(Newswire.net — November 25, 2016) — The National Pest Management Association has released the Bug Barometer, which predicts pest activity in the continental United States during the fall and the winter. According to these entomologists, the extreme summer weather, including droughts in the Northwest and floods in the Southeast, will affect pest activity in the fall and the winter.
Pests are usually most active during the spring and the summer. Pests like ants, mosquitoes and ticks can remain active until temperatures go and stay below 50 degrees. Around that time, they start seeking shelters to spend the winter. Pests can therefore remain active longer if the fall and winter temperatures remain mild.
In the Bug Barometer, the NPMA divides the continental United States into five regions:
• Pacific Northwest –Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming
• West Coast & Southwest – California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas and Louisiana
• Midwest – North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana and Ohio
• Southeast – Florida, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia and West Virginia
• Northeast – Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine and Rhode Island
Each region and the expected impacts on such pests as mosquitoes, stinging insects, rodents and ants were then categorized and analyzed to see the affect these bugs might have this season. Other pests like stink bugs and centipedes are lumped together in a category called “occasional invaders.”
The Pacific Northwest, for example, had a drier and warmer summer than usual. The populations of outdoor rodents may be smaller, but they will start to move indoors as temperatures cool. Homeowners should consult pest control specialists like UltraPro Pest Protection on the best ways to keep pests out.
The West Coast and Southwest had a wetter summer than normal, and the region is expected to have a mild and warm winter. As a result, there will be larger populations of pests like mosquitoes sticking around for the winter. There are already growing concerns about the West Nile virus and the Zika virus staying prevalent during the winter months. The mild winter also means occasional invaders like centipedes and earwigs will remain active longer.
The Midwest had a summer that started off drier and warmer than average, but several states including Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota got a lot of rain later on. The Midwest states are expected to have a cool fall that will push pests like rodents indoors.
The Southeast experienced a mix of weather conditions during the summer. Some states, like Georgia and Alabama, had an exceptionally dry summer, while others suffered floods. The rainy states saw an increase in the mosquito population. The drier states may see more rodent activity as the temperatures cool during the autumn and winter. The winter in the Southeast is expected to be warm and mild, so there may be more ants and occasional invaders.
Finally, the Northeast had a hot and dry summer that contributed to a large population of stinging insects that will remain active until the weather cools. The NPMA warns that wasps and some other species become increasingly aggressive as they get ready for winter. Homeowners who find a hive or nest on their property should therefore call pest control specialists like UltraPro Pest Protection. They should not try to remove it themselves. Rodents and insect pests like boxelder bugs and stinkbugs that overwinter will start to look for shelter as the temperature cools.
UltraPro Pest Protection
23 Bergenline Avenue
Westwood, NJ 07675
877-492-2252
http://ultrapropestcontrol.com
With over 30 years of experience in eliminating bed bugs, termites, and rodents, UltraPro Pest Protection is emerging as New York and New Jersey’s leading pest control service for homeowners and commercial businesses.