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Monthly Archives: July 2020

Michigan Snakes

We have no shortage of snakes in Michigan. Precisely speaking, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources lists 17 separate species that live within our state. Let’s get to know them! (Spoiler alert: Most of them are harmless.)

Black Rat Snake

The black rat snake is found in the southern lower peninsula, typically living in or near woodlands, often near water. They can reach anywhere from 3.5 to 8 feet in length! State law protects black rat snakes, citing them as a Michigan DNR species of particular concern. These non-venomous snakes are harmless to human,  though it is the largest snake you will find in Michigan.

Blue Racer

Blue Racer snakes live throughout most of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula and the southern tip of the Upper Peninsula, inhabiting a variety of areas from open woods to meadows, marshes, and the other regions. They can reach anywhere from 4 to 6 feet in length. Once a common species, the number of Blue Racer snakes is decreasing. They have light-colored bellies and will shake their tails when they feel threatened. While they might bite in these cases, these snakes are not venomous.

Brown Snake

Brown snakes live throughout the Lower Peninsula and the southern tip of the Upper Peninsula in many areas, both residential and rural. They are small snakes, reaching only 9 to 15 inches in length. Brown snakes are common throughout the state; they rarely bite and are non-venomous. Brown snakes are shy and like to hide under objects or below the ground.

Butler’s Garter Snake

This widespread species lives in the eastern and southern Lower Peninsula, typically inhabiting moist areas like meadows, marshes, and the edges of lakes. While they can bite, it is unlikely, and they are non-venomous. Many say their teeth feel similar to velcro! Earthworms are a favorite food for the Butler’s Garter Snake.

Eastern Garter Snake

The most common snake in the state, the Eastern Garter snake, can be found everywhere, including urban areas! They have red tongues with a black tip and can reach 2 to 4 feet in length. They can bite but are non-venomous.

Copper-bellied Water Snake

You can only find the copper-bellied water snake in the southern area of the Lower Peninsula. Reaching 4 to 5 feet in length, these snakes do not lay eggs. Instead, they are one of the very few types of snakes that give birth to live offspring. Copper-bellied water snakes are endangered and protected by state law. They will bite if threatened but are non-venomous.

Eastern Hognose Snake

The Eastern hognose snake lives in the Lower Peninsula and the southern tip of the Upper Peninsula. However, they are most common in the western and northern Lower Peninsula, mostly in sandy woodland areas. While once prevalent, this medium-sized species is declining in numbers due to an irrational fear by humans who will kill the snake.  They cannot harm you and will even play dead if threatened.

Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake

This authentic rattlesnake reaches 2 to 3 feet in length and can be found in the Lower Peninsula, inhabiting wetlands during the spring and drier areas in the summer. While this species will try to avoid confrontation, they will bite if in danger, and they are venomous— however, the Massauga is the smallest and least venomous rattlesnake. It is important to note that this is the only species of poisonous snake throughout the state of Michigan, which means that the Upper Peninsula is void of any harmful snakes.

Eastern Milk Snake

The Eastern milk snake is common in the Lower Peninsula but rare in the Upper Peninsula.  They survive in a variety of environments and reach 2 to 4 feet in length. They are harmless to humans, though these snakes got their name by lingering around farm buildings, eating mice and rats.

Fox Snake

The western fox snake is found in woods, fields, and dunes in the Upper Peninsula, while the eastern fox snake spends its time in the marshes and wet meadows of the Lower Peninsula. These snakes reach 3 to 5 feet in length and are classified as “threatened” and protected by state law. They are harmless to humans. In the U.P, the western fox snake goes by the “pine snake.”

Kirtland’s Snake

The Kirtland’s snake lives in the Southern Lower Peninsula in damp meadows, vacant lots, and open woodlands. This snake flattens its body when threatened and is endangered and protected by state law. They rarely bite and are non-venomous.

Northern Ribbon Snake

Common in wetland habitats throughout the Lower Peninsula, the Northern Ribbon snake, reaches anywhere from 18 to 38 inches in length. They are great swimmers and harmless to humans.

Northern Water Snake

One of the least pleasant on the list is the Northern water snake. These snakes can reach between 2 to 4 feet in length and live throughout the Lower Peninsula and the eastern Upper Peninsula, mostly near bodies of water. The Northern water snake can have up to 48 young per litter! While not a threatened species, human aggression has eliminated water snakes from many areas. They will bite if threatened but are non-venomous.

Queen snake

The Queen snake is a generally uncommon species that live near bodies of water in the Southern Lower Peninsula. They range from 15 to 36 inches in size and are not only unlikely to bite; they are non-venomous as well. Their diet primarily consists of crayfish.

Red-bellied snake

You can find red-bellied snake throughout Michigan, in fields and woods. They are common and like to hide beneath objects in trash dumps, reaching only around 15 inches in length. They are utterly harmless to humans.

