Weather has a direct effect on insect activity. That’s even true in Missouri, where the climate can be extreme. A few very hot or very cold days cause most people to complain. But these days could be deadly to insects. That includes the “bad” ones and the “good” ones. For the most part, however, insects survive throughout the year in Missouri. They are simply more active during some periods.
Twelve months a year, you can count on our team to remove pests from your property and keep them from coming back. We know where flying and crawling pests hide, so we know how to get rid of them efficiently. We adjust our methods during different times of the year, but the results remain the same.
Insects and Cold Weather
Temperatures above 50F do not affect insects at all, even summertime insects, like fleas and ticks. If the mercury dips below that point, these insects go partially dormant. They cannot breed, but they can still feed and cause other problems.
Once the temperature goes below freezing, most insects go completely dormant. They are essentially in a coma. Their life functions decrease to almost nothing. However, small insects are very temperature sensitive. As soon as the temperature rises, they are active again. So, during the winter, many insects are only active in the afternoons. Even then, they might not be able to breed.
If the mercury drops to about 20F, many insects cannot survive. Many beetles and other crawling insects naturally anticipate low temperatures, so they burrow. Some can dive down up to ten inches underground. At that depth, they can easily survive the coldest and longest Missouri winter.
A few flying insects, like some butterflies, avoid the cold weather altogether and fly south for the winter. But most flying insects do not have that kind of range.
Insects and Mild Weather
There are no hot temperature cut-offs. Unlike most people we know, insects are just as active on a mild April day as they are on the hottest August day. That increased activity includes more than feeding and breeding. Warm weather allows insect larvae to mature faster. As a result, they live longer and travel further. That’s why, in the summer, some unfamiliar pests might appear in your yard.
But these effects are not even. Mild weather also strengthens most insect predators. So, we use a targeted pest control approach which leaves some insects unharmed.
Count on us to get rid of pests winter and summer.
