How to Naturally Repel Bees and Wasps

Honeybees hovering near a yellow flower

Summertime means spending time outside. Unfortunately, it also means bugs. Wasps and bees are prevalent in summertime in Central Iowa. Encountering them can result in annoyance, stings and even serious allergic reactions. So, how can you keep bees and wasps from interfering with your outdoor plans this summer naturally? Read on to find out.

 

Plants That Bees and Wasps Like

Since bees and wasps are pollinators, it’s no surprise that they’re attracted to plants. Here are plants that bees and/or wasps are especially fond of: 

  • Black-eyed Susan
  • Honeysuckle
  • Lantana
  • Lilacs
  • Perennial Yarrow
  • Poppies
  • Pale Purple Coneflower
  • Sweet Fennel
  • Wisteria
  • Queen Anne’s Lace
  • Sedum
  • Snapdragon
  • Sunflowers

If any of these plants are growing near your home, consider moving them further away, if possible. Especially if they’re close to a patio or other outdoor space that you use frequently.

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Plants That Bees and Wasps Don’t Like

There are also several plants that act as natural repellents to bees or wasps. The reason? They have a strong smell that they dislike. These plants include: 

  • Basil
  • Citronella
  • Eucalyptus
  • Geraniums
  • Marigolds
  • Peppermint
  • Spearmint
  • Thyme
  • Wormwood

If you want to keep stinging insects away and don’t mind the smell, consider adding some of these plants near the outdoor spaces of your home, like a porch, deck or patio.

 

Bees and Wasps and Food

In addition to plants, stinging insects are attracted to food. Since eating outside is a part of summer, with cookouts, picnics and kids eating ice cream, this can bring stinging insects and humans into close contact. 

However, there are steps you can take to help keep bees and wasps away from your outdoor meal.

  • Try not to leave food out. Throw it away or put it in a sealed container when you’re done.
  • Wasps are attracted to sugary drinks so be sure to keep them closed or covered.
  • When you throw away food, or trash that’s come into contact with food, close the trash can lid securely.

Bees and wasps are attracted to many types of food. However, like with plants, there are some food items that repel bees and wasps, including: 

  • Bay Leaves
  • Cinnamon
  • Cloves
  • Cayenne Pepper
  • Garlic
  • Sliced Cucumber
  • Vinegar

These can be used to help keep stinging insects at bay in a few different ways. You can create a perimeter around an outdoor space that you’d like to keep wasp and bee-free. Or you can just slice, chop or pour some of these common grocery items in a container, leave it on a patio table and let the strong odor go to work.

 

How to Repel Bees and Wasps with Essential Oils

Another way to keep stinging insects away naturally is to make a pest repellent spray using essential oils. Bees and wasps dislike the smell of these essential oils:

  • Citronella oil
  • Clove oil
  • Eucalyptus oil
  • Geranium oil
  • Peppermint oil
  • Rosemary oil

Simply combine essential oil and water at a ratio of two drops of essential oil per ounce of water to make a natural alternative to store bought insect repellent.

 

Bee and Wasp Removal Experts in Central Iowa

These natural pest repellents likely won’t be enough to control serious infestations. In that case, you may need to hire a local exterminator to get rid of the bees or wasps on your property. Springer has been providing pest control services in Central Iowa since 1989. If you want to get rid of stinging insects on your property, call us today for a free quote!

Get Rid of the Ants in Your Bathroom

Ants infesting a bathroom in Central Iowa - Springer Professional Home Services

There are many different ant species living around Central Iowa. From fire ants to odorous house ants, you can count on these pests to invade your home in search of food, water, and shelter at various times throughout the year. Because ants emerge looking for resources after dramatic weather shifts, it’s important to take regular preventative measures throughout the year to get ahead of changes in the weather. Read on to learn how from the ant exterminators at Springer Professional Home Services!

Why Are Ants Living in My Bathroom?

