Rats in the Grass: Avoiding Rodents in Your Yard

a little mouse peeking out from the grass

Rodents can be a severe nuisance and a health hazard for you and your family. They can damage your property, contaminate your food, and carry diseases. If there are rodents in your yard, itโ€™s important to act immediately before they take the opportunity to enter your home.

Signs of Rodents in Your Yard

Before you seek treatment for rats or mice in the yard, you have to determine if theyโ€™ve nested on your property to begin with. So how can you tell if your yard has rodents? Here are some of the main signs to look out for:

  • Rodent droppings.
  • Holes and tunnels in the ground where rats or mice can hide and nest.ย 
  • Gnaw marks on fences, furniture, plants, or structures.
  • Footprints and tail marks in the soil or snow. You may see them along walls, fences, or pathways.
  • Squeaking, scratching, or scurrying noises at night. You may hear them in your attic, walls, or basement.

Types of Rodents in Your Yard

There are a variety of different rodents that may find their way inside your property and home. Luck for us, only two varieties in Iowa are known for invading from the yard. This would be the house mouse and the Norway rat. Letโ€™s talk more about both species below:

  • House mouse: Theย house mouseย is a small rodent with gray-brown fur and a pointed snout. It can go as big as three inches long and 0.8 ounces heavy. House mice feed on seeds, grains, fruits, and insects, and can enter your house through gaps as small as a dime.
  • Norway rat: Theย Norway ratย is a large rodent that has brown-black fur and a blunt snout. It can get as big as 10 inches long and as heavy as 18 ounces. A Norway rat can enter your house through gaps as large as a quarter, where itโ€™ll look for garbage, meat, grains, and fruits to feed on.

How to Prevent Rodents From Moving Into Your House

Itโ€™s never too early to take the right steps towards keeping rodents away from your yard. And by taking proactive action, you can save yourself the bill and hassle of a pest control treatment. To keep rats and mice off your property, you can:

  • Seal any gaps or holes around your houseย that rodents can use to enter.ย 
  • Keep your trash cans tightly closed and away from the perimeter of your house.ย 
  • Dispose of garbage regularly and do not leave food scraps outside.
  • Trim back any bushes or shrubs that touch the side of your house.ย 
  • Store firewood above the ground and at least 20 feet away from your home.ย 
  • Remove any clutter or debris from your yard that rodents can use as a shelter or nesting material.

Get Professional Help for Rodent Removal

If you already have rats or mice in your yard, you want to seek professional extermination services while the problem is still manageable. A licensed pest control company can inspect your property, identify the type and source of rodents, and apply the best treatment methods.

Springer Professional Home Services is one of the best pest control companies that offer rodent removal in Central Iowa. They have been serving the area since 1989 and have the experience and expertise to handle any rodent problem. So if you find yourself playing landlord to a crowd of furry, beady-eyed tenants, contact us today and find your peace of mind.

TAP: Pest Control Insulation

A tube that is blowing insulation into an open, unfinished attic.

You may be asking yourself, โ€œWhat is TAP insulation, and why should I pay for another service to my home?”. That is a fair question! Home maintenance is something many of us dread with how it can mess with our schedules and our wallets. TAP Insulation is a way to combine several forms of home maintenance in one easy solution. In other words, TAP insulation works on three different fronts to ensure your home is warm, quiet, and pest-free year-round.ย 

What Is TAPยฎ Insulation?

TAP stands for Thermal/Acoustical/Pest Control insulation:

  • Thermal: TAP Insulation uses cellulose fibers made from ground up newspaper. These paper fibers create small air pockets, much like a winter puff jacket, to increase the thermal efficiency in your attic. Given heat rises, the air pockets help to trap the rising heat, keeping your house warm in the colder months. TAP insulation’s density also captures air from escaping during the summer, which keeps the cold AC air in!
  • Acoustical: As a wide-open hard surface, your ceiling can do a lot to amplify and spread loud noises. The soft plush texture of TAP insulation can help muffle this noise with ease. The same features that help TAP insulation retain heat will be the ones keeping your home from sounding like a concert hall.
  • Pest Control: TAP insulationโ€™s paper fibers are mixed with a fine Borate mixture, which is a natural insecticide. As insects attempt to infiltrate your home theyโ€™ll be covered in borate. When the insects clean themselves, the borate makes its way into their digestive tract, killing them. This makes it a remarkable pest control insulation as pests will be doomed before they make it into your home and settle in.ย ย ย ย 

