This Past Winter Weather Could Lead to Heavy Pest Pressure, PMPs Report

CLEVELAND – Just what can pest management professionals expect this spring in the way of pest pressure? Many variables come into play, but perhaps the most important is what type of weather conditions occurred this past winter.

As the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) recently reported, erratic weather patterns throughout the winter and a warm spring expected across the U.S., could lead to increased populations of pests like ticks, mosquitoes, ants and more.

“The U.S. has experienced some wild weather this year. We’ve seen everything from heavy snowfall to extreme flooding and even unseasonable warmth in some areas,” said Dr. Jim Fredericks, senior vice President of public affairs at NPMA. “While we typically anticipate an increase in pest activity during the spring and summer, these conditions, paired with warm temperatures and rainfall on the horizon, can create the ideal conditions for pest populations to boom.”  

PCT also polled our readers about this past winter’s impact on pests and 58 percent said they are expecting heavy pest pressure based on weather conditions this past winter, while 27 percent said they are expecting moderate pest pressure, 11 percent about normal pest pressure and only 4 percent said less pressure than normal.

Kyle Litton, owner of General Pest Control, Cimarron, Kan., said his region (near the Oklahoma panhandle) experienced a "wetter-than-normal" winter. “It could help with termite swarms. Clover mites in the spring could come out in more abundance. We already are seeing clover mites, but not termites swarming yet,” said Litton, who added his area usually experiences termite swarming in late March.

Another area that experienced heavy rain this past winter is Washington state. Don Nilan, owner of Bayside Service, Allyn, Wash., said he is expecting increased ant activity. “In 90 percent of my ant calls, ants are in kitchens and bathrooms. I have had homes where the crawlspaces were previously flooded and places were infested with odorous house ants,” Nilan said. “When it rains a lot, I feel that the forest will be fairly humid early spring along the ground and I do expect a more intense ant season to a degree.”

Nilan also said he is keeping an eye out on how this past winter weather impacted yellow jackets, which have been bad in his area the past two years.

Participate in our newest poll question: Have you started seeing termite swarms in your service area(s)?