Iowa Pest Prevention: Warning Signs and Strategies for a Pest-free Home

Beetles, ants, spiders, and termites. What do these four creepy crawlies have in common? If you guessed, “They’re bugs!” you’re wrong. Spiders are arachnids. The correct answer: these creatures are some of Iowa’s most prevalent pests. Plenty of Iowa’s homeowners have experienced pest infestations at some point. Beetles, ants, spiders, and termites are only a few common culprits. Infestations aren’t just annoying and unsettling—they can cause significant damage over time. You must address, eliminate, and prevent unwelcome houseguests as soon as possible to avoid long-term consequences and costly frustrations. The experienced team at Janssen Pest Solutions is here to teach you common warning signs of infestation and strategies to keep a pest-free home.

What are some signs of pest infestation?

Pests can be sneaky, but you can outsmart them. Here are a couple of signs to watch out for: Visible pests: Maybe it’s common sense, but an obvious sign of infestation is seeing ants, roaches, or other pests inside your home. Seeing multiple of the same type of pest inside your home indicates others are hiding. However, there’s no need to panic. A residential pest control technician can eliminate pests of any kind, regardless of your problem’s magnitude. If you’re facing this problem yourself, it’s best to call an exterminator sooner rather than later. It’s impossible to know how many critters are lurking unseen. Droppings and urine stains: Visible droppings and urine stains are another clear sign of infestation. It’s best to let a professional know when you see or smell these excrements. Detecting droppings from animals like mice and bats is easy, but bugs poop, too! Cockroach droppings appear similar to coffee grounds, and ant droppings resemble black sand. Flea poop appears as black specks—often found where household pets enjoy resting. Bed bug feces appear as dark streaks on bedding and furniture. Some say these marks resemble ink stains. Let a pest control exterminator know if you notice any of these around your home. They’ll listen to your concerns, investigate your home, and guide you toward the best solution. Damaged plants: Check for wilting and hole-riddled leaves on indoor plants. Carefully inspect the area for insects. Examine the soil and undersides of plant leaves. When bringing new plants into your home, examine them closely to ensure they’re bug-free. It’s easy for pests to multiply once they are in your home. If your plants are in danger of tiny invaders, consider hiring a pest control company that uses eco-friendly or “green” extermination methods. Eco-friendly extermination uses non-toxic and environmentally safe products that won’t compromise your family’s health, the health of your pets, or your indoor plants.  Unexplained bites, welts, itchiness, or stings: If you or your family are experiencing unexplained insect bites or stings, it could indicate infestation. Bed bugs, fleas, and other bite-sized brutes leave their mark in the form of bumps and welts. Often, these injuries are relentlessly itchy. If this problem persists, it’s essential to contact a professional. This kind of problem doesn’t usually go away on its own. It’ll likely continue getting worse. Your best course of action is to get in touch with an exterminator. They’ll be able to diagnose the problem and resolve it promptly.

What are some strategies for keeping a pest-free home?

Preventive measures are the best way to keep your home pest-free.  Seal entry points: Inspect your home for cracks and gaps. If you find any openings, seal them using caulk or other sealants. Additionally, you can invest in screened windows and doors to keep flying insects from entering your home. The more physical barriers, the better. Store food properly: Food sources attract pests—especially ants, cockroaches, and rodents. Proper food storage makes your home less appealing to pests. Use airtight containers whenever possible. Many rodents and insects possess a keen sense of smell, detecting even the faintest odors. Further, storing food items in solid containers adds a much-needed layer of protection. Rodents can chew right through plastic bags and cardboard boxes! It’s essential to keep your food safe from pests. Consuming pest-contaminated food can make humans seriously ill. Inspect your home regularly: Keep an eye out for unwelcome guests. Examine doors and windows, and check for unexpected entry points in your home’s foundation. There’s no need to tear your house apart each month in search of rats and spiders. Instead, simply inspect these common hiding spots on a semi-routine basis:
  1. Inside cabinets
  2. Under sinks
  3. Under appliances 
  4. Attics and basements
  5. Creases of upholstered furniture

Don’t bug out!