TAP Insulation Benefits

Insulation is important to any home, but TAP goes above and beyond in terms of protection and comfort. This special insulation offers a number of additional advantages:

  • Safe and Non-Toxic: This insulation is generally made from natural materials that are non-toxic, making it safer for homes with children, pets, or people with sensitivities.
  • Improved Energy Efficiency: TAP insulation protects against thermal loss, which can significantly reduce your heating and cooling.
  • Eco-Friendly Pest Prevention: Treated insulation is environmentally friendly and does not contribute to pollution of the water, air, or soil, like normal pest prevention methods may.
  • Long-Lasting Protection: Unlike chemical pesticides, which need to be applied frequently, TAP insulation can provide long-lasting protection from your home from new and existing pests.

Have a pest problem? We can help!

Why Go with Pest Control Insulation?

Many forms of insulation are available on the market today, many of which have been treated with pesticides. You may be asking why you should go with TAP insulation. However, itโ€™s important to note that pesticide-treated insulations arenโ€™t designed to keep pests out. Rather, the pesticides simply protect the insulation itself. This leads to invading pests simply going around or ignoring the insulation and heading straight into your home.ย 

In contrast, TAP insulation is designed to keep pests out long-term. Bugs only need to come into contact with the insulation for it to be effective. With the insulation actually providing a barrier from inside of the house thereโ€™s no need for repeat visits from a pest control company to treat the perimeter of the house.

When youโ€™re curious about the further benefits of TAP Insulation and want a free quote, contact the pest control experts at Springer Professional Home Services today! Our trained technicians are ready to provide you with this long-lasting solution.

Preventing Pests in Houseplants

An orchid leaf with an infestation of scale insects.

Houseplants are a great way to liven up any living space. They not only improve the aesthetics of the room but also have several health benefits, including purifying the air and reducing stress. However, houseplants can also attract bugs and pests, which can be detrimental to their health and also cause an infestation in your home. The good news is that, like most bugs, there are steps you can take to deal with them before they become an infestation. Consistently inspect your houseplants for evidence of pest activity. Preventing pests in houseplants starts with early detection.

Common Houseplant Pests

  1. Spider Mites: Tiny pests that are difficult to see but cause significant damage to your plants. Spider mites suck sap from leaves and stem, taking valuable nutrients away from your plant. Look for yellowing or stippling of leaves, webbing on plants, and the presence of speck-like insects.
  2. Mealybugs: Soft-bodied insects that look like white cotton balls. Found on the underside of leaves and on stems. These bugs also feed on plant sap and can stunt your plant’s growth.
  3. Scale Insects: Scales are often found on the stems and leaves of plants. They can be identified by their hard, waxy coverings. They suck plant sap and lead to yellowing leaves, stunted growth, and plant death if left untreated.
  4. Fungus Gnats: These tiny bugs are often found in the soil and can be identified with their black bodies and long, thin wings. They do not directly harm plants but can cause root damage if the population becomes too large.

