These Are the Pests to Worry About This Fall and Winter.
Pests such as cockroaches, ants, mice and mosquitoes annoy us, but usually only during certain months of the year. However, due to the heat waves and heavy rains this year, many pests that usually go away in the fall and winter will still search for a home – your home.
The National Pest Management Association (NPMA) recently released its Bug Barometer ™ forecast for the upcoming seasons , and it doesn’t look good for those getting hibi-jibi from all kinds of creepy crawls. Entomologists and pest specialists expect much more pressure from most of these creatures than usual. Here’s a handy map from NPMA:
In the Pacific Northwest, due to heat and drought, the population of rodents seeking water in residential areas will increase. Along the west coast and southwestern states, we are likely to see more cockroaches, ants, spiders, and stinging insects due to the prolonged heat, and flooding will increase the mosquito population. In the Midwest, mild springs and warm summers have increased rodent populations that will seek food and shelter in colder weather, and more rainfall will mean more earwigs and millipedes will seek higher indoor locations. In the southeast, mosquitoes will continue to terrorize anyone with blood in their bodies, and termites, in addition to ants, will be active until winter. Finally, the northeast is expected to have many smelly bugs and ladybugs, as well as more insects and rodents that congregate indoors to avoid the cold than usual. Ticks will also remain a problem until temperatures begin to drop dramatically.
However, there is more to it than just being scared by insects and rats. As Jim Fredericks, Ph.D., chief entomologist and vice president of technical and regulatory affairs at the NPMA , explains , this is a health issue:
“Prolonged summer pest activity, combined with the high pressure expected from autumn pests, will make the coming seasons particularly difficult for pests. There is also an additional health concern given that ticks, mosquitoes and rodents can transmit disease to humans. ”
So prepare your homes for the coming invasion and be vigilant. The more you can do now to prevent infection, the better you will be in the winter.
Fall / Winter 2017 Bug Barometer ™ | National Pest Control Association