A professional exterminator can help with all pest problems, big or small. Janssen Pest Solutions has provided effective pest prevention and control services to Des Moines and central Iowa for 30 years. We offer extermination services to Des Moines, Ankeny, Urbandale, Johnston, West Des Moines, Waukee, and other areas. Contact us today for a free extermination estimate.

Des Moines Bed Bug Control Guide

Have you been looking for how you can eliminate bed bugs? At one time an afterthought, such pests have recently made quite the comeback. The more you understand about bed bugs, the better your opportunities of avoiding them.

Basics of Bed Bugs

Bed bugs derive their name from the truth that they’re typically discovered in close proximity to beds. That is because these pests require the blood of warm-blooded animals in order to survive. Unfortunately, they may mature in around 35 days. Then, they live around 7 – 12 months. It’ll make removal of bed bugs challenging to do without the assistance of the professionals.

Bed Bug Bites

Bed bugs mainly feed on human beings sleeping in bed overnight. Their bite is painless, and its blood meal takes around ten minutes.

The Hunt

How will bed bugs find a host while they’re asleep? The CO2 from exhaled breath, body heat, and additional biological signatures assist in focusing the bed bugs on snoozing, unsuspecting hosts. Bed bugs feed, then retreat back to their place of harborage for days or perhaps weeks before returning back to the surface. It might make detection hard until the infestation is highly established.

On the Move

These pests are knowledgeable hitchhikers. As a matter of fact, they’re mainly transported by human beings and humans’ belongings such as suitcases.

Be on the Lookout for Bed Bugs

The smaller an infestation, the easier extermination is to perform. That is why it is vital that you spot any potential infestation as early as you can.

What does their Skin Look Like?

The shed skin of bed bugs appears almost identical to live bed bugs. The difference between the skin and the actual bug is that its exoskeleton will look translucent and empty and obviously can’t move. As an infestation continues and mating is ongoing, immature bed bugs start making up most of the population. During this time, every adult bed bug already has molted multiple times. As shed skins don’t decompose at the same pace, they’ll begin building up over a period of time.

That means you’ll stand a better opportunity at spotting the clear exoskeletons than actual bugs, particularly since its skins are going to be discovered in larger clusters along a mattress seam, headboard, box spring, baseboards and even trapped to your pajamas and bedding.

You’ll find a variety of sizes of skins depending upon the life stage:

  • 1 mm – Bed bug egg
  • 5 mm – 1st-stage instar nymph
  • 2 mm – 2nd-stage instar nymph
  • 5 mm – 3rd-stage instar nymph
  • 3 mm – 4th-stage instar nymph
  • 5 mm – 5th-stage instar nymph

Bed Bugs: How often do they shed?

The bugs only shed after they finish a blood feeding at each of the initial five life stages. Depending upon food availability (that is, blood sources) as well as temperature, each stage (under ideal conditions) will last around a week. If food isn’t readily available or if conditions are too cold, each molt and shedding thereafter may take longer.

Bed Bug Shedding: What should you do with it?

As you see bed bug skins, immediately stop your search. Continuing your search or cleaning up may disturb the living bugs, and cause them to hide and scatter. It’ll potentially spread the infestation to additional areas of your house. Instead, contact Janssen Pest Solutions at 515-519-3447 to eliminate bed bugs, as well as their dirty skins.

Indications of Bed Bugs

These pests are great at hiding, yet not great at concealing evidence. The careless clues left behind are the best sign that your room is overrun with these pests. Some clues to search for include:

  • Blood stains on PJs and sheets
  • Fecal stains on bedding
  • Shed bed bug shells, exoskeletons, or skins

Indications of Bed Bug Bites

Bite reactions in skin appear like those that are caused by mosquitoes and fleas. Telling which pest caused a bite may not be possible. Search for these indications of bed bug bite symptoms:

  • Lines of several bites
  • Bed bug bite rash around a localized space
  • Itching and burning
  • Red, raised welts

Where do you Look?

The right bed bug control will require a watchful eye. In order to feed on human beings, bed bugs desire close proximity to their host. Inside the bedroom, headboards, box springs, and bed framing are favorite areas for these bugs. They also may settle inside furniture, as well as fixtures close to the bed.

