dance-schools-1837658_1920Pests are a year-round Central Florida issue, one that any local homeowner will become well aware of. But even in Florida, we have seasons and certain times of the year when pest concentrations are highest. Some years have a higher or lower count of overall pests, particularly with mosquitoes and termites. In any season, and in any year, having world-class professional Orlando pest control is vital to keeping your home and family safe.

But it is also a good idea to keep an eye on the indications for the coming year. The National Pest Management Association produces a yearly forecast of its expectations in regards to both pest levels and the schedule they are expected to run on. This type of “bug barometer” is especially critical when thinking about termites and mosquitoes: two pests which you can certainly prepare for in advance.

For 2017, there were some interesting notes from the NPMA survey. Included below are some of the main points you may want to keep in mind as we transition from spring to summer.

  • Early Pest Season: With an extremely mild winter that barely saw temperatures dip near freezing more than once or twice, expect an early start to the summer pest season. Cold winters act as checkpoints for