Pest Prevention Tips

  1. Keep Plants Clean:ย  Clean off dust and debris that accumulates on leaves, this provides a breeding ground for insects if left. Wipe the leaves of houseplants with a damp cloth regularly. Clean leaves also help the plant photosynthesize more effectively and stay healthy.
  2. Inspect New Plants: When you buy new plants, inspect them thoroughly before bringing them inside. Look for any signs of pest infestation, such as holes in the leaves, sticky residue, or webs. If you notice these signs, do not buy the plant. If you cannot examine the plant before buying it, quarantine the new plant for a few days before placing it among your other plants.
  3. Water Correctly: Overwatering can lead to development of fungus gnats. Only water the top inch of soil when it is dry to the touch or invest in self-watering globes which will water the plant from the bottom. Avoid letting the soil remain waterlogged. Ensure there is enough drainage to allow excess water to drain.
  4. Use Natural Insecticides: If you do find pests in your houseplants, there are several natural insecticides that can get rid of them. Neem oil, for instance, is effective and save for use on most plants. You can use a mixture of water and dish soap to spray on the leaves of the plants. This will suffocate the insects and prevent them from laying eggs.
  5. Use Sticky Traps: Sticky traps are a great way to catch flying insects like fungus gnats. These traps have a sticky substance that the insect cannot escape from after landing on them. You can place these traps near your houseplants.

Professional Pest Control

If you have tried to get rid of a pest infestation to no avail, it may be time to call the professionals. Our team at Springer Professional Home Services is equipped with the products and experience to help. Since 1989, we’ve provided trusted extermination services to homes and businesses throughout Central Iowa. Call us today for a free quote!

Pests in a Fluctuating Climate

a graphic depicting climate change and extreme weather, though showing a tree in nature between lush nature and a stormy desert.

As time goes on, weโ€™re gradually experiencing a shift in the weather throughout the year. Average annual temperatures are rising, and winters are not as cold in many locales. It may feel pleasant, but when the weather is warmer, pests of all kinds are able to thrive. There has also been a notable increase in extreme weather patterns, from tornadoes and droughts to floods and hurricanes.ย  Warmer winters and extreme weather can both make pest behavior different from what weโ€™re used to. Read on to learn whatโ€™s changing and what you can do about it.

How Pests Have Adapted

For a long time, we were able to predict the behavior of most pests in relation to the weather. When itโ€™s warmer, insects and animal pests would roam with the usual desire to feed and breed. Then, once winter comes, these pests would either hibernate, overwinter or simply die off. But things change when the weather doesnโ€™t get that cold for long enough. Here are some consequences of insects living through warmer winters:

  • A higher survival rate
  • The production of additional generations
  • Resistance to pesticidesย 
  • A greater impact on crops and people

An increase in temperature during the winter months has resulted in the spread of the disease-carrying Asian Tiger Mosquito across Europe and the United States. Itโ€™s also dramatically increased the population of deer ticks (whose bites can spread Lyme disease), as well as fleas. To put it simply, the numbers of many types of insects and the portion of the year when theyโ€™re active have changed over the past few decades. And severe weather is also becoming more common.ย ย 

Have a pest problem? We can help!

How Severe Weather Affects Insects

A recent study has shown that extreme weather events have increased significantly over the last few decades. You likely remember the powerful derecho that hit Iowa a few years ago, as well as the drought that we’ve been going through. These and other severe weather events donโ€™t just affect humans. They affect insects as well.

Cold Weatherย 

As the weather dips below a certain temperature, insects generally tend to try and escape by migrating inside or burrowing underground to hibernate until spring. Youโ€™ll find that often the chill renders some bugs sluggish, and others completely unable to fly until the climate warms again.

Hot Weatherย 

Insects breed more in the heat, and as their metabolic rate increases they also have to eat more to compensate, which is why theyโ€™re more likely to attack gardens and other exposed food sources.ย 

Dry Weather

When the climate outside is particularly dry youโ€™ll find insects like the grasshopper and the spider mite thriving, reproducing at near-record rates. Other insects may struggle without water to breed in or drink and may enter your home looking for moisture in the process.

Wet Weatherย 

Wet weather is a major benefit for mosquitoes, cockroaches, stink bugs, and termites – all insects that live for moisture. But in times of excessive rain, these bugs and more may try and get into your home in hopes of shelter. Stormy weather can also flood the nests of ants and other burrowing insects, which could also drive them into your property.