Bedrooms aren’t the only area in which these pests might be a problem. The feeding does not need to be overnight. All these pests want are human hosts who inactive long enough to offer a meal. Eliminating bed bugs is challenging. Any area which human beings sleep, rest, or sit may be a space that bed bugs feed or are introduced.

Sitting for a couple of hours inside a theater will make you a target. You might become a target riding in a cab across town. You can also make a target inside your favorite recliner in your living room.

Put Your Concerns to Rest

These pests have an uncanny capability of spreading using unsuspecting individuals and their valuables as carriers.

Following the measures below will assist in minimizing the opportunities for you running into these pests. Most importantly, it’ll help to minimize the odds of you bringing some to the house with you.

  • Firstly, check all travel reviews before you visit a hotel, and be aware of the ones that have several bed bug reports.
  • As you check into your hotel, check your headboard, mattress, bed frame, as well as pictures for any bed bug signs.
  • Instead of storing suitcases on the floor or bed, keep your suitcases on the luggage rack.
  • Don’t store clothing inside dressers and hang clothing that may be hung.

Still, there isn’t any guarantee that bed bugs will not sneak into your house some way or another. If they do, contact Janssen Pest Solutions.

For more information on our bed bug pest control services contact Janssen Pest Solutions at 515-519-3447.

What Is Pest Control?

Some folks think of insects or bugs as they hear the term “pests,” while other people imagine rats, mice, squirrels, or raccoons. Therefore, what is pest control? “Pests” comprise of any rodent, insect, or wildlife which is considered unwanted because it either invades people’s businesses or homes and causes damage or heightens the risk of communicating an illness or disease. Therefore, pest control is the procedure of managing (by the use of repellents or deterrents) or extracting pests from the place of business or house.

Controlling or managing pests may be accomplished with a variety of techniques. Killing them often is done (using the professional services of exterminators or DIY), but there are techniques of humane pest control available, as well. They involve the use of sound to repel or deter pests, as well as making changes around your property to prevent them from getting in. Preventing a pest problem is preferable to dealing with one which has already happened… yet if the issue already exists, there isn’t any way around it: all pest(s) must first be removed.

Wildlife and insects enter structures mainly to search for warmth, shelter, and food. Typically, the areas affected include the roof, the basement, and the attic. Homeowners might do some things to assist in ensuring they do not offer an environment that is appealing to pests – for instance, they may keep their areas uncluttered and clean, without easy places for hiding. Similarly, in the spaces outside your home, you may ensure you do not stack firewood or additional items close to the house, and keep all tree branches trimmed. You might seal up all obvious places in which pests may attempt to enter.

Professional pest control services like Janssen Pest Solutions are able to help a good deal in controlling and preventing pests, as well. We’re able to inspect the property to see if there are pests inside (occasionally it is difficult to know for certain, as a homeowner… we just suspect there might be pests as we hear noises even though occasionally we’ll see proof like feces). Our services may:

  • Discover where pests are getting into the premises
  • Handle all pests already inside the house (identification of the kind of pest is accomplished first)
  • Recommend whether there’s any damage caused by pests
  • Regularly spray to assist in preventing insects
  • Seal entry points off we do not have easy or ready accessibility to

Sometimes we use traps or bait, and we always use humane pest prevention and removal. If you have pets inside your home, let the technician know ahead of time, as some methods utilized are toxic to pets.

The objective of pest control includes basically removing any wildlife or insect from spaces in which people work or live. What kind of approach is utilized to manage pests is the option of the homeowner and also may be dictated by the circumstances themselves. Humane techniques are becoming increasingly popular yet there might be circumstances where they won’t work. Regardless, the aim includes preventing (or minimizing) structural or additional damage that is caused by such pests, and decrease the risk of pests spreading diseases or illnesses to people.

Pest Control: Is it Safe for Households that have Pets and Children?

Households with pets and young children must be careful while handling pest control. Curiosity, as well as their small size, may make it a challenge to keep them out of spaces where they should not be. Is pest control safe? Absolutely, if precautions are taken to make sure the pets and children are safe. It’s arguably a lot safer to handle rodents than to permit them to continuously live inside the home, in which there’s a risk that contamination and diseases might be passed from rodents to domestic pets and humans.

