Pest Control in Ann Arbor, Michigan

A college town where most households rent

Ann Arbor counted 123,851 residents in the 2020 Census, on about 28 square miles of land. What sets it apart from most Michigan cities is who lives in those homes and for how long. Census Bureau survey data put the city’s owner-occupied housing rate at 45.5 percent, which means more than half of occupied homes are rented. The University of Michigan’s Ann Arbor campus reported a record fall 2025 enrollment of 53,488 students.

That mix shapes the pest calls that come out of the city. In a renter-majority city tied to an academic calendar, leases turn over often and furniture changes hands frequently. That kind of turnover favors the pests that travel with people and their belongings — bed bugs and German cockroaches in particular. Exterminator Dispatch routes those calls to an independently owned company licensed by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development that already works in the caller’s ZIP code.

Ann Arbor’s older housing stock

American Community Survey estimates for 2019–2023 show that about 15 percent of Ann Arbor’s roughly 53,700 housing units were built in 1939 or earlier, and close to 31 percent date from before 1960.

Older construction matters for rodents. Michigan State University Extension advises sealing any gap to the outside larger than a quarter inch, because a mouse can squeeze through it, and recommends durable materials such as mortar, sheet metal or heavy hardware cloth rather than foam. Settled fieldstone foundations, original porches, shared basements and utility penetrations added over many decades give mice plenty of openings. The National Weather Service office for Detroit/Pontiac describes October as the month the growing season ends across Southeast Michigan, and that seasonal drop is when mice start moving indoors in earnest.

How Ann Arbor’s rental inspection system fits in

The City of Ann Arbor’s Rental Housing Services office inspects residential rental units under Chapter 105 of the city code, the Housing Code, on a cycle of every 30 months, and issues a Certificate of Compliance to properties that pass. Section 8:516(4) of the city code states that no one may lease a unit or make it available for occupancy without a Certificate of Compliance in effect.

When something goes wrong between inspections, the city lays out a specific order. A tenant must first contact the landlord or management company and allow a reasonable time for a fix; the office will not accept a complaint otherwise. If the issue continues, the tenant can file a complaint with Rental Housing Services at (734) 794-6264. The city then notifies the landlord, who is typically given about 24 hours for life-safety issues or 72 hours for non-emergency issues to submit a plan. Unresolved violations can lead to the property being posted as not habitable. Inspectors can only cite what they see, and Rental Housing Services is a code enforcement office rather than a pest control service, so the practical fix still comes from a licensed private company.

Bed bugs and German cockroaches in shared buildings

The Washtenaw County Health Department describes bed bugs, Cimex lectularius, as small, wingless insects that feed on the blood of animals including birds, bats and people. MSU Extension points out that successful bed bug control in rental housing depends on three parties working together: the resident, the landlord and the pest management professional. In a duplex or a converted house, one untreated unit can undo the work done next door, which is why a whole-building inspection is often part of the plan a licensed company proposes.

German cockroaches follow a similar pattern. MSU Extension notes they favor warm, humid spots, usually kitchens first and bathrooms second, and that they are most often carried into buildings in cardboard boxes, grocery bags, drink cartons and secondhand appliances. That list reads like an Ann Arbor move-in weekend. For health questions tied to a housing condition, the county health department can be reached at (734) 222-3800.

The Huron River corridor and mosquito season

The Huron River runs through the middle of the city. According to the City of Ann Arbor, the river at Island Park is 78 miles downstream of its origin at Big Lake in Springfield Township and 52 river miles above Lake Erie. Parks, ponds, backwaters and wooded ravines along that corridor hold water through the summer.

In August 2025, mosquito samples collected in Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti Township and Saline tested positive for West Nile virus, and the county also confirmed Jamestown Canyon virus in local mosquitoes. WEMU reported that Washtenaw County had not recorded a human West Nile case since 2018. Personal protection is the county’s first line of defense; for homeowners who also want yard treatment, a licensed company can review drainage, containers and shaded harborage on the property.

Termites, wood and the ash-tree years

MSU Extension calls subterranean termites the most serious wood-destroying pest in Michigan and notes that winged swarmers indoors usually point to a colony that has been established for five to seven years. In a city where close to a third of homes predate 1960, a termite inspection is a reasonable request before buying or renovating.

Ann Arbor also carries a long memory of wood-boring insects. The city’s Urban and Community Forest Management Plan records that emerald ash borer was discovered in Ann Arbor’s ash trees in 2003, and that from 2004 to 2008 the city removed more than 10,000 ash trees along streets and in mowed park areas. Emerald ash borer attacks living ash trees, not houses, and tree care is arborist work rather than structural pest control. The lesson homeowners took from it still applies indoors, though: by the time damage is visible, the insects have usually been there for years.

ZIP codes served

Verifying that an Ann Arbor exterminator is actually licensed

In Michigan, pesticide applicator credentials are issued by MDARD. Anyone applying pesticides for hire must hold either a commercial applicator certification or a registered applicator credential. Registered applicators complete an MDARD-approved training program and pass the commercial core exam, must be supervised by a certified applicator when employed by a pesticide application business, and cannot apply restricted-use pesticides. On top of the individual credentials, a business that makes pesticide applications for hire must hold a Pesticide Application Business License.

Commercial certification is organized by category. Category 7A, General Pest Management, covers pests in homes, apartments and other structures, which is the category that matters for roaches, bed bugs, ants and mice. Category 7B covers wood destroying organisms such as termites, and MDARD’s combined 7J exam covers both. MDARD credentials expire every third year on December 31 and are renewed through recertification credits or re-examination. Before work begins, it is fair to ask for the business license number and the technician’s credential, then check them against MDARD’s Find a Licensed Business search and its public list of certified applicators.