At Dixon Pest Services, we use our training and experience to keep track of pest behavior and how it can affect the communities we serve in South Georgia and North Florida. One issue we have studied is: As average temperatures rise around the world, what does that mean for overall pest activity, and what does that trend mean for folks in this region? We have some answers to that question.
Where do pests thrive?
Some insects, like mosquitoes, need a warm, moist environment to be able to lay their eggs and raise their offspring. Others, like rodents, simply want safe warm spaces with easy access to food and water because it makes their lives easier and increases the chances of survival for them and their young. What is clear for almost any pest is that they thrive more in warmer environments – which is one big reason why the spring and summer months of the year are so busy when it comes to pest activity.
What does that mean for pest activity?
According to the National Institute of Health, temperature rise directly affects pest reproduction, survival, spread, and population dynamics. As temperatures rise- even if the increase is small- insects will have an increased metabolism. Because of this increased metabolism, pests will consume more, develop faster and larger, suffer less mortality, reproduce faster and lay more eggs. Basically, warmer temperatures mean more and bigger insects in the years to come. It also means that insects that typically overwinter (a sort of version of hibernation for insects) will have a higher survival rate, increasing their numbers even more. Some common overwintering pests include:
What this also means is that new types of insects may become common. Georgia’s and Florida’s climate is expected to become more tropical in coming years, and that means the region will be more susceptible to disease-spreading and invasive insects.
What does that mean for you?
The degree to which warmer temperatures in Georgia and Florida will impact individuals varies. It certainly means that we will all need to be prepared for buggier and buggier years, especially in the warmest months. Taking the proper safety precautions to limit your exposure to things like mosquito bites will be increasingly important, and keeping your home protected from the various insects that we regularly encounter will become more important than ever. Large invasions will continue to become more and more common, and the sheer number of bugs will increase.
The good news for homeowners and business owners alike is that Dixon Pest Services is well equipped to combat the problems posed by the increasing numbers of pests. From mosquitoes to rodents and everything in between, we have spent more than 50 years honing our skills in pest management to create the most effective solutions to all pest-related problems in the South Georgia and North Florida region.
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