Springer Professional Home Services For Year-Round Pest Control

Keeping your home pest-free is not something you do once and then are done with for good. It requires constant vigilance, as well as the initiative to seek treatment as soon as possible. At Springer Professional Home Services, we know that can be a lot for a busy homeowner to deal with. Thatโ€™s why we offer our PestFree365+ program as a way to provide year-round extermination and pest management.ย 

With this plan, your home is will be from 36 of the most common pests in Iowa. This means regular inspections, as well as tips and recommendations to help you stay pest free. When adapting to a change in the seasons and the weather, you shouldnโ€™t have to worry about bugs or animal pests in your home. And with Springer Professional Home Services, you wonโ€™t have to. Contact us today to get started!

Are There Rodents in Your Car?

A mouse crouches in the snow

Winter in Iowa can be harsh, and while we can bundle up to keep warm, the same can’t be said for pests like rats and mice. They look for warm places to nest and feed, and with that in mind, your car can become the perfect spot. Springer Professional Home Services has been handling rodent infestations for over 30 years, and in that time, we’ve learned that rats and mice will take any opportunity to get indoors, which doesn’t always mean in your home. Sometimes it means in your vehicle. Because of that, it’s important to know the warning signs of rats in your car, the risks they pose, and what we can do to help.

Signs Rodents Have Been in Your Car

Be they rats or mice, rodents are known for three main habits: biting, nesting and defecating.ย Anywhere you find these three phenomena, you’re likely to find rats and mice as well. Some of the damages are things you’ll be easy to see, like droppings (that may look like coffee beans or grains of rice, depending on the rodent), or tears in the upholstery to get material for nests. These nests will usually be in warmer spots around your car, such as behind heat ducts or under the center console.

It’s vital to contact a pest control company for treatment as soon as you notice any of these signs. With the amount of time we spend in our cars with every passing year, it’s important to ensure the vehicles we drive are operating safely.

Have a pest problem? We can help!

The Danger Rodents Pose

The visual signs of rodent damage in your car are concerning. What’s especially nefarious, however, are the forms of damage that you aren’t able to see. If a rat is able to chew at the plastic panels on your dashboard, it’s not too far of a stretch for them to chew one of the vital wires that your car needs to operate properly. If that wasn’t enough, rat and mouse droppings carry pathogens that can cause illnesses like salmonellosis and hantavirus. So, if a rodent makes a nest behind your heat vents, you run the risk of circulating particles of pathogens throughout your vehicle.

You don’t want to put your passengers or yourself at risk. That’s why it’s so important to seek professional pest control treatment before the problem spreads.

Springer Professional Home Services for Rat and Mouse Control

If you suspect rodents in your car, don’t hesitate to act. If you wait too long, there’s a very real possibility of the rats or mice getting into your home. But if you make an effort to clear your car of rodents, only to find more moving in soon after, they may already have a nest in your home. Luckily, Springer Professional Home Services can safely remove existing rodent nests, as well as take exclusionary efforts to prevent future infestations. You can trust the team that has been caring for households in Iowa since 1989 and know that whatever work we do is done with your comfort and safety in mind. To learn more, contact us today!

DIY Ways to Keep a Mouse out of Your House

A mouse pokes its head out from under s piece of furniture in a house.

Iowaโ€™s winters are frigid. It’s true for human residents as well as pests, particularly rodents, who try to get into homes to warm up and gain access to food. At Springer Professional Home Services, our skilled rodent exterminators can get rid of any size or type of infestation. But if you were able to keep mice out in the first place, wouldnโ€™t that be better? Here are some methods you can try to help keep your home pest-free this winter. Please note, however, that DIY pest control is not as effective as professional pest control. But if youโ€™re not ready to call an exterminator or want to wait until youโ€™ve tried everything yourself, here are some techniques to consider.

Non-toxic, DIY Rodent Repellents

Here are four common methods for keeping mice and other rodents away using common household items:

Peppermint oil: Mice don’t like the smell of peppermint. In order to keep them from entering, you can put a few drops of the oil on cotton balls, and then place them near any potential access points or attractants, like unsealed food. Even better, you can plant mint along the perimeter of your property to act as a natural barrier!