Ring-necked Snake

Throughout Michigan but most common on the state’s larger islands, the ring-necked snake typically lives in moist woodlands. Spotting one is rare, and receiving a bite by one is even more unusual— though they do have slightly poisonous saliva. Despite only reaching 10 to 24 inches in length, they sometimes feast on smaller snakes.

 

Smooth Green Snake

Measuring at 12 to 20 inches in length, the smooth green snake can be found throughout lower Michigan in grassy areas. They are a common species that likes to chow down on insects. They rarely bite humans and are non-venomous!

 

As with most pests, proper identification is key when dealing with any sort of wildlife situation. If any of these snakes are an unwanted presence around your home, you know who to call!

“Michigan’s Snakes.” DNR – Michigan’s Snakes, 12 June 2019, www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-350–61219–,00.html.

Garden Planning & Pests

If you’ve stayed up-to-date with our blog, then you probably recall a post from a few months back discussing garden pests. While all of that information is relevant, it is essential to consider a few more factors that should be taken into account when gardening.

The home landscape is a complex habitat mainly consisting of vegetables, flowers, turf, and other foliage. For the majority, gardens are a relaxing place where we tailor the environment to our aesthetic and physical needs. Yet the garden is also home to nuisance pests. As a result, residential landscapes have become the depository of nearly 11% of the conventional pesticides used in the USA. Indeed, acre for acre, your cousin’s tomato patch has more pesticides than a farmer’s soybean field! Fortunately, the garden is also home to the natural enemies of these pests. Most gardeners come to know a great deal about their plants’ growth needs, but often know little of the resident insects within their garden.

We do not consider many of the insects in a garden to be harmful. The vast majority of North American insect species are either harmless to humans and garden plants or beneficial. To properly utilize the work that natural enemies do, we must first identify them and help them flourish. By using natural enemies to control pests, you reduce the need to use pesticides.

Garden placement

Garden placement is imperative for botanical survival. Be sure to keep gardens away from the home or structures, as they will cast shadows; keep planting areas at least 10ft from walls. Crops planted in the shade are less productive and may be more susceptible to disease and insect damage than planted in full sun.

Who are Friends of the Garden?

Most of us are familiar with ladybugs, spiders, and praying mantids; we know their diet consists of a lot of bad bugs. In addition, there are many other ‘natural enemies’ that are also taking care of pests. There are three major groups of natural enemies— predators, parasitoids, and pathogens.

Predators, such as ladybugs and spiders, eat much prey throughout a lifetime. They are often the most visible natural enemies in our garden and are larger and more robust than their prey. Some are agile hunters, while others sit and wait to pounce on a victim. You can promote beneficial predatory insects by including flowering plants in the garden.

Parasitoids are insects that develop as young in a host, leading to the eventual death of the said host. Unlike predators, most only kill only one object of prey during their juvenile stage. Many wasps and flies are parasitoids, but they are typically small and therefore go unnoticed.

Pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, nematodes, protozoans, and fungi— cause diseases. Many of these happen to naturally occur in our gardens, while others must be introduced. Commercial companies have begun to develop many of these pathogens as spray and bait formulations, making them more comfortable for us to use.

How To Avoid Common Garden Pests

To minimize beetles, clean up the garden and rotate crops every year. Hang birdhouses in the garden as birds enjoy eating worms. Water gardens in the morning only as slugs and snails prefer feeding on wet foliage. Encourage birds, snakes, frogs, and toads because all of these critters eat slugs and snails.

Carefully inspect all new plants for white flies before purchasing from a nursery. This is actually a constructive tip for preventing all of the vegetable garden pests.

(Un)Lucky Number Thirteen

One of the critters that are known to cause the most damage in our area is the thirteen-lined ground squirrel. To the untrained eye, this squirrel is often mistaken for an Eastern chipmunk. The squirrel causes extensive structural damage due to their tunnels. The tunnels are dug beneath patios, stairs, and foundations. However, burrows are the most common type of lawn damage caused by thirteen-lined ground squirrels. Because of these reasons, its presence is a nuisance and requires control.

As previously mentioned, thirteen-lined ground squirrels look a lot like the Eastern chipmunk. The biggest difference is that while chipmunks take to the trees, ground squirrels burrow. They make their homes along the foundation of buildings, in gardens, mulch beds, and so forth— they avoid wooded areas.

Associated problems

We hardly ever find thirteen-lined ground squirrels inside of homes and other structures, unlike the majority of their relative squirrel species. Rather than chewing inside, these squirrels will do their damage outside. They cause problems with erosion— tearing up gardens, and creating burrows/holes around the property.

