Mild winter, hot summer combine for large number of pests in homes, experts say

People are seeing more insects than normal in their homes and apartments and experts say that’s due to the mild winter and extremely hot summer temperatures.

Jeff Crawford said his pest control company, A1 Able Pest Doctors, is getting more calls than usual this summer.

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“Probably into the 50-60 range,” he said. “And that will usually get about 50 calls a day. So just to give you an idea throughout the week, that’s a tough number.”

News Center 7 caught up with Crawford as he was applying a monthly treatment for one of his clients, who was also dealing with an active yellow jacket nest. Whether it’s ants, bees, or roaches, hot temperatures equal more pests, with many gathering outside and others coming in to beat the heat and find food.

“So what happens is the colonies to start when they come out of that winter is much greater.,” Crawford said. “So once you start adding heat, it’s just like anything else [when] you add heat; their reproduction takes off and it’s quicker.”

While locating the insects once they get inside is easier, Crawford said your focus should be on the outside, stopping the infestation before it begins. As reported on News Center 7 at 5:30 , doing that could help you avoid frustration and costly removal.

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“Preventative is basically – proactive is always better, especially in pest control. If you can be proactive and that goes for termites all the way to your wasp and things like that; if you get products out, it stops the nest building and stops them from being able to build those nests. Before populations get too great,” he explained.

Crawford said whether you decide to go with a professional or do it yourself, know what you are dealing with. The last thing you want to do is use mixtures that repel the pests instead of killing them, leading to a return or spread of the problem.