Another odor mice dislike is apple cider vinegar. Mix equal parts apple cider vinegar and water and spray it once a month along the perimeter of your home and around potential access points.

Steel wool: Thanks to their strong incisors, mice can chew through many materials. But research shows that theyโ€™re unable to bite through steel wool. If you use it to fill potential entry points, it will prevent them from entering your home.

Mice hate the scent of fabric softener sheets. Put one of the sheets inside any openings you find that you think could be entry points for a mouse. Bear in mind, they can squeeze through an opening with a diameter of only ยผ inch.ย 

Have a pest problem? We can help!

Ways to Keep Rodents Out

Mice want what any mammal wants when itโ€™s cold out: food, shelter, and warmth. If you have them, theyโ€™ll try to get in however they can. Letโ€™s review some methods you can use to keep rodents from getting into your property:

  • Check your home’s interior frequently for evidence of mice, especially dark corners like attics, basements, and crawl spaces.
  • Locate every potential entry point on the exterior of your home and seal or treat it with the DIY methods above.
  • Keep food in your home covered, sealed, and safely stored.
  • Remove as much clutter as possible from your home, both inside and outside.

Mice won’t want to stay for very long if they donโ€™t have easy access to food or a quiet, dark location to nest. Plus, as an added bonus, taking these actions will make your home tidier and more comfortable to live in.

If DIY Approaches Fail

Even if you follow all these steps, mice or rats might find their way into your home. If they do, Springer Professional Home Services can get them out. Since 1989, weโ€™ve provided trusted extermination services to homes and businesses throughout Central Iowa. We can help rid your home of rodents or any other pests. Contact us today for a free consultation!ย 

Roach Raid! Cockroaches in Your Appliances

cockroaches around base of fridge with crumbs

You don’t want to think about cockroaches in the home – especially not around the space where you prepare your food. It’s even worse to imagine finding one of these ugly pests in the appliances themselves. Your microwave is especially vulnerable to attracting rodents and other pests, but cockroaches are willing to make their way into any place they consider a viable source of food. So if you find droppings in key corners of your kitchen, you may ask – how do cockroaches get into my appliances? And what can you do to clear roach infestations in Central Iowa? Springer Professional Home Services is here to answer questions and offer the help you need.

How Do Cockroaches Get In?

Cockroaches like places that are dark, warm, and adjacent to food. The kitchen has plenty of nooks and crannies that provide all of that and more. They might be drawn to hide in cabinets, under carpet and mats, or behind peeling wallpaper. At the same time, the German Cockroach, the variety most common in the kitchen, can squeeze itself through the smallest cracks. So, if there are gaps in your microwave or under your sink, this can act as a potential roach vulnerability.

Out of all the pests, roaches reproduce particularly quickly, and a female roach can produce up to 3000 eggs in a lifetime. That’s why it’s so important to catch potential infestations before they balloon and become all the more difficult to control. It can save you a lot of trouble if you know how to identify key evidence of cockroaches in the home. This could include:

  • Cockroach poop,ย which is dark brown or black and resembles coffee grounds.
  • Cockroach egg casings, or Oothecae,ย that are dark or reddish-brown and resemble a dried bean.
  • Exoskeletonsย from new cockroaches molting. These are light brown in color and shaped roughly like the roach they came from.

Have a pest problem? We can help!

Getting Rid of Cockroaches in the Kitchen

In almost every case, one visible cockroach is evidence of more hiding someplace nearby. However, if you act quickly, you can possibly prevent an infestation with the right precautions.

The most important thing you can do is clean and clear all food sources. This includes not only leftovers left out on the counter, but spills in the fridge or crumbs in the microwave. Cockroaches are incredibly skilled at finding any source of food, so you should be cleaning your countertops on a regular basis. Doing this keeps your kitchen cleaner, and it also removes any traces of pheromones on the surfaces of the space.