Ants most often infest bathrooms because they can find water and shelter inside. Water pools up in our sinks, in our showers, and on our bathroom floors, providing easily accessible water sources for passerby ants or colonies taking temporary shelter in our walls and cabinets. One of the most common bathroom-infesting ants is the carpenter ant because these ants tunnel through damp wood to find new places to build nests. However, you’re likely to find many different kinds of ants living inside your bathroom. They usually get inside in these ways:

  • Windows and doors that don’t seal shut
  • Holes making room for plumbing fixtures
  • Cracks in your home’s walls and foundation
  • Openings in ventilation systems

Ants also could have traveled from another room in your home to get to your bathroom, so you have to check if their trail leaves any indication as to where they came from.

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Getting Rid of Bathroom Ant Trails

It is imperative that you locate the source of the ant trail if you want to make sure they don’t come back. Ant colonies grow rapidly, so if you wipe out one trail without eliminating their source, another bunch will return shortly. The problem with this is that ant trails can be very difficult to trace when they travel through walls and pipes. This is why ant prevention is such a crucial measure to take. We recommend you work to prevent ants in these ways:

  • Make sure all of your doors and windows seal
  • Replace any wood with water damage
  • Keep mulch and plants at a good distance from your home
  • Seal cracks around your home’s exterior with a silicone-based caulk
  • Ensure that your bathroom is well-ventilated

Pro Ant Control in Central Iowa

If you’ve tried everything in your power to get rid of ants in your bathroom and they’re still coming back, you need help from your local ant exterminators. Our team at Springer Professional Home Services is equipped with the products and experience to find where your ants are coming from and eliminate them at the source. We will show you how your home was invaded and teach you how to prevent it from ever happening again. To learn more and get a free quote, reach out to us today!

How to Protect Yourself from Ticks & Lyme Disease

A tick found in Central Iowa - Springer Professional Home Services

Finding a tick trying to lodge itself in your skin is one of the creepiest pest-related experiences you can have. However, the real danger of ticks is their ability to transmit Lyme disease to humans. As is important with all pests that can harbor and spread diseases, it’s crucial to learn about ticks and the ways that they operate so you can keep yourself, your family, and your pets safe from their bites. We’ve put together some information from our technicians at Springer Professional Home Services about ticks and Lyme disease in Central IA. Read on to learn!

What to Know About Lyme Disease

Lyme disease is spread by the deer tick, otherwise known as the blacklegged tick. These ticks carry the bacterium that leads to Lyme disease in humans. It is most often spread by their nymphs, which are more apt for biting undetected due to being a fraction of the size of their adult counterparts.

The first symptoms of Lyme disease to appear are exhaustion, headaches, fever, rashes, and pain in joints and muscles. If you don’t seek treatment in time, these symptoms can progress into nerve damage and arthritis. If you’re experiencing any of the initial symptoms of Lyme disease following a recent tick bite, talk to a local medical professional right away.

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Avoiding Ticks

To stay safe from the dangers of Lyme disease, you have to learn the best ways to avoid crossing paths with ticks. These arachnids hide in densely vegetated areas, like shaded fields of tall grass or woods, waiting for small animals to walk by. These are the best ways to steer clear of ticks in Vermont:

  • When hiking, stay along the trail and away from dense vegetation
  • Wear pants and long socks if you plan to be outside for extended periods of time
  • Check yourself and your pets for ticks when coming back in from time outside
  • If you find a tick on yourself or someone else, never crush it or try to remove it with your fingers. Use a pair of tweezers and pinch the tick as close as you can to the skin, pulling back steadily and gently

Tick Control in Central IA

Regularly finding ticks on yourself or your pets is cause for concern. If you think you have a tick problem on your property or the surrounding area, call your local pest control company. The tick exterminators at Springer Professional Home Services are well-versed in the habits and patterns of all tick species in Central IA. Our tick control team can assess your yard for vulnerabilities and tick hotspots, devising a plan for a barrier treatment to keep ticks away and stop them from breeding. For a free quote or to learn more about our tick extermination services, contact us today!

Our Ten Best Spider Facts

Looking for spiders in Des Moines IA - Springer Professional Home Services

The area around Des Moines IA happens to host all kinds of spider species. Here at Springer Professional Pest Solutions, we have helped countless home and business owners put a stop to their spider problems, and in the process, we’ve met many arachnophobes. We believe that people wouldn’t be so afraid of spiders if they knew more about them, so we’ve laid out our top ten spider facts for you to read!

