With the start of autumn coming around, more pests are seeking shelter in our homes. The amount of pest populations coincide with local weather patterns of the spring and summer seasons.
The National Pest Management Association (NPMA) recently released its “Bug Barometer Forecast”, indicating what Americans in each part of the country can expect from pest populations this fall and upcoming winter.
“From the extreme heat and humidity in the Southeast to record rainfall in the Midwest and an ongoing drought in the Pacific Northwest and on the West Coast – the National Pest Management Association’s (NPMA) Bug Barometer takes into account the weather patterns of the summer season in every region of the country,” NPMA stated in a press release.
Record rainfall through June led to an increase of standing water and an excess of mosquito breeding sites across much of the Great Plains and Midwest.
“Mosquito activity will remain high in early fall, until temperatures consistently fall below the 50-degree mark,” NPMA said.
However, NPMA noted that areas that were inundated by the most severe flooding may experience a drop in pest populations due to developing insects that may have not survived the extreme weather events.
Click Here to Enlarge: https://www.pestworld.org/multimedia-center/infographics/2015-fall-bug-barometer-infographic/
During the fall months before the cold of winter arrives, some bugs resort to moving into people’s homes to survive the upcoming cold weather. While many pests die off, some are able to survive in your home without proper pest control. Box Elder bugs are notorious for invading homes during the fall, along with Asian lady Beetles, and Brown Stink Bugs. Some insects use pheromones to spread the word about place they can sit at through the winter . Once a few bugs find good shelter, they give off a chemical signal inviting others to join them. If your home has vinyl siding, insects may gather underneath the siding, where they are protected from the elements and warmed by your home’s heating. Any crack or crevice large enough for an insect to crawl through is an open invitation to come indoors. Not only are these creepy crawlers annoying while you’re trying to watch football, these pests would love to reproduce and start a colony in your home this winter. Don’t let that happen! If you find these pests in your home this fall, schedule an appointment with us to get it resolved the first time. If you want to do it yourself, you’ll be able to vacuum up most of the bugs in your home.