You can also place glue traps around areasย that seem particularly active hot spots for roaches. This is a good way to determine the general scope of the infestation, and if the work you’re doing to treat it is actually helping. If you find yourself cleaning constantly and still going through glue trap after glue trap, there’s a chance that the presence of these pests has grown past your control. You need a pest control company that respects your home and your willingness to keep it comfortable and clean. To put it simply, you need Springer.

Trust Springer to Keep Out Cockroaches!

Springer Professional Home Services has been providing comprehensive home and pest control for homes in Central Iowa for decades. If you have cockroaches or any other pests, we can work to clear them out and keep more from getting in. You don’t have to hold your breath or avert your eyes every time you step into your kitchen. If you have roaches, take care of yourself and contact Springer today!

Why You Shouldnโ€™t Squish Wolf Spiders in Your House

wolf spider found in bathroom of house in davenport iowa

a wolf spider in house on the hunt for pests to eatBeing terrified of spiders is a perfectly normal human response. Seeing one in your house can feel like an attack. It might even trigger your fight or flight response; you might feel moved to defend your castle against the eight-legged invader โ€“ squish now and ask questions later. But wait, hold on. If itโ€™s a wolf spider in your house, there are some very good reasons why you shouldnโ€™t squish it.

What Do Wolf Spiders Look Like?

Wolf spiders are one of the most common types of spider and you can find them inside or out. Theyโ€™re mostly brown, with black markings on their legs and body. They have eight long legs and can vary in size quite a bit; adult wolf spiders can be about the size of a quarter, to several inches from leg to leg.

Wolf spiders donโ€™t spin webs, so if itโ€™s in a web you know itโ€™s not a wolf spider. They spend most of their time in hiding, but come out when theyโ€™re hungry.

Benefits of Wolf Spiders in the Home

Which would you rather have in your home? A timid wolf spider that just wants to hunt for food and keep to itself, or an obnoxious fly that buzzes around everywhere and gets in your face? When you squish a wolf spider, youโ€™re choosing the fly.

Wolf spiders eat flies and anything else they can run down โ€“ pests that have no beneficial purpose in your home. They eat ants, fleas, earwigs, even bed bugs. Outdoors, large wolf spiders will even kill and eat insects and small birds. In your home, the wolf spider is like a tiny little exterminator that patrols your home doing a bit of pest control every day. Now, a wolf spider wonโ€™t control an all-out pest infestation โ€“ youโ€™ll need a regular-size exterminator to help with that โ€“ but itโ€™s good to know the wolf spider is on your side.

Wolf spiders are almost never aggressive with humans. When you see a wolf spider in your home, you can be sure that it is far more scared of you than you are of it. If you do get bit, it may hurt a bit like getting a shot. But wolf spiders are not venomous. Wash the area with warm soapy water and you should be fine in a few days.

Babies on Board โ€“ย Wolf Spiderlings

Another excellent reason not to squash a wolf spider is that it may be carrying baby wolf spiders (spiderlings). When wolf spider eggs hatch, the spiderlings climb on the motherโ€™s back and she carries them until theyโ€™re large enough to hunt for themselves.ย 

If you squish a wolf spider thatโ€™s carrying her young, you may inadvertently send dozens of her babies into different cracks and crevices of your home. Counterintuitively, this may create more of a spider infestation in your home than if you had left it alone. This is because only a few of her young would typically survive to adulthood when the brood is left to develop naturally. When they split off, many more may.

Be Sure It’s a Wolf Spider

Before you decide to leave a wolf spider alone, make sure youโ€™re sure itโ€™s a wolf spider. It can be easy to mistake a wolf spider for a much more dangerous spider like a brown recluse or a black widow. By all means, if you see a brown recluse or black widow in your house, squash it with a shoe or spray it with some insecticide. Their bites are extremely painful and venomous and you donโ€™t want them lingering around.

How to Prevent Wolf Spiders in Your House

Wolf spiders donโ€™t intentionally come into your house. Theyโ€™re hunters, and they follow the food. Thatโ€™s why the best way to prevent wolf spiders in your house is to prevent other pests in your house. If you remove the food source, the wolf spiders wonโ€™t come inside. Or the ones that do come inside will quickly starve.