Our Top 10 Facts About Spiders

  1. Most spider bites aren’t harmful: All spiders have venom that they use to kill their prey, but only a select few spiders in Des Moines are venomous enough to endanger humans.
  2. Spiders live everywhere: Not just all over the world, all over your area, too! Research suggests that you’re probably within 10 feet of the closest spider at any point.
  3. Thousands of spider species exist: There are over 35,000 documented spider species in the world with many more yet to be discovered, experts predict.
  4. Spiders wrap presents: Spiders have been observed wrapping up bugs in silk to present to a mate that they’re courting. Some spiders cut corners, though, and wrap up leaves or other junk to make a fake present.
  5. Spiders are dancers: Male spiders sometimes take part in a scuttling, arm-waving, frantic dance routine to try to entice a female that they like.
  6. Female spiders attack their mates: Some female spiders will kill their male counterpart after mating to use their body as nourishment for their offspring to come. Females of other spider species will occasionally kill males for courtship displays that don’t meet their standards.
  7. Spider silk can do many things: Beyond their webs that they use to trap insects, spiders of different species use their silk to create paths, nests, tunnels, and even as floats to glide around on.
  8. It is also stronger than steel: If you cut a piece of steel to the same dimensions as a strand of spider silk, it would be 5 times weaker! Spider silk is only so flimsy because of how thin it is spun.
  9. And it’s liquid at first: This is why we think the strength of spider silk is so incredible—it only becomes solid when it comes into contact with air. It starts in liquid form in their spinning gland.
  10. Spider muscles work differently: Spiders can only curl in their legs, not push them back out using muscular mechanisms. What they do instead is pump a special fluid through their legs to expand them. This fluid also makes for incredible propensity for jumping.

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Still Need Spider Control Services?

We hope that we’ve given you some reasons to think spiders are cool and not freaky. However, we understand that even non-dangerous spiders can be a nuisance and unsettling when they occupy your home. If you’re looking for spider exterminators in Des Moines IA, reach out to our team at Springer Professional Home Services. Get a free quote from our spider control team by contacting us today!

How to Protect Yourself and Your Family from Mosquito Bites

Although there’s much to look forward to come springtime, this season also marks the return of many kinds of pests, particularly insects, around Des Moines IA. Mosquitoes are one of the peskiest pests in the area—we are fortunate enough not to be exposed to the ones that transmit dangerous diseases like malaria and Zika virus here in Iowa, but having mosquito bites all over your body is no fun. Fortunately, there are steps you can take around your home to protect yourself and your family from mosquito bites. Read on to learn them from the mosquito exterminators at Springer Professional Home Services!

Why Do Mosquitoes Bite?

It surprises many people to learn that mosquitoes don’t actually bite humans to sustain themselves by feeding on our blood. In fact, It is actually only the female mosquito that draws blood from animals, and she does so solely to provide her body with the proper nutrients to facilitate the reproductive process.

Because mosquitoes can remain active and breed as long as temperatures consistently sit above 50 degrees Fahrenheit, we have to pay attention to our surroundings while outside for much of the year.

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How to Avoid Mosquito Bites

There are a few main ways to protect yourself and your family from mosquitoes. Incorporate these strategies into your daily routines during the warmer months to prevent mosquito bites:

  • Get rid of standing water: Mosquitoes breed in standing water that pools in our yards, so if you let it compile, mosquito numbers will grow. Make sure to cover or pour it out of your gutters, planter boxes, birdbaths, pools, and anywhere else it can accumulate.
  • Wear insect repellent: Bug sprays like DEET are EPA-approved and proven to significantly reduce your risk of mosquito bites for up to 12 hours. Make sure to read the instructions diligently before applying on children.
  • Avoid high-risk times: Mosquitoes are most active at dusk and dawn when the sunlight is low. If you can, plan outdoor activities during midday.
  • Set up a barrier: A professional mosquito control technician can set up a sprayed barrier treatment around your home to discourage mosquitoes from living and breeding on your property.