Traps

They’re a common device used to extract rats, mice, and additional rodents from a house. When pets and young children are present, traps have to be placed in spaces which aren’t accessible to them – even though that may be a lot more difficult with younger children who are mobile and fast, and also especially with cats.

Using Bait

Even if there are regular foods being used, it isn’t a good idea for the food to be accessible to pets or children in case they eat it. The food might be spoiled or might be contaminated with rodents or their feces or urine. Keep in mind, as well, that even though peanut butter is a popular bait for rodents, some folks have fatal allergies to it. Ask your pest control expert what kind of bait they’ll be using.

Regardless of the steps taken, pets and children must continually be appropriately supervised.

Therefore, is pest control safe for homes that have pets and young children? If the correct precautions are put in place, the answer is yes. Pet owners and parents ought to feel free to ask any questions about treatment or plan for rodent removal. Do not be afraid to additionally ask for a demonstration or explanation of how the company has intentions to use a pet or child-proof traps. Ultimately, it’s better to extract rodents from the house in order for the home to be properly disinfected and cleaned (and if necessary, repaired). Rodent exclusion, as well as preventive pest control measures then, should be taken to keep all rodents out of your home.

Using Expert Pest Control Services

Using an expert pest control service such as Janssen Pest Solutions may offer peace of mind. We have the knowledge and experience to handle all sorts of situations, which include households that have pets and children. Most pet owners and parents feel safer handling pet-friendly, eco-friendly solutions. Our company specializes in humane pest control and has non-poison, non-toxic options for eliminating rodents from your home. Rodenticides or poisoned bait never should be used. Customers may ask to see the safety information for any items we propose to utilize in the home.

For more information on our pest control services contact Janssen Pest Solutions at 515-519-3447.

Honey Bees Are The Bees Knees

Honey Bees are a critical part of food production but did you know just how cool they are?

Honey bees, buzzing around the new blossoms of spring bring delight and also fear to many.  Here are some amazing facts about honey bees.

Did you know?

Unlike other social wasp and bee varieties honey bees maintain its colony size all throughout the winter?

Honey bees must maintain a core hive temperature of 90 degrees even when its -10 degrees outside, and how they do this is nothing short of amazing.  The honey bees form a ball around the hive and then begin to vibrate and dance around in order to generate enough heat to keep there hive warm.  Even more interesting is that the bees in the warmer core of this ball will rotate to the outer area of the ball to allow other bees on the outer area to move to the center of the ball and warm up.

 

Pollen is not just for allergies

Honey bees utilize pollen as a food sources and is rich in protein.  Honey bees collect pollen as well as nectar to produce nutrient rich food sources to maintain a healthy colony.  honey bees collect pollen on the “hairy” portions of their rear legs and bring this back to consume.  The plant nectar That honey bees collect is deposited into the comb and dried to produce a super considerate we all call HONEY!

When bee keepers “smoke” honey bee nest honey bees become far less aggressive.

The process of “smoking” a nest is used by bee keepers to calm a honey bee hive and allow the bee keeper to harvest honey.  When smoking a nest the bee keeper uses a device that puffs smoke from a small fire into the nest.  This triggers a nearly instant response in the honey bees to gorge themselves on honey.  They do this because the smoke simulates a forest fire and bees begin to prepare for a long journey to find a new nesting site by consuming energy (honey).  Like thanksgiving dinner after eating a heavy dose of food we become lethargic, so do honey bees.

Honey bees are mathematicians

Scientists have believe that honey bees can calculate angles and comprehend the roundness of earth!  Their 6 sided honey comb provides maximum space efficiency to store their food and double as a home. In order to produce 1 oz of wax, bees must consume 8 oz of honey.  That takes a lot of work, and they can waist even an once.  Their 6 sided combs provide the solution.  This is truly and amazing behavior that maximizes efficiency and honey production!

Honey bees done usually die when they sting.

When it comes to protecting their territory from predators honey bees are well equipped for the job.  Honey bees use their stingers to defend their hive from predators and other insects.  They are able to sting soft skinned insects and predators as many times as needed.  Humans on the other hand have thick skin and unfortunately their stinger often gets stuck in this thick skin.  Once the bee flies off with out its stinger, it done for.

