Soft winter = bad bugs this year?

jimmyj · Mar 20, 2012

The fact that I'm getting swarmed by mosquitoes down back this week makes me wonder if the mild winter is going to cause a huge influx of bugs this year. If we have a wet spring I think we will be in trouble.

In the pet store I expect we will be selling A LOT of pesticide products for flea and tick problems. I sure hope the deer flies aren't worse, they suck!

What do you guys think? Any old-timer predictions?

k0ua · Mar 20, 2012

Well here is what I think.. go to Alaska. Big cold winters and the biggest mosquito's on the planet.. I don't think winter's severity has anything to do with bugs.

James K0UA

mjw357 · Mar 20, 2012

Oh yeah. Ticks and mosquitos out already. Gnats swarming everywhere.

smstonypoint · Mar 20, 2012

jimmyj said:
What do you guys think? Any old-timer predictions?

Here's an article from some entomologists at Purdue: Indiana: Effects of Mild Winter on Insect Populations

To summarize the article: maybe, maybe not.

Steve

jimmyj · Mar 20, 2012

k0ua said:
Well here is what I think.. go to Alaska. Big cold winters and the biggest mosquito's on the planet.. I don't think winter's severity has anything to do with bugs.

James K0UA

Never thought of that. Perhaps some bugs yes and others no.

smstonypoint said:
Here's an article from some entomologists at Purdue: Indiana: Effects of Mild Winter on Insect Populations

To summarize the article: maybe, maybe not.

Steve

See how good TBN is, I ask, I receive!

s219 · Mar 20, 2012

I have been seeing a ton of ticks already. Seems early to be seeing so many in March.

dmccarty · Mar 20, 2012

Certainly the bugs are out earlier. I read a news report that talked to BugOlogists concerning a warm winter and more bugs. They said no. I would think that a cold winter would at least kill SOME eggs and/or bugs that live over the winter.....

Of course the ticks and chiggers are so bad at our place I doubt it could really get any worse....

Later,
Dan

Western · Mar 20, 2012

Not sure if the bugs are thicker, but they sure are out early. I did notice last summer during our drought, a marked reduction in nighttime bugs, mostly moths.