Expert Mosquito Exterminators in Des Moines IA

If you are looking for a barrier treatment or a second opinion on the source of your mosquito problems, reach out to your local mosquito exterminators. At Springer Professional Home Services, we train our mosquito extermination team with advanced strategies and environmentally-friendly products to keep your family safe from mosquitoes and harmful chemicals for months at a time. Get in touch with us today for a free estimate on mosquito abatement services!

How to Get Rid of Winged Termites

Winged termites in Des Moines IA - Springer Professional Home Services

Have you been seeing termites with wings flying around your home? As spring approaches here in Iowa, termites will begin to swarm again to look for new homes and food sources. Causing a staggering $5 billion in damages in the United States alone every year, termites are the most destructive pests in the country. Finding termite swarmers on your property is almost always bad news. So how can you get rid of them? Read on to learn from the termite control team at Springer Professional Home Services!

Do I Have Flying Termites in My Home?

You might hear termites with wings referred to as swarmers, alates, or reproductives depending on who you talk to. Termite swarmers are geared to spread to suitable locations and grow their colonies elsewhere. It’s easy to confuse them for ants if you haven’t seen before, so we’ve laid out the main differences between flying ants vs termites:

  • Termites have a lighter coloration than most flying ants
  • Ants have pinched waists and slender bodies, while termites’ bodies are broad and rounded
  • Termites have equal-sized wings, but ants have larger forewings than their hindwings

There are two reasons for finding termite swarmers on your property: either the swarmers are checking out your property for a potential settling site, or you have an existing termite infestation that’s large enough to force them to spread. The former is concerning, the latter is serious.

Have a pest problem? We can help!

Get Rid of Flying Termites in Iowa

If you have been seeing flying termites around your house, you can take these precautions to keep them from finding a way inside:

  1. Keep your firewood off of the ground and far away from your home
  2. Move mulch away from the siding and foundation of your home
  3. Find and fix any leaky pipes that could cause water damage in wood
  4. Make sure that your drainage systems are diverting water away from your home

These steps will prevent new swarmers from finding your property suitable to infest. However, you should check around your home for termite damage to see if your swarmers are new or not. if the swarmers that you have come from an active infestation, you could have some serious damage on your hands.

Springer Professional Home Services Handles Termite Removal

If you find termite damage inside your home or are nervous about the presence of winged termites, reach out to your local termite exterminators for an inspection. The termite removal team at Springer Professional Home Services has seen termite infestations of all sizes around Iowa and are equipped to both remove them from your home and defend your property from them going forward. Get in contact today for a free quote!

How Do I Get Rid of Cockroaches and Keep Them From Coming Back?

Roaches in Iow home - Get rid of cockroaches with Springer Professional Home Services

One of the most dreaded pests of all time is the cockroach. Not only are these pests a gross sight to behold, they also can spread germs and contaminate surfaces. Moreso, cockroaches can trigger allergy symptoms and put people at risk of serious illness when they infest a home. Needless to say, it’s crucial to learn how to prevent and get rid of cockroaches, which can take more effort than you may think. The experts at Springer Professional Home Services know how frustrating a roach problem can be—read on to learn everything you need to know with our roach control team!

Part 1: Getting Rid of Cockroaches

In an ideal situation, you would prevent cockroaches from ever entering your home. Sometimes, though, that just isn’t possible. If you’re already struggling with a cockroach problem, here are a few tips to help you get rid of the unwanted houseguests.

1. Seal Entry Points

First things first: seal off all entry points to prevent more cockroaches from entering your home. Examine and repair all weather stripping around your doors. Repair and replace door and window screens, and seal any cracks or holes in your home’s exterior.

2. Use Treatments

Several different pesticide treatments are made especially for indoor home use. Consider using gel bait, bait stations, or glue traps throughout your home to eliminate roaches. Remember that if you decide to use a poisonous option, you’ll need to keep children and pets away from treated areas. Follow all instructions on the label carefully.

3. Consult a Professional

Sometimes an infestation is too much for you to handle on your own. Especially when you’re dealing with German roaches, it can be the right call to enlist help. Whether you’re dealing with a few roaches or a few dozen, your local pest control professionals can help you get them out of your home and keep them out.

Have a pest problem? We can help!