In addition to structural damage, thirteen-lined ground squirrels also affect crops. In some areas, they feed on agricultural crops such as wheat, oats, corn, and — although the damage is limited to the harvest season, not during winter storage.

The thirteen-lined ground squirrel can also be a reservoir and vector for fleas and ticks. Contact with these squirrels risks contracting Lyme disease, as in more recent years they have become conduits of the tick-borne illness. Fleas, lice, and mites can also live on these rodents, so it is best to refer to a professional when dealing with them.

If you suspect you may have an issue with ground squirrels, we would be happy to help! These small and agile squirrels fit into our bait boxes where we trap them, so our control methods are environmentally friendly. Getting on a regular trapping program to control the population is an easy solution.

Michigan Spiders

We hate to break it to arachnophobes, but Michigan has its share of the eight-legged crawlers. The good news is that only a couple possesses the power to hurt humans significantly. In this blog, we will get to know 22 of Michigan’s resident spiders.

Cross orb weaver
Araneus diadematus

Size: Between 6 and 20 millimeters
Where can you find them?: Many places including yards, fields, and farms
Can they harm you?: Not known to bite humans unless cornered. The resulting bite is similar to a mild bee sting.
Fun fact: These spiders can sometimes “balloon,” meaning they ride the wind to higher locations. They can sometimes be found on the outside of skyscrapers.

American house spider
Parasteatoda tepidariorum

Size: Between 4 and 9 millimeters
Where can you find them?: Indoors and outdoors, often near where humans live
Can they harm you?: These will only bite when attacked by a human; otherwise, it will likely run. Even if it does bite a human, only swelling and itching will occur.
Alternate name: Common house spider

Banded garden spider
Argiope trifasciata

Size: Between 4 and 26 millimeters
Where can you find them?: In open fields and prairies
Can they harm you?: They will only bite a human if attacked, but the result will be similar to a bee sting.
Fun fact: Males are much, much smaller than females

Grass spider
Agelenopsis

Species: A variety of species under the genus Agelenopsis
Size: Between 6 and 19 millimeters
Where can you find them?: In grass and the corners of buildings
Can they harm you?: No, and they will likely retreat if you approach.
Fun fact: They are very easily startled by any creatures except their prey.

Hacklemesh weaver
Amaurobius ferox

Size: Between 8 and 15 millimeters
Where can you find them?: In dark places, near homes, under rocks and logs
Can they harm you?: Not known to bite
Fun fact: In addition to bugs and spiders, these creatures will munch on earthworms.

Dark fishing spider
Dolomedes tenebrosus

Size: Between 7 and 26 millimeters
Where can you find them?: You’ll likely find this spider in the forest, hanging out on a tree.
Can they harm you?: It’s unlikely they will bite, but if they do, the bite is similar to a mild bee sting.
Fun fact: These spiders are preyed upon by individual wasps and other animals.

Black and yellow garden spider
Argiope aurantia

Size: Between 5 and 28 millimeters
Where can you find them?: In gardens (hence the name), fields and farms
Can they harm you?: They might bite you if they feel attacked, but the bite is harmless to humans.
Alternate names: Writing spider, golden garden spider, corn spider

Goldenrod crab spider
Misumena vatia

Size: Up to 10 millimeters
Where can you find them?: These spiders love flowers and are often found hiding in goldenrods … hence the name.
Can they harm you?: No.
Fun fact: These critters change colors from white to yellow and back again, to camouflage on different flowers.

Ant mimic spider
Castianeira longipalpa

Size: Between 5 and 10 millimeters
Where can you find them?: In a variety of place near ground level, including under rocks, under logs and near fallen leaves
Can they harm you?: No.
Fun fact: These spiders exhibit many behaviors associated with carpenter ants, including raising front legs into the air to look much like an ant’s antennae.

Six-spotted fishing spider
Dolomedes triton

Size: Between 8 and 20 millimeters
Where can you find them?: This spider is found on the edges of all different varieties of bodies of water.
Can they harm you?: They will bite if threatened, but the bites are not dangerous to humans.
Fun fact: These critters can stay underwater for 30 to 60 minutes at a time.

Woodlouse hunter
Dysdera crocata

Size: Between 9 and 15 millimeters
Where can you find them?: This spider is predominantly found in gardens, forests, and fields.
Can they harm you?: The worst that will likely happen if this spider bites you is slight itchiness at the site of the bite.
Fun fact: The common name for this spider comes from its diet that consists almost exclusively of woodlice, also known as pill bugs.

Eastern parson spider
Herphyllus ecclesiasticus

Size: Between 4 and 13 millimeters
Where can you find them?: Usually hiding underneath objects in wooded areas but might be spotted in the open or even indoors during nighttime hunting
Can they harm you?: They are considered harmless, though their bites might cause an allergic reaction in some humans.
Fun fact: These spiders are very fast and not often captured either literally or photographically.

