Ottumwa, Iowa Pest Guide

Updated 2026-10-21 · By Kasey, Waukee, Iowa

Ottumwa is the county seat of Wapello County in southeast Iowa. The Des Moines River splits the city into northern and southern halves.

This page pulls together the pest issues Ottumwa homeowners tend to run into, local places to get help, and how to check that a pest company holds a current Iowa license.

What Ottumwa homeowners see through the year

These seasonal patterns come from ISU Extension, which covers the whole state:

• Ants (spring). Wet springs bring busy soil-nesting ants and mounds in lawns. ISU's advice is usually to rake or hose the mounds flat. Our Iowa ant guide covers ants indoors too.
• Yellowjackets (late summer). Colonies grow from a single spring queen to as many as about 5,000 wasps by Iowa State Fair time, ISU says. If you find yellowjackets indoors after a frost, ISU says they almost always come from a nest inside a wall. Read wasp nest removal before you go near one.
• Fall invaders (September-October). ISU says boxelder bugs, Asian lady beetles and stink bugs can't reproduce indoors and are mostly a nuisance. Exterior treatments only help if they're applied before the insects move in.
• Mice (fall). Native deer mice and white-footed mice look for winter shelter in homes, ISU says. Our guide on mice in your Iowa home covers sealing, trapping and safe cleanup.

Emerald ash borer in Wapello County

The state's list of officially confirmed emerald ash borer (EAB) sites, last updated at the end of 2022, includes these Wapello County locations: Eddyville (2014); Eldon (2017). In October 2024, IDALS announced that EAB had been confirmed in all 99 Iowa counties. IDALS says an infested tree is typically killed within two to four years. Signs include canopy thinning, leafy sprouts from the trunk, S-shaped galleries under the bark, bark splitting, woodpecker damage and 1/8-inch D-shaped exit holes. If you own ash trees, get advice from a qualified tree care professional.

Local help in Ottumwa

• County Extension office: ISU Extension and Outreach Wapello County lists its office at 13011 120th Avenue, Ottumwa, IA 52501 (phone 641.682.5491). Extension offices are a good first stop for research-based yard, garden and pest information.
• Insect identification: the ISU Plant and Insect Diagnostic Clinic in Ames identifies insects mailed in by Iowans. Check its page for current forms and fees.
• Ticks: ISU's Medical Entomology Laboratory offers a free tick identification service by mail. It identifies the tick but does not test it for disease.
• Mosquitoes: the same ISU lab has run Iowa's mosquito surveillance program for about 50 years with state health partners, monitoring West Nile virus and mosquito numbers. Current data is on the Iowa Mosquito Surveillance website linked from its page.

Guides for Ottumwa homeowners

• Ant Exterminator Near Waukee: What to Expect and How to Choose a Pro
• Bed Bug Signs and What to Do in the Des Moines Metro
• Boxelder Bugs in Iowa Homes
• How to Get Rid of Ants in Iowa
• Mice in Your Iowa Home This Fall
• Wasp Nest Removal Near Waukee, Iowa

How to check a pest company's license in Ottumwa

Iowa requires anyone in the business of applying pesticides to another person's property to be licensed and certified by the state. To check a company:

1. Open the IDALS license lookup and choose Search By Company/License.
2. Type part of the company's name, or pick the county WAPELLO - 90 to see every company registered there.
3. Check that the expiration date is in the future. Expiration dates in the lookup fall on December 31.

When we searched Wapello County on 10/21/2026, the lookup returned 48 company records. That count includes every license type (lawn care, agriculture, golf courses and pest control) and some expired records, so narrow it down by name. A company is listed under the county of its own address, so a company that serves Ottumwa may be listed under a neighboring county. Our guide on choosing a licensed pest pro has a checklist of questions to ask.

Frequently asked questions

What county is Ottumwa in?

Ottumwa is in Wapello County, Iowa. The county matters for two things: which ISU Extension office is closest, and which county to choose in the IDALS license lookup.

Has emerald ash borer reached Ottumwa?

Yes. The state's confirmed-site list includes Eddyville (2014), Eldon (2017) in Wapello County, and IDALS confirmed EAB in all 99 counties in October 2024.

How do I know a pest company in Ottumwa is licensed?

Search the company's name in the IDALS lookup and check that the expiration date hasn't passed. A company saying it's licensed is not the same as a current state record.

Has emerald ash borer been confirmed in Ottumwa itself?

The state's 2022 list shows Wapello County sites at Eddyville (2014) and Eldon (2017), not Ottumwa. IDALS has since confirmed the beetle in all 99 counties, so ash trees in Ottumwa should be treated as at risk.