Part 2: Keeping Roaches Away

Once you get rid of cockroaches, it’s time to keep them from coming back! Even if your home hasn’t yet been affected by cockroaches, it’s always wise to take steps to prevent an infestation.

1. Eliminate Food Sources

The main contributor to cockroach problems is the availability of food. Remove potential sources of sustenance by making sure that any and all food is cleaned up promptly and stored properly.

2. Clean Your Property

While the presence of cockroaches doesn’t necessarily mean a home is unclean, cockroaches can easily hide and live in homes that are untidy. If you don’t have a cleaning regimen in place already, try to set a manageable schedule that will help you to monitor for cockroaches. This may mean vacuuming on one day of the week, dusting on another, and cleaning bathrooms on yet another day. You don’t have to be obsessive about cleaning, but making sure all areas are tidied up regularly will help reduce your chances of a cockroach infestation.

3. Monitor for Activity

You can always be on the lookout for signs of cockroaches. Keep an eye out for indications of a cockroach infestation like an unusual smell, droppings, smear marks, or shed skins. If you notice any of these signs, it’s best to contact your local professional for an inspection.

Ready For Professional Cockroach Control?

If you’re fighting a losing battle against cockroaches in your Des Moines-area home, contact Springer. Our pest control professionals will work with you to eliminate cockroaches from your home and establish a plan to keep them out.

How to Prevent Flies in the Winter

Fruit fly in Iowa - Springer Professional Home Services

Flies are typically seen as a common pest problem during the summer, but they can be a headache for Iowa homeowners in other parts of the year, too. No one likes to deal with flies inside their property. During the winter, their presence can be not only frustrating but confusing! This is because flies are actually one of the most common winter pests. To avoid having to deal with flies this time of year, the key is to know what’s drawing them indoors in the first place. The experts at Springer Professional Home Services are here to help—read on to learn all you need to know about winter flies!

Nuisance Flies in the Winter

There are two types of flies in particular that are a winter pest problem here in Iowa. They are:

  1. Fruit flies
    1. Tiny flies that are light in color with big red eyes
    2. Commonly found in kitchens or warm, moist areas like your trash or drains
    3. Lay eggs in rotting fruit, food, or plant material
    4. Often get indoors by hiding inside grocery bags
  2. Cluster flies
    1. Larger dark gray flies with yellow hairs on their thorax and overlapping wings
    2. Commonly found around windows, basements, or attics
    3. Group together in dark, secluded areas to go into diapause or hibernation
    4. Begin to re-emerge in the spring or on warmer days to regain heat and energy

Have a pest problem? We can help!

Preventing Winter Fly Infestations

Similar to many pests this time of year, fruit and cluster flies cannot survive the cold temperatures during the winter. While cluster flies won’t reproduce on your property, fruit fly infestations can quickly grow and become a nuisance. By preventing these pests in the first place, you will not have to deal with them later. Take the following steps to control winter flies:

  • In the fall, it is imperative to seal off your home to keep cluster flies out. Do this by caulking cracks on the property. Sealing windows and doors is especially important, as these flies tend to enter homes under baseboards and window frames.
  • In order to eliminate fruit flies, it’s best to eliminate their food and shelter sources. You should always throw away rotting food from your pantry or fridge. Take your garbage outside regularly and use tight-fitting lids on your cans. Lastly, focus on sealing cracks and crevices around windows and doors near your kitchen.

Get Rid of Flies in Your Iowa Home For Good

If you have a fly infestation on your property this winter, you should hire a local fly control expert. At Springer Professional Home Services, we work hard to eliminate the conditions that lead to fly infestations in your home. To learn more, contact us today!

The Mystery of Moles

A mole in Des Moines IA - Springer Professional Home Services

Sometimes it’s difficult to tell when moles are infesting your yard until you roll your ankle in a mole hole in your lawn. How did they get there, and how long have they been there? Moles are one of the sneakiest and most destructive mammals living in Des Moines IA, and every year we work hard to rid our customers’ lawns of them. If you’re struggling to track down moles in your yard, read on for advice from our technicians at Springer Professional Home Services. In our three decades of service, we’ve solved the mystery of moles and use what we’ve learned to help our neighbors every day.

