BTR Pest Control Guides
Pest cost, prevention, and comparison guides for Michigan homeowners
Reference guides written by BTR's licensed Metro Detroit exterminators — covering pest control costs in Michigan, prevention checklists, and how to tell common pests apart. New guides are added regularly.
Cost Guides
Prevention Guides
Prevention · Exclusion
How to Keep Mice Out of Your Michigan Home
The 1/4-inch rule, Michigan's 7 most common entry points, and the 10-step BTR exclusion checklist — with HowTo schema.
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Prevention · Checklist
Fall Pest-Proofing Checklist for Michigan Homes
10 steps, about 4 hours of work, complete before mid-October — stops mice, rats, stink bugs, box elder bugs, lady beetles, and overwintering spiders.
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Prevention · Permanent Fix
Pre-Winter Rodent Exclusion Checklist
The 11-step inspection BTR uses, the materials that actually work (and the ones that do not), and why exclusion turns rodent service into a one-time job.
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Prevention · Travel & Furniture
How to Prevent Bed Bugs
Bed bugs are brought in, not migrated. The hotel inspection protocol, second-hand furniture rules, apartment prevention, and early-warning signs.
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Prevention · Moisture Control
Carpenter Ant Prevention for Michigan Homes
Why carpenter ants follow moisture-damaged wood, the 9-step prevention checklist, and why retail sprays do not work on the queen.
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Prevention · Spring Window
Wasp & Hornet Nest Prevention for Michigan Yards
One spring queen now equals 4,000+ workers by August. The 8-step spring prevention checklist and the safety line you should never DIY across.
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Prevention · Lawn / Yard
How to Get Rid of Moles in Your Michigan Yard
Moles eat grubs and earthworms, not plants. The mole-vs-vole identification, the 6-step reduction checklist, and why November is the strongest single treatment month.
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Comparison Guides
Comparison · Wood Damage
Carpenter Ants vs Termites
How to tell the difference in Michigan: body shape, wings, frass vs mud tubes, damage signature, and when to schedule the $125 VA/WDI inspection.
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Comparison · Rodent ID
Rats vs Mice: How to Tell Which You Have
Droppings (the fastest tell), gnaw-hole rule, behavior (neophobic vs curious), Michigan species, and why ID changes the treatment.
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Comparison · Pollinator vs Predator
Bees vs Wasps vs Hornets
Bees pollinate — BTR protects them. Wasps and hornets predate — BTR treats them. Side-by-side ID + what BTR does with honey bee colonies.
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Comparison · Decision Tool
DIY vs Professional Pest Control
An honest, neutral look at when DIY is the right tool, when it falls short, and how to decide for any given pest issue.
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Comparison · Service Structure
One-Time Treatment vs Seasonal Plan
The math: $550/year package = ~$183 per visit, below the $209 one-time price. Side-by-side comparison + decision tree.
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Comparison · Bed Bug Methods
Bed Bug Heat vs Chemical Treatment
An honest side-by-side — what each method does, what each requires, what BTR uses, and when heat treatment is the better fit.
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Related Resources
Pillar Guide
Michigan Seasonal Pest Calendar
Month-by-month guide to pest activity in Southeast Michigan — which pests are active, what they are doing, and what to do.
Library
Pest Identification Library
15 species profiles with identification, habits, signs of infestation, and how BTR treats each.
Blog
Seasonal Pest Guides Blog
Spring, summer, fall, and winter pest guides for Metro Detroit homeowners.
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