. Don’t wait until pests become a health threat—prevention is always more effective and less costly than treatment.
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