Mild Winters Bring Spring Bugs

You’ve heard the saying “April showers bring May flowers”, but it could also be easily exclaimed: “Mild Winters bring spring critters!". This winter has been bizarre. The National Climatic Data Center reports that about 2,800 daily record highs have either been tied or broken across the country in January. The mild winter has been great for spending more time outdoors, but with Old Man Winter snoozing for a few months, it also means that there’s a good chance that more mice and insects survived, and will make their presence known this spring.

How do Insects Survive the Winter?

Bugs don’t have the body fat of mammals, but they do have incredible mechanisms within their bodies for surviving cold, wintry conditions. Some insects migrate to warmer climates, some huddle together for warmth in trees, and some go dormant as larvae or cocoons. Many insects, like mosquitoes and ants, prepare for the cold by making their own internal glycerol “antifreeze”. This self-produced chemical will protect them throughout the winter months. In spring, insect glycerol levels decrease (and the phone calls for pest management services increase!).

Is a Harsh Winter Harsh on Insects?

Even winters containing large amounts of snowfall are not indicators that bugs will die off. Blankets of snow can serve as just that…blankets for insects. As many types of bugs crawl underground, they can find cozy confines under the warm insulation of snow. For example, St. Louis averages 20 inches of snow each year yet subterranean termites thrive in this area. The weather condition that insects dread the most would be an extremely cold winter, or alternating freezing and thawing, with little to no snow cover keeping them warm. Those types of winter weather conditions often lead to more rapid insect mortality rates.

How should Homeowners Prepare for an Increase in Bugs this Spring?

As winter turns into spring, flowers bloom, trees blossom, birds sing, and insects reappear. Within your annual rite of spring cleaning, especially this year because of the mild winter, spring bugs need to understand that they are not welcome. The best thing that can be done for you and your family is to build a relationship with a trusted, experienced, and reliable company that offers pest management services. We, at HomeTeam Pest Defense, are very proud of the fact that during our latest customer satisfaction survey, 86.8% of our customers said that they would be “very likely” or “extremely likely” to recommend us to their family, friends, and neighbors.

For more information, please visit our website, pestdefense.com, or call one of our professionals at 855-855-4873. We also invite you to join us on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube for additional tips and ideas for pest control for the home.