Southfield particulars
Beverly Hills, Oak Park, Berkley and Birmingham are all within about five miles of Southfield, and all sit in Oakland County, where MDHHS counted six human West Nile cases as of October 16, 2026. The county health division is the common contact for mosquito and tick questions, and its page says ticks are found in nearly every Michigan county. Southfield has 76,025 residents, a median home value of $226,900 and 80.1 percent of homes built before 1980 (Census ACS 2023).
A city with this much older housing and rental stock should expect bed bug questions. MDHHS says renters should report bed bugs to the landlord, not apply insecticides themselves, and contact city code enforcement or the buildings department if the response is inadequate. The state's 2010 bed bug manual says landlords and residents must make a good-faith effort, and that owners are responsible for keeping the entire building free from vermin.
Southfield has no pest-control license on top of the state's, because MCL 324.8328 preempts duplicate local rules and MDARD licenses applicators and businesses. Report pesticide problems to MDARD at 800-292-3939. DNR's nuisance animal rules apply here as elsewhere, and a permittee may work at any time of year in a place closed to hunting. Whether Southfield is one, we did not check, so ask the city.
Termites in Southfield: what to know
Southfield's Census ACS 2023 profile is 76,025 residents, 80.1 percent of homes built before 1980 and a median home value of $226,900. In HUD's handbook, whose footers carry 2019 dates, Form NPMA-33, the Wood Destroying Insect Inspection Report, is among the loan documents, and no Michigan-mandated alternative is one we can cite, so asking for that format is a reasonable request for a house that may be sold or refinanced.
The report should name what was found, where, and what areas were not accessible. Termite and carpenter ant work is MDARD category 7B, with a business license and a certified applicator. A report that recommends treatment should say which pest was seen or why one is likely.
Permits for termites in Southfield
Ask for the company's business license number and the name of the certified applicator in category 7B.
Many cities run their own building department, so start by asking the City of Southfield building department who issues pest control permits.
Is a termite find an emergency
- Nothing about termites needs a 911 call or a same-night visit. Book an inspection as soon as you have photographed the insects or the damage.
- Winged insects you have photographed and are unsure about.
- Old, dark wood with no holes, trails or live insects.
What to do before the inspection
Try this first: ask which format the report will use before you book the inspection.
- Photograph the insects or the damage, with a coin beside them.
- Note where it was, the date, and if the spot is damp or touches soil.
- Check gutters and downspouts and the grade next to the foundation.
- Ask the company for its business license number and the applicator's name.
- Ask what method it proposes and what the contract says about a return.
What termites cost
The estimate below is the Michigan-wide one, adjusted for Michigan wages and not for Southfield in particular. The same table is on the termites page. How we estimate costs. Prices as of Oct 19, 2026.
| Item | Figure | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Estimated range, not a quote | $225 to $1,700 per treatment | Built from 2 national published ranges, adjusted by the Michigan pest control worker median wage ratio (0.98). No Michigan pest control company price is shown, because none of the companies we looked at published a regular price. |
| Pest control worker wage, Michigan median | $21.38 an hour | What pest control workers are paid (O*NET republishing BLS, May 2025), not what you are charged. Percentile data, not re-checked against the BLS table. |
| State fee, certified commercial applicator | $75 | Paid by the person, not added to your bill as a line. Michigan statute and MDARD agree. |
| State fee, pesticide application business license | $100 a year, expires every December 31 | Every company that applies pesticides for hire needs one, in addition to its applicators' credentials. |
How we estimate costs: the Estimated range row is a model, not a quote. It takes two published national ranges for this job (cost guides from third-party sites that we have not verified and do not cite) and multiplies them by Michigan's pest control worker median wage ratio to the US (0.98, BLS May 2025 data read through O*NET OnLine). The wage and state fee rows in the table are what pest control workers are paid and what the state charges to license them, and neither is a price. We have not collected quotes, and we found no Michigan pest control company that publishes a regular price. Full method.
Questions about termites
How do you get rid of termites fast in Michigan?
There is no do-it-yourself fast fix that the EPA supports. It says termite treatment can only be properly performed by a trained pest management professional, using soil termiticides, baits, treated materials or wood treatments. Ask what is proposed and why.
Are there termites in Michigan?
Yes, the eastern subterranean termite is the species most often found in the state, according to a 1973 paper (we have only its abstract), so treat the species detail as dated. No current county-by-county termite map is available for us to point you to.
Does Michigan require a termite inspection to sell a house?
No Michigan rule we can cite requires one. Under HUD's handbook (its footers carry 2019 dates, so check the live version), an FHA appraisal can be made subject to an inspection when the appraiser sees evidence of infestation, and the Michigan seller disclosure asks about past infestations. The inspection guide has the details.