Pests to know in Flint
Termites in Flint
- HUD's termite exception list exempts many northern Michigan counties but not Genesee, so FHA-financed new homes in the Flint area must meet the termite treatment requirement.[1]
- Michigan treats termite work as a regulated pesticide service: businesses applying pesticides around structures for wood-destroying pests like termites and carpenter ants fall under MDARD business licensing.[2]
Invasive species reported here
Box tree moth, an invasive caterpillar that can strip and kill ornamental boxwood, has been confirmed in Genesee County, which MDARD is adding as the 14th county in its boxwood quarantine.[8]
Pests local experts flag
- Eastern equine encephalitis, a rare but severe mosquito-borne virus, has been confirmed by the state in deer from Genesee County, alongside deer in several southwest Michigan counties.[5]
- The City of Flint calls rodents an ongoing neighborhood concern; its Blight Office hires pest control firms to trap rats, mice, raccoons, skunks and groundhogs at blighted houses before demolition.[6]
Climate
Central Flint (ZIP 48502) is in USDA plant hardiness zone 6a, where the average coldest winter night is -10 to -5°F.[11]
Public agencies that handle pests
- The Genesee County Health Department has no program for rodents, cockroaches or bed bugs and points residents to their own city or township for help with pests.[3]
- Flint-area residents bitten by a tick can have it identified by the state health department for free, either from a photo or by mailing in the tick.[4]
Local rules and responsibilities
Flint's rental inspection program holds landlords responsible for safe housing, and inspectors check that units are free of mold, insects and rodents.[7]
Hiring a licensed company
Individual applicator certification is not enough to sell pest control in Michigan; anyone applying pesticides for hire also needs an MDARD business license, which expires every December 31.[2]
Free local help
Michigan's pesticide applicator exams are tied to Michigan State University: MDARD proctors the core exams after a review session run by MSU's Pesticide Safety Education Program.[10]
Through the year
- Spring to Fall
- Inside Michigan's box tree moth quarantine, boxwood yard waste moved from March through October must be enclosed in a sealed covering or vehicle and taken only to sites with no boxwood within 100 yards.[8]
- Summer
- West Nile virus outbreaks have struck Michigan every summer since 2002, so mosquito bite prevention matters in Flint throughout the warm months.[9]
Sources
- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, “Termite Treatment Exception Areas.” www.hud.gov/sites/dfiles/SFH/documents/SFH_POLI_TERMITE.pdf (accessed 2026-10-06)
- Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, “Pesticide Application Business.” www.michigan.gov/mdard/licensing/pesticide/pesticide-application-business (accessed 2026-10-06)
- Genesee County Health Department, “Health Resources.” www.geneseecountymi.gov/departments/health_department/health_resources/index.php (accessed 2026-10-06)
- Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, “Lyme Disease.” www.michigan.gov/emergingdiseases/home/lyme-disease (accessed 2026-10-06)
- Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, “MDHHS reports four new cases of mosquito-borne disease and two additional deaths in Southwest Michigan.” www.michigan.gov/emergingdiseases/home/eastern-equine-encephalitis/eee-press-releases/mdhhs-reports-four-new-cases-of-mosquito-borne-disease-and-two-additional-deaths-in-southwest-michi (accessed 2026-10-06)
- City of Flint, “City of Flint tackles rodent removal at blighted properties, public spaces.” www.cityofflint.com/city-of-flint-tackles-rodent-removal-at-blighted-properties-public-spaces/ (accessed 2026-10-06)
- City of Flint, “Building & Safety Inspections Division: Protecting Flint residents.” www.cityofflint.com/building-safety-inspections-division-protecting-flint-residents/ (accessed 2026-10-06)
- Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, “Box tree moth confirmed in Genesee County.” www.michigan.gov/invasives/news/2026/09/22/genesee-btm (accessed 2026-10-06)
- Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, “West Nile Virus.” www.michigan.gov/emergingdiseases/home/west-nile (accessed 2026-10-06)
- Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, “Pesticide Applicator Certification.” www.michigan.gov/mdard/licensing/pesticide/pesticide-applicator-certification (accessed 2026-10-06)
- USDA ARS and PRISM, via phzmapi.org, “Plant hardiness zone for ZIP 48502 (2023 USDA map data).” phzmapi.org/48502.json (accessed 2026-10-06)
- National Pesticide Information Center, “State Pesticide Regulatory Agencies.” npic.orst.edu/reg/state_agencies.html (accessed 2026-10-06)