A seasonal pest calendar for Des Moines
What tends to show up when, given the local climate.
Through the year
Local weather shapes the calendar. Des Moines has a humid continental climate with hot, humid summers and cold winters. Summers are warm and often humid, with much of the year's precipitation falling as heavy spring and summer storms.
Spring and summer bring ants, wasps, and stinging insects; late summer is peak for yellowjackets; and fall pushes mice and overwintering insects indoors as it cools. Subterranean termites are active across Iowa, including the Des Moines metro. The cold winters slow them but do not remove the risk, and termite inspections are a routine part of home care here. Recurring service is timed around this pressure.