Identifying Moles in Des Moines IA

Moles can be hard to spot, but if you do see animals digging through your yard, it’s very helpful to be able to identify them as moles, gophers, or otherwise, so your mole removal technician knows what to expect when they arrive. Here are some distinguishing features of moles:

  • Moles are smaller than many expect them to be—usually between 4 and 7 inches long
  • They have brown fur and large, pink hands with pronounced fingers
  • Moles have tiny eyes and narrow faces
  • They can often be found in groups—where there’s one, there are sure to be many

Have a pest problem? We can help!

4 Signs of Moles in Your Lawn or Garden

If you’re wondering if you’ve found mole damage in your yard, here are some signs to look for to identify the damage as caused by moles and not other animals living in Des Moines IA:

  1. You will notice multiple mounds of dirt pop up in your yard overnight.
  2. Mole tunnels cause damage to plants that is visible on the surface because they tear through roots. Unusual poor plant growth is a sign of moles.
  3. Moles cause small stones to rise to the surface of your lawn through their tunneling. These can damage your lawnmower if you don’t find them.
  4. If you’ve noticed wide-open tunnels at the surface, you might not have moles. The larger the tunnel, the more likely it is to be hosting gophers.

Mole Control in with Springer Professional Home Services

Moles have to be dealt with right away so they don’t ruin your whole lawn or garden. Whether you are sure that you’ve found moles in your yard or you can’t tell what’s tearing apart your lawn, call your local pest control company for an inspection. The mole control experts at Springer Professional Home Services are equipped with the strategies and technology to get rid of moles, even when they’ve established a serious presence in your yard. For a free quote or to learn more about how we operate, contact us today!

Do Ticks Die During the Winter?

A tick in Central Iowa - Springer Professional Home Services

Winter is often seen as the season of pest invasions. All sorts of critters are sneaking through the cracks in our walls and the gaps around our doors to find some warmth and shelter during the harshest season. While it’s rough out there for many, ticks are one of the more resilient pests in Central Iowa, able to tough it out through unfavorable conditions. If you’ve seen more ticks than you expected to this winter and are wondering what you can do to avoid them, read on for advice from the technicians at Springer Professional Home Services.

When is Tick Season in Central Iowa?

Ticks are one of the most feared pests in the state during the summer. When we walk our dogs or go on hikes, many of us try to steer clear of tall grass or densely wooded areas so as to not pick up ticks on our way back home. Ticks thrive in the heat, and especially in the combination of heat and humidity—they prefer to live in places averaging 85% humidity or higher.

So, if heat and humidity are so important to them, do ticks die in the winter? Although it isn’t an ideal season, ticks do what they can to make it through the cold, and do so in surprisingly high numbers. Here are some of the ways they adapt:

  • If they find an unsuspecting host, they can latch onto them for a long time, hiding in their fur when they aren’t feeding.
  • Without a host, ticks look for piles of leaf litter or other decaying foliage on the ground for shelter.
  • For a more stable source of insulation and protection, soft-shelled ticks burrow underground.

Have a pest problem? We can help!

Avoiding Winter Ticks

Once temperatures consistently sit below 45 degrees, and especially when the ground is covered in ice, snow, or water, ticks have a difficult time finding eligible hosts. However, if you aren’t careful, they can still sneak up your leg or onto your pet’s back. These are a few ways we recommend that you take precautions against ticks this winter:

  1. Conduct tick checks when your pets come back inside. After a walk or running around in the yard, make sure your pets, dogs especially, don’t have any ticks hidden within their fur.
  2. Maintain your yard waste. If you let piles of leaves sit around for too long, they can easily become tick hotspots. Dispose of any yard waste as often as you can.
  3. Contact your local tick exterminators. A professional tick barrier treatment is the most effective method of keeping ticks out of your yard all year long.

Professional Tick Control for the Winter

Unfortunately, deer ticks, which have the ability to spread Lyme disease to humans, are about and about in the Des Moines area. To protect your family from these dangerous pests, make a plan with your local pest control company. At Springer Professional Home Services, we take the dangers of ticks very seriously, so we develop individualized plans for each of our customers to ensure that their tick control plan fits their property and their needs. For a free quote, contact our team today!