2022 has brought some extremes in temperature in different parts of the country. Many cities have seen extreme heat and drought conditions or an increase in the humidity this summer. Various cities in the Northern US are experiencing cooler than average summers.
These weather changes have significantly altered the behavior of pest populations around the country, altering what homeowners experience in terms of pests and also what services pest control companies need to provide to customers throughout the year. Alterations to pest behavior has also led to notable changes in demand for pest control services.
Changes in Pest Control Service Needs with Global Warming
Some of the different effects that pest control companies are seeing include in response to changing temperatures and weather conditions include:
- Increased Heat and Humidity - Hot weather and humidity bring out a number of pests that thrive in more tropical conditions. As a result, many pest control companies in Texas and California, where weather has been warm and humid, have noticed an increase in ant and roach activity.
- Drier Conditions - Where conditions are drier than normal, such as in Texas, pests are increasingly moving indoors to find the water they need, causing more infestations.
- Increased Rainfall - Areas of the Eastern US that have seen increased rainfall this summer are dealing with higher populations of tropical species, as well as significantly increased mosquito and tick breeding.
- Cooler Temperatures - In some northern cities that are experiencing cooler than average temperatures, this has resulted in a shift of pest seasons, such as wasps and other stinging insects, by pushing them later in the year so that homeowners are dealing with them at different times.
As temperatures and weather events in the summer across the country continue to establish a new normal, we can expect pest situations to continue to change, requiring pest control companies to stay on top of changing pest populations. For example, at ExtermPRO, we monitor weather conditions, climate, and local pest species to anticipate pest control needs throughout the year.