Young Honey bees have to earn their keep.

Honey bees are a social insect with orders and casts.  The youngest honey bees are required to act as the hive janitors and clean the hive and cells be fore they are allowed to leave the nest and forage for pollen and nectar.

 

9 Deadly Insects You Might Not Know Existed

9 Deadliest Insects (The Top 3 live in Iowa)

9. Bullet Ant
One of the largest species of ants in the world, the bullet ant can be up to 1″ long.  The Bullet ants sting has been called one of the most painful feelings in the world and it gets it name from the pain of the sting.  It is said that the bullet ants sting is feels like getting a struck by a bullet.  Once more the pain may take several days to subside and that is just one sting.  These ants will attack without warning and emit a frightening shriek as they attack there victims.  These ants can be found in the rain forests of South America.  

8. Human Bot Fly (Dermatobia hominis)
These flies lay there eggs on other insects like mosquito’s and horse flies.  They then get rubbed off onto humans and animals.  The egg is incubate and burrows into the flesh where they feed and grow under the victims skin.  These Bot Fly larva cause infections and and have been found inside tear ducts, and even human brains.  The human bot fly can be found in Central and South America.

7. Japanese/Asian Giant Hornet
This wasp boosts the ability to spit 8 flesh eating toxins while also having the ability to sting what ever it wants, as many times as it wants.  While it only accounts for up to 50 human deaths per year it is without a doubt one of the deadliest insects on earth.  Just a few dozen of these wasps can completely destroy a colony of honey bees 20,000+ bees strong.   The Japanese/Asian Giant Hornet is native to China and central Asia but has  spread to France as well as South Korea. 

6. Driver Ant
Driver ant colony sizes can be as large as 20-30 million strong.  These ants are not particularly poisonous nor do they have abnormally sharp or powerful mandibles.  What makes these ants deadly is the sheer size of their swarms.  The Driver ant will literally engulf it’s pray and carry it away.  Rather than building nests like other ants, these driver ants swarm.  Driver ants are native to Central and South Africa as well as tropical Asia.

5. Kissing Bug
While most species feed on sap, some of these bugs feed on blood.  They got their strange name because of there unusual moth parts and because they have a behavior to “bite” their victims on the lips while they sleep.  These bugs are known to be a primary vector for Chagas disease that kills 10-15 thousand people annually.  Kissing bugs are native to South, Central and North America.

4. Tsetse Fly
The Tsetse fly is the primary vector for “sleeping sickness” and has killed hundreds of thousands of people.  Modern day medicine has reduced that number to less then 10,000 reported cases.  No the less more then 70 million people remain at risk of contracting the disease annually.  Tsetse flies are native to central Africa.

3. Flea
Have you heard of the Bubonic plague?  This plague has killed millions of people.  The black plague still exists today and on average there are 7 causes annually in the United States.  Several of those causes will be fatal.  The plague is transmitted from fleas that bite humans or small animals.  It can also be transmitted by coming in contact with an infected animal or person.  Fleas are native to nearly all regions of the world.

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2. Locust/grasshopper
I bet you never thought a grasshopper would be deadly.  Locusts are a pest of biblical proportion.  They will eat everything in their path.  On average, a locust will consume their body weight in grain and plant matter daily.  Can you imaging eating your body weight in anything?  Locusts have been the cause for food shortages and famine for thousands of years killing millions of people.  While locust swarms can be better controlled then they have in the past, locust still pose a real threat to our food supply.

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1. Mosquito
Mosquitoes can carry over a dozen diseases including Malaria, Zika, and Encephalitis to name a few. Mosquitoes can be found on every continent except Antarctica. Malaria alone kills over 1 million people per year and infects up to 500,000 more people annually. Mosquitoes breed in standing or stagnate water and will often bite early in the morning or just before sun set in the evening.  Mosquito control tips include the use of bug repellents, long pants and longs sleeves to help protect yourself from the deadly effects of mosquitoes. Reduce standing water found around your home, keeps gutters clean and make sure to prevent water from pooling after a rain whenever possible.