Why Are Pests More Active In Summer?

What Causes Summer Pest Problems?

As summer approaches, many homeowners dread dealing with an onslaught of unwanted pests invading their homes. From crawling insect population like ants and cockroaches to disease-carrying pests like mosquitoes and mice, the warmer months seem to draw them out in full force.

But why exactly do these creepy crawlers and disease carriers come out more when the weather warms up? Understanding the reasons behind increased pest activity can help you take preventative measures to keep them out of your house.

1. Warm Temperatures

Warmer temperatures in the summer months allow cold-blooded creatures like insects, spiders, and reptiles to become more active and reproductive. As external temperatures rise to their liking, these creepy crawlies perk up and begin seeking food, water, and shelter more actively.

Many pests also need warmer conditions to complete their life cycles. For example, mosquitos need temperatures above 50°F to complete their lifecycle from egg to adult. The summer heat allows them to transition from dormant eggs to hungry, biting adults much more quickly.

2. Availability of Food Sources

Increased plant and vegetation growth in summer provides an abundance of food for many outdoor pests. Aphids and other sap-sucking bugs thrive on the sap of new growth. Fruits ripening on trees and bushes also attract sugar-loving ants, insect species like yellowjackets, and fruit flies by droves.

More human food consumption outdoors also plays a role. Picnic leftovers, uncovered trash cans, pet food bowls left outside, and vegetable gardens loaded with produce all make easy, tempting meals for mice, rats, raccoons, opossums, and bears.

Common Source Of Food

• Ripening fruit and vegetables
• Sap from trees and vegetation
• Pollen and nectar from flowers
• Crumbs and leftovers from outdoor dining
• Accessible pet food bowls
• Garden produce like tomatoes and corn
• Overflowing, open trash cans

3. Increased Reproduction

The comfortable, hot temperatures of summer coupled with plentiful food create ideal conditions for fast reproduction in many species. Female pests can produce larger numbers of offspring when situations allow for fast development and low mortality rates among the young.

Some examples of fast-reproducing pests include:

• Flies – Fly species can lay hundreds of eggs that hatch into larvae, then mature to adults in just 7-10 days in peak summer heat.
• Mosquitoes – They lay eggs on moist soil that can hatch when flooded in summer rains, spurring population explosions.
• Fleas – Under optimal surroundings, fleas can complete their entire life stages from egg to adult in just 2-3 weeks.

Rapid reproduction cycles allow some pest populations to get out of hand very quickly if left unchecked!

4. Daylight Hours

The longer hours of daylight in summer allow diurnal (daytime-active) pests longer periods of time to seek meal, secure shelter, find mates, and generally be a nuisance around homes.

Some primarily daytime pests that have more hours per day to cause trouble in summer include:

• Wasps – Longer days lets wasps fly about stinging, building expansive nests, and crashing picnics.
• Carpenter bees – With extra daytime hours, carpenter bees can drill more holes and tunnels into untreated wood around homes.
• Boxelder bugs – Extended day light gives more opportunity for aggregations of boxelder bugs crawling over exterior walls and trying to enter homes.

5. Increased Moisture

Summer rains, sprinkler systems, and humid air all contribute to increased moisture levels outdoors during the warm months. While beneficial for gardens and lawns, excess exterior humidity also attracts and sustains many problems.

Wet conditions allow common pests like termites, ants, cockroaches, and snails to thrive. Mosquitoes depend heavily on moist areas and standing water to reproduce. It also promotes vegetation growth for plant-feeding pests to munch on and fungal growth that attracts nuisances like flies.

Major Troubles Related to Summer Moisture:

• Mosquitoes breeding in stagnant water
• Snails and slugs munching gardens and leaving sticky trails
• Cockroaches attracted to moistness found outdoors and around pipes
• Termites dependent on wetness levels for survival
• Excess vegetation growth harbouring pests
• Fungal growths on damp wood attracting flies

6. Pest Lifecycles

Many pest species are seasonal, meaning they complete parts or all of their lifecycle during certain times of the year. Summer happens to usher in peak activity, reproduction, and development for a number of pest varieties due to warm climates and other favorable conditions.

Some are aligned with summer seasons as part of their lifecycles include:

• Spiders – Many spider species mate and lay eggs in summer once they reach maturity.
• Stinging insects – Yellowjackets, hornets, and wasps all have annual, warm weather cycles peaking in mid to late summer.
• Termites – Swarming flights of reproductive termites take off in summer to disperse and start new colonies.
• Western conifer seed bugs – They develop as a cohort aligned with summer’s arrival, leading to mass migrations.

Paying attention to their seasonal cycles helps predict when infestations may suddenly boom so you can ramp up prevention and control measures when needed most.

7. Increased Human Activity

Finally, pest control experts cannot overlook the influence of heightened human activity in summertime. More outdoor dining, gardening, camping, construction projects, and grilling inevitably cause an increase in pest activity as well, usually to their benefit.

How do common summer pastimes contribute to bug problems?

• BBQs and picnics leaving behind food scraps they eat
• Gardens and compost piles supplying them meal and shelter
• Construction projects disturbing nests and habitats
• More trash from events helping scavengers like rats and raccoons thrive
• Recreational water sources provides mosquitoes with perfect breeding condition

When humans migrate outdoors along with warming body temperatures, pests invariably follow to take advantage of the opportunities we create. Taking care to properly store food, manage waste, and secure the home against access by wildlife helps reduce this influence.

As you can see, summer season brings together many things that lead to more pest problems around homes. But knowing why it causes more helps you stop these things from helping them. You can be very careful to prevent and control pests on summer days.

If you still have new or ongoing pest infestations ruining your summer fun even after trying your best, be sure to get professional pest control service help. Good companies have the latest ways and skills to fully check out, identify, get rid of any issue, and keep pests at bay, even very bad infestations while keeping your family and home safe.