Have you ever wondered how the weather affects insects and the environments that they reside in? Or if the weather affects them at all? Well, the weather and the coming and goings of different seasons do in fact have an impact on pests!
A change in temperature means that there is also a change in the unwanted guests that begin to appear and try to inhabit your home. The main reason for this change is because each insect species has specific conditions that they need in order to survive. Knowing how the weather affects insects will help you be ready to deal with these insects before they can infest your home.
The first thing you need to know about how weather affects insects is that bug do not generate their own body heat. This simply means that an insects’ internal temperature is similar to the temperature of the environment that they are in. Because of this insects become extremely vulnerable to fluctuating temperatures around them.
How Different Types of Weather Affects Insects
Because insects use the temperature of the environment around them to regulate their body temperature, different types of weather will have different effects on these pests. How an insect reacts to hot weather is different from how an insect will react to dry weather and even to wet rainy weather.
Wet Weather
Wet weather affects insects because increased precipitation will begin to boost activity from bugs who love moisture. Some of these moisture loving insects include termites, stink bugs, mosquitoes, and cockroaches.
Because mosquitoes lay their eggs in stagnant water, large amounts of rainfall can cause a surge in the mosquito population. On the other hand, excessive rain can cause many insects to enter your home in the hopes of finding shelter. Some of the insects hoping to find a dry area in your home to escape the rain include cockroaches, spiders, and ants.
If you are in a particularly rainy season and flood conditions are present, this can cause some bugs such as yellow jackets and ants to leave their underground nests. When this happens their colonies can quickly invade your home in order to find dry ground and a steady food source.
Dry Weather
When the weather is dry it will send many bugs and insects inside searching for water. Some examples of the insects that will search for shelter in your home during dry weather include ants and crickets. On the other hand, there are some insects that thrive in dry and hot weather. For instance, some spider populations and grasshopper populations will skyrocket in dry conditions and can destroy farm crops during extreme droughts
An example of an insect that does not thrive in dry weather is the mosquito. As we’ve mentioned before, mosquitoes need water in order to lay their eggs and breed. So if the weather is dry it will have a negative effect on their reproduction cycles.
Hot Weather
Hot weather affects insects in a much different way than dry or wet weather. Not only can extreme hot weather be uncomfortable for us humans, but it can also impact insect activity as well. The life cycle of some insects can speed up exponentially when the temperature begins to climb, which in turn causes a huge spike in bug populations.
As the temperature increases so does the metabolic rate of insects which means that they need to eat much more in order to survive. Because of this bugs may begin to invade your home looking for a snack which is why you may notice an increase in insect damage along with the number of pests surrounding your home during the warmer months.
A Deeper Look At How Weather Affects Specific Insects
Now that we have taken a look at how certain weather affects insects, lets take a deeper look a the type of weather that your least favorite insects thrive in.
Termites
When it comes to termites, there are over 2,000 known species all over the world and each of these species has one thing in common: they are able to make a meal out of any untreated wooden structure in your home. These malicious insects tend to come out when it rains but that doesn’t mean they aren’t tunneling under your home year round.
However, if you are having a particularly wet season make sure you are keeping an eye out for termites and any signs of termite damage in your yard and throughout your home.
Yellow Jackets and Wasps
Hot weather affects insects such as yellow jackets and wasps because as the temperature rises they become more desperate for moisture. This desperation makes them much more aggressive and more likely to sting you and your pets.
These stinging insects, yellow jackets, in particular, tend to thrive and multiply in hot and dry weather. When there is extreme heat (temperatures over 90 degrees Fahrenheit) it only takes a week for a yellow jacket’s nest to double in size. For example, a nest that has only 100 yellow jackets inhabiting it at the end of July, could grow to house thousands of yellow jackets by the end of August.
Mosquitoes
The weather affects insects in many ways especially when it comes to mosquitoes. We’ve talked about how mosquitoes need water to survive and lay their eggs but it is important to know that these insects are also very active when the temperature rises to 80 degrees and above. This heat can lead to a rise in mosquito populations however if the temperatures are too hot and dry it can cause these insects to dry out and eventually die.
Long lasting heat waves will dry up shallow bodies of water which will then deprive mosquitoes of an area for them to lay their eggs. Mosquitoes are not as active when the weather is too hot and dry meaning that you aren’t as likely to be bitten by them.
Cockroaches
When it comes to how the weather affects insects like cockroaches there are a few key things for you to know the first being the amount of food these insects need to survive. In order for these insects to thrive all they need is mold, some mildew, and a fresh supply of water and because of this it only makes sense that they tend to take shelter in within the drainage system of your home.
Overall, cockroaches are minimally affected by the changes in weather. This makes them a nuisance all year round.
Flies
Flies are an insect that thrives in hot weather. Under normal weather conditions, a fly’s eggs will take about 20 hours to hatch into larvae (maggots). However, after the temperature hits 99 degrees or above their eggs can hatch in less than 8 hours. And in extreme cases, the larvae can mature into adult flies in four days if the weather is hot enough.
Combating Insects No Matter What the Weather Is
Regardless of whether or not the summer is going to be a wet one or a dry one, insects are going to be flying and crawling around. Our team at Sigma Pest is here to help you combat the appearance of pests throughout your home and the surrounding area. Contact us today to help keep you safe from pests and how the weather affects insects throughout the warmer seasons!