Pest prevention is an entirely different conversation, and one weโ€™d be happy to have with you. Some basic principles include keeping your home neat and tidy, not leaving food out, and sealing cracks so they canโ€™t enter in the first place โ€“ but thereโ€™s so much more to it than that. Each house offers its own unique pest control challenges, and at Springer Professional Home Services we take pride in our ability to solve them.

Give us a call today to chat with one of our experts or get a quote on spider extermination services.

Preventing House Spiders

All of that being said, it’s perfectly reasonable if you don’t want to share your home with a colony of spiders, harmless as they may be. Luckily there are a few easy steps you can take to make your space inhospitable to spiders and other pests.

  • Keep the outside of your home clearย of things like firewood, debris, shrubs and vines. These are all places where spiders like to gather, and if they’re touching your home, it gives them easy access to get inside.
  • Seal any cracks and crevicesย around the exterior of your home with caulk or weatherstripping.
  • Keep your house clean withย regular sweeping and vacuuming, which will help to remove spider webs, eggs, and insects that spiders feed on. This creates a space that’s less appealing for pests in general, which includes house spiders.ย 

Effective and Eco-Friendly Spider Removal in Central Iowa

If you’ve done everything right and still find yourself constantly combating house spiders, it might be time to bring in the professionals. At Springer Professional Home Services, we’ve been providing the highest standards of pest removal services since we were founded in 1989. But unlike our competition, we work with the state of the environment in mind and consciously choose to utilize integrated pest management principles. That’s why when you work with us, you’re not only making the best choice for your home – you’re making the best choice for the ecosystem of your community. That’s the Springer promise for homes in and around Des Moines. Contact us today to learn more!ย 

House Spiders: Friend or Foe?

a house spider in a web under a roof

If you don’t like spiders, you’ll be unhappy to learn that there are more than 4,000 species of them in North America alone. Lucky for us a majority of them are harmless to humans, though there are a few that are venomous enough to do some damage. But it’s the common house spider (or the American house spider) that you’re most likely to find in and around your home. Knowing that you likely have at least a few house spiders sometimes nearby right now, you may be wondering – should you be worried? Are they dangerous? Keep reading to find out.

What Are House Spiders?ย 

House spiders come in a wide array of rather drab colors. This ranges from yellow or tan, to darker shades of brown or gray with darker mottling. They have a round abdomen that’s higher than it is long and commonly seen with streaks on the sides, and usually splotched with white in its highest point. The house spider can be โ…› to โ…œ inches (for females); or โ…› inches (for males), in addition to long legs ringed with a dark color.

Where Do House Spiders Live?

You can find house spiders throughout the United States and in parts of southern Canada. They make their home just about anywhere, including:

  • Gardens and yards
  • Basements and attics
  • Barns and sheds

Just to name a few. Essentially if you have a structure with moisture and food that is mainly left undisturbed, the odds are good of attracting a house spider. If you find them you can easily distinguish their webs from other spiders, as their’s tend to be messier and more asymmetrical. However, they’d probably prefer you didn’t look for them, as if they’re left on their own in your attic, basement or garage, house spiders can live up to seven years. Compare this to their lifespan outside, where female spiders are bound to die in the cold and males rarely last for more than a year.

Are House Spiders Dangerous?

Let’s put some fears to rest: a house spider is not likely to attack you. They’re traditionally shy around humans and are more likely to run, hide or play dead if confronted. And even if it does bite you, its bite and venom are not considered hazardous to humans. You may end up with some minor swelling and redness, but overall this is one more thing that renders the house spider more of a nuisance than a danger. In fact, house spiders actually play a valuable part in your home’s ecosystem by controlling the population of more aggressive household pests. If you want a natural method to get rid of flies, mosquitos and even wasps, you might want to consider making a friend of the American house spider.