Carolina wolf spider
Hogna carolinensis

Size: Between 18 and 35 millimeters
Where can you find them?: Typically found in dry areas
Can they harm you?: They are timid and will flee humans. However, if caught by a human, this spider might bite, causing a similar reaction as a bee sting.
Fun fact: It’s the official state spider of South Carolina.

Orchard orb weaver
Leucauge venusta

Size: Between 3.5 and 8 millimeters
Where can you find them?: In different habitats, including on trees in wooded areas and moist environments
Can they harm you?: This spider is too small to have fangs large enough to deliver venom to a human.
Fun fact: Charles Darwin named this spider.

Arrow shaped micrathena
Micrathena sagittata

Size: Between 4 and 10 millimeters
Where can you find them?: In the woods or on the edge of forests, living in foliage
Can they harm you?: If this spider does bite you, which is unlikely, the resulting bite will appear much like a mosquito bite.
Fun fact: This spider has three claws at the end of each leg.

Spitting spider
Scytodes thoracica

Size: Between 3 and 6 millimeters
Where can you find them?: You will likely find them in or around buildings, especially in dark spaces.
Can they harm you?: No.
Fun fact: While spiders typically have eight eyes, these creatures only have six eyes.

Barn funnel weaver
Tegenaria domestica

Size: Between 3 and 6 millimeters
Where can you find them?: You will likely find them in or around buildings, especially in dark spaces.
Can they harm you?: They rarely bite humans, and even if they do bite, it should cause zero pain.
Fun fact: They sometimes curl into a ball if they feel threatened.

Zebra jumper
Salticus scenicus

Size: Between 4 and 7 millimeters
Where can you find them?: In areas inhabited by humans, such as on buildings and fences
Can they harm you?: Another timid spider, their bite is rare and resembles an ant bite
Fun fact: They can tell when a human is watching and immediately change their behavior, basically showing off.

Southern black widow
Latrodectus mactans

Size: Between 3 and 13 millimeters
Where can you find them?: Confined, protected spaces both near and far away from structures
Can they harm you?: While this spider is not aggressive, meaning a bite is rare, the venom is dangerous to humans. Healthy adults will likely avoid any potential for life-threatening reactions to the venom but will likely experience extreme muscle cramping and other effects. Anyone who has experienced a bite should seek medical attention immediately.
Fun fact: These spiders are preyed upon by certain wasps and other animals.

Northern black widow
Latrodectus variolus

Size: Between 4 and 11 millimeters
Where can you find them?: In wooded areas and tree stumps, mostly in the western Lower Peninsula, according to Michigan State University
Can they harm you?: Bites are rare but dangerous because the venom is very poisonous. A tiny percentage (less than 1 percent) of bite victims die. Others experience pain, nausea, cramps, and profuse sweating.
Fun fact: They can be told apart from southern black widow spiders because the hourglass on the northern variety is detached in the middle.

False black widow
Steatoda grossa

Size: Between 4 and 11 millimeters
Where can you find them?: Often they are found indoors near the ground
Can they harm you?: This is an extremely timid and non-aggressive spider. However, like many other species, they will bite humans if they feel threatened. Some blistering at the site of the bite is possible, according to the Penn State Department of Entomology, as well as pain and nausea.
Fun fact: In the 2002 film adaptation of “Spider-Man,” this is the species of spider that bites Peter Parker.

Long-legged sac spider
Cheiracanthium mildei

Size: Between 5 and 10 millimeters
Where can you find them?: Mostly found indoors, many times nocturnally crawling on walls and ceilings
Can they harm you?: If bitten by this spider, mild irritation or itching is likely.
Fun fact: This spider is many times confused for the brown recluse.

A note about the brown recluse

Let’s be clear — you are unlikely to come across a brown recluse (species name Loxosceles reclusa) in Michigan. If you do, yes, they are dangerous.

These critters cannot live in temperatures under 40 degrees Fahrenheit, which means Michigan is not the place for them. Once in a while, though, they are found in the state. For instance, a Davison family recently found some of these bad boys in their garage.

If you do believe a brown recluse has bitten you, seek medical attention immediately.

Identification is critical with spiders, and we always ask our customers to try and save the specimen for the professional to identify and treat accordingly. Most of our calls regarding spiders are concerning their presence inside of the home, or their unsightly nests on/around buildings. Spider excrement can leave marks on windows and stain siding as well.

Hogarth’s Pest Control specializes in the removal and prevention of spiders in and around homes. If you are experiencing an unpleasant spider issue, do not hesitate to give us a call today!

The Pennsylvania State University. “False Black Widow Spider (Department of Entomology).” Department of Entomology (Penn State University), 2020, ento.psu.edu/extension/factsheets/false-black-widow.