Heat Causing Insects to Amass Large Numbers Across Country
With record-setting heat across much of the nation, many people are dealing with an increase in the number of insects they have to deal with.
"Insects are cold-blooded, which means that their body temperatures are regulated by the temperature of their environment," National Pest Management Association public affairs officer Missy Henriksen said in a statement.
"In cold weather, insects' internal temperatures drop, causing them to slow down," she added. "But in warm weather, they become more active. Larvae grow at a faster rate, reproduction cycles speed up, and they move faster."
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Ants, fleas, ticks, earwigs and black widow are some of the pests reported to have larger than expected numbers so far this year, according to the NPMA.
More than half of the nation is currently suffering from drought conditions and the first half of 2012 was the warmest on record for the United States. June 2011 to June 2012 was also the warmest 12-month period since record-keeping began in 1895, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
"There are more bugs. We had a warm winter. Mother Nature didn't give us a reset button," David Resz, a technician for Schendel Pest Services, told KCTV.
"It's wasp season and beetle season. A lot of pests that are outdoors and happy to be outdoors, because of extreme heat, have moved indoors," Resz said.
Even local residents are becoming aware of the problem as they have had to continually try and keep undesired guests from entering their home.
"They'll traipse right in through the back door. It's an older home so I'm sure there's cracks here and there, but they like to come right to the cat dish looking for food," Rob Linsin, a Kansas resident, told KCTV.
Experts explain that homeowners should seasonally check the vents and openings of their house and replace worn weather-stripping around doors and re-caulk around windows and vents to prevent access points for insects.
