Pest control in Grand Rapids
Kent County, West Michigan
Grand Rapids mixes some of Michigan's oldest wood-frame houses with fast-growing suburbs, and the pest problems follow the housing. Victorian homes in Heritage Hill and older neighborhoods on both sides of the Grand River deal with carpenter ants and mice, while wooded lots on the edges of the city bring ticks. We match you with licensed Kent County exterminators.
Animal in the house right now? Here's what to do.
Areas we cover
- Heritage Hill
- Eastown
- East Hills
- Midtown
- Creston
- Belknap Lookout
- Alger Heights
- Garfield Park
- Roosevelt Park
- Ottawa Hills
- West Grand
- John Ball Park
The pests Grand Rapids homeowners call about most
- 01
Carpenter ants
Peak Apr to Jun
Heritage Hill and the older east side have large houses with wood porches, wide eaves and big old maples. Moisture in that wood makes it a carpenter ant target every spring.
$200 to $600typical
- 02
Ticks
Peak May to Jul
Blacklegged ticks are established in the western Lower Peninsula. River trails, Millennium Park and wooded yards on the city's edges are where you are most likely to pick one up.
$75 to $150typical
- 03
Mice
Peak Sep to Nov
Mice get into older homes through stone and brick foundations, and into newer suburban homes through garage door seals and utility penetrations.
$150 to $450typical
- 04
Asian lady beetles
Peak Oct
Each fall, lady beetles gather on sunny south and west walls and work into window frames and siding, especially in homes near fields and the orchards north of the city.
$150 to $400typical
- 05
Termites
Peak Apr to May
Kent County is within the range of eastern subterranean termites, and older homes with wood touching soil are the most exposed.
$1,200 to $3,500typical
- 06
Bed bugs
Peak Jun to Sep
Downtown apartments, student housing near the colleges and steady rental turnover keep bed bugs moving around the city.
$500 to $2,500typical
Old wood houses on the hills
Grand Rapids grew as a furniture city, and many of the houses built for that era's workers and factory owners still stand. Heritage Hill alone has hundreds of 19th and early 20th century homes. These houses have character, but they also have wood siding, deep porches, box gutters and stone foundations that let moisture and pests in. Rotting window sills and leaking gutters are exactly what carpenter ants look for when they set up a satellite nest.
If you see large black ants indoors in March or April, before it is warm enough for them to be foraging outside, there is a good chance a colony is already in the walls. A technician will usually look for wet wood around roof lines, porches and bathrooms first. Fixing the moisture problem matters as much as the treatment.
Ticks, the Grand River and the suburbs
West Michigan has had blacklegged ticks longer than the east side of the state, and they carry the bacteria that cause Lyme disease. Around Grand Rapids, wooded ravines, the river trails, John Ball Park and the edges of Millennium Park are all good tick habitat. In newer Kent County subdivisions, homes backing onto woods or tall grass see the most activity. Yard treatments along wood lines, combined with keeping grass short, reduce the number that reach your lawn.
Fall brings a different set of complaints. Lady beetles, stink bugs and cluster flies all try to spend the winter inside walls and attics, and homes near open fields and orchards get the most. Sealing siding gaps and window frames in late summer works better than spraying after they are already inside. Our pest calendar shows when each one tends to show up.
Pest control in Grand Rapids: common questions
Are there Lyme disease ticks in Grand Rapids?
Yes. Blacklegged ticks, which can carry Lyme disease, are established in the western Lower Peninsula, including Kent County. Check yourself and pets after time on wooded trails or in tall grass, and talk to a doctor if you find an attached tick or develop a rash or fever. A pest company can treat the shady, brushy edges of your yard where ticks wait.
Do Grand Rapids homes get termites?
They can. Eastern subterranean termites live in the southern Lower Peninsula, and Grand Rapids is within that range. Signs include mud tubes on basement walls or foundation piers and swarms of winged insects indoors in spring. An inspection is worth getting before buying an older home.
Why do I get so many lady beetles in October?
Asian lady beetles look for warm, light-colored, sunny walls to overwinter, then crawl through gaps around windows, siding and soffits. Homes on the edge of fields and woods get the most. The fix is sealing those gaps before late September and, if needed, a perimeter treatment timed to when they start gathering.
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