Preventing House Spiders

All of that being said, it’s perfectly reasonable if you don’t want to share your home with a colony of spiders, harmless as they may be. Luckily there are a few easy steps you can take to make your space inhospitable to spiders and other pests.

  • Keep the outside of your home clearย of things like firewood, debris, shrubs and vines. These are all places where spiders like to gather, and if they’re touching your home, it gives them easy access to get inside.
  • Seal any cracks and crevicesย around the exterior of your home with caulk or weatherstripping.
  • Keep your house clean withย regular sweeping and vacuuming, which will help to remove spider webs, eggs, and insects that spiders feed on. This creates a space that’s less appealing for pests in general, which includes house spiders.ย 

Effective and Eco-Friendly Spider Removal in Central Iowa

If you’ve done everything right and still find yourself constantly combating house spiders, it might be time to bring in the professionals. At Springer Professional Home Services, we’ve been providing the highest standards of pest removal services since we were founded in 1989. But unlike our competition, we work with the state of the environment in mind and consciously choose to utilize integrated pest management principles. That’s why when you work with us, you’re not only making the best choice for your home – you’re making the best choice for the ecosystem of your community. That’s the Springer promise for homes in and around Des Moines. Contact us today to learn more!ย 

Late Summer Pests

Wasp nest in eave of house

You might think that you’re in the clear for pest problems when the summer heat starts to wane, but certain types of pests actually thrive around this time. With an ample amount of warmth and plenty of people participating in outdoor activities to hound, the pests of late summer have an easy time finding what they need, whether it be a blood meal, a food supply, or a place to build their nest. In order to ensure that pests don’t ruin your late summer plans, you have to take preventative measures against them. Read on to learn what pests to watch for in Central Iowa in late summer and what you can do about them.

Common Pests in Late Summer

Every season has its own characteristic pest problems. The pests that cause the most problems in the late summer are typically the ones that have the most to gain from warm conditions, like these:

Bees and wasps: Stinging insects stay active into the late summer pollinating plants and taking advantage of the food that humans leave outside during barbecues, get-togethers, and whatnot.

Ticks: ticks breed during the early summer, producing a yield of offspring that will climb to the tops of tall grass in search of hosts a month later. They thrive in the overgrowth in warm weather.

Wildlife: Wild animals that usually hibernate during the cold winter months spend their summers outside and too often in our business. Wild animals like raccoons, possums, and squirrels that wander into your yard could tear through your trash or garden and cause serious property damage.

Mosquitoes: If mosquitoes establish a successful breeding population, their numbers will be so high by the late summer that it will be almost impossible to deal with them. Mosquitoes remain active as long as temperatures don’t drop below 50ยฐF consistently.

Have a pest problem? We can help!

Pest-proof Your Property for Late Summer

Drastic infestations of any of these kinds of pests call for the intervention of a professional exterminator, but there are some general housekeeping strategies you can try to avoid pest problems on your property first. We recommend the following:

  • Keep your yard tidy: Make sure that all of your trees and shrubs are trimmed back, promptly dispose of piles of grass clippings or other vegetation, and make sure you aren’t leaving out any items that could lead to a small, temporary pest shelter.
  • Seal your home: Regularly monitor the outside of your property to make sure that your home doesn’t have any cracks or gaps in roofing, foundation, or siding.
  • Be careful with trash: Using bins that seal and regularly taking out your garbage to the outside bins will go a long way in preventing wildlife infestations.
  • Get rid of standing water: Mosquitoes breed in pools of standing water, no matter how small. Covering up pools, spas, and birdbaths and regularly checking for rainwater pools will help keep mosquitoes away.

Help with Summer Pests

If you’ve tried everything you can to prevent pest infestations to no avail, it’s time to team up with your local pest control company. Our team at Springer is entirely licensed, certified, and thoroughly trained on all of the types of pests that we regularly see here in Central Iowa. We can determine the cause of your infestation, put it to a stop, and teach you how to identify and correct vulnerabilities on your own going forward. Reach out today for a free quote!ย