Watch Out For These 2 Spiders This Fall

Black widows are a dangerous spider in Des Moines IA - Springer Professional Home Services

If you’re noticing more spiders in your home recently, there’s a reason why! In the late summer and early fall months, spiders are out in full force. This is why you may see more in your Des Moines area home if they start to get inside in search of food, water, and shelter. Most spiders that you encounter in your property are harmless and likely want nothing to do with you. However, there are two spiders in particular that need to be watched out for: the black widow and the brown recluse spider. The team at Springer Professional Home Services is here to share all you need to know about spiders this fall.

Are All Spiders Dangerous?

Your common house spider may look scary to you, but thankfully will leave you alone! The black widow and brown recluse spiders are dangerous any time of year, but are often seeing in or around your home in the late summer/early fall. Both of these spiders are able to administer a bite that can cause serious side effects, making it important to know how to identify them:

  • Brown recluse spiders. These spiders have a darker brown hourglass shape on their brown bodies. They build loose, dome-shaped webs for shelter. A brown recluse bite is known to be very painful.
  • Black widows. These spiders have a characteristic red hourglass shape on its body. They build sticky, tangled cobwebs in garages, sheds, and near the ground. They can bite when they feel threatened.

Black Widow vs Brown Recluse Infographic - Springer Professional Home Services in IowaHow to Avoid Spiders This Fall

No one wants spiders invading their home this fall or any time of the year, for that matter. Thankfully, there are a few things you can do to make your property less attractive to spiders. Here are our top spider prevention tips:

  1. Keep your lawn and yard trimmed. Overgrown bushes, shrubs, piles of wood, and more can attract spiders to your property and eventually indoors.
  2. Regularly clean your home. Doing so can prevent insects that spiders like to prey on and eliminate hiding spots for pests.
  3. Seal any cracks and crevices. Inspect the inside and outside of your property for tiny spots that may be inviting spiders in, and seal properly.
  4. Install or repair screens on doors and windows. Holes or crevices in screens will easily invite spiders (and other pests) inside.
  5. Inspect boxes and used furniture prior to bringing them inside. Adult spiders or egg sacs could be nestled in old unopened boxes.

Do You Need Professional Spider Removal?

It’s completely normal to see a few spiders every so often in your home. However, if you are starting to see spiders on a daily basis—or if you spot a black widow or brown recluse—it’s time to enlist the help of a professional. The team at Springer can keep you spider-free this fall and all year long.

Keep Your Home Pest-Free This Winter

A rodent is one of the many common winter pests that invade central Iowa homes each year - Springer Professional Home Services

Many people think that pest infestations only happen in the spring and summer, but unfortunately, that’s not the case. Just like us, pests and insects seek out shelter and warmth in the colder months, which is why winter infestations are more common than you may think. Rodents, cockroaches, and even bed bugs are just a few of the many pests known to stick around in the winter months. To avoid the frustration of a pest infestation during the holiday season, keep reading for Springer’s top tips for preventing winter pests!

Winter Pest Problems in Iowa

If you live in Iowa, you know that pest infestations are a fact of life year-round. During the winter, many bugs and insects may seemingly disappear to not return again until the springtime. However, some pests will invade homes this time of year in search of food and shelter. The most common winter pest problems are from:

  • Rodents (rats & mice): The house mouse and Norway rat will easily squeeze their way indoors to escape the cold.
  • Bed bugs: Known to withstand extreme temperatures, bed bug infestations are common in the winter months.
  • Spiders: House spiders as well as black widows are often found indoors in dark, secluded corners.
  • German cockroaches: These common roaches hitchhike inside and can spread quickly throughout your home.

Pest-Proofing Your Home in the Winter

In order to prevent winter pests, it’s important to learn how to protect your home. Exclusion is one of the most reliable forms of pest control, as it denies pests access into your home in the first place! By sealing cracks and crevices around your property, you’re able to stop pests and insects from getting indoors. Further preventative measures include placing screens over vents and chimneys, storing firewood away from the home, fixing any moisture problems, and generally keeping a clean and tidy environment to discourage pests.

Winter Pest Control Services

Winter pest problems are a serious threat to homeowners. The best way to go about preventing winter pests is to safeguard your home against them! If you’ve done all you can to keep insects and other pests out of your home in the winter but are still experiencing issues, it’s time to call the experts at Springer Professional Home Services!

How to Get a Pest-Free Christmas Tree

Shake out your Christmas tree before bringing it into your Des Moines IA home - Springer Professional Home Services

Did you know that 30 million households bring a real Christmas tree into their home every year? Nothing evokes the spirit of the holidays like a freshly cut Christmas tree that serves as a beautiful decoration in your home each year. However, these trees are also said to harbor as many as 25,000 insects inside of them! To avoid getting a pest infestation, keep reading for Springer’s top tips on how to pest-proof your Christmas tree.

3 Tips to Prevent Christmas Tree Insects

With so many Christmas trees to choose from, it can be overwhelming to pick the right one! Before bringing a Christmas tree into your home, there are a number of things you should do to prevent Christmas tree pests:

  1. Thoroughly inspect your tree. Before picking a winner, inspect the Christmas tree for irregularities, spots, damaged branches or trunk, or signs of pests.
  2. Shake out the tree. Either by yourself or with the expertise of a Christmas tree lot attendant, vigorously shake out the tree to expel insects or pests.
  3. Leave the tree in your garage initially. To encourage lingering bugs out, store your Christmas tree in your garage or a covered area for a day or two before carrying it indoors.

Are Christmas Tree Bugs Dangerous?

Christmas tree bugs are typically minuscule and harmless. In reality, most of these Christmas tree insects will not be able to survive an indoor environment and will die within days of being brought in. The most common Christmas tree bugs you may come across include:

  • Aphids
  • Bark beetles
  • Spiders
  • Weevils
  • Webworms
  • Praying Mantises
  • Mites
  • Sawflies

How to Get Rid of Christmas Tree Pests

If you brought home a Christmas tree only to discover it’s riddled with insects, there’s no reason to panic. As mentioned before, Christmas tree insects are mostly harmless. Nonetheless, it’s recommended to call an expert pest control company such as Springer Professional Home Services for more information on getting rid of Christmas tree bugs. Contact us today for more tips on having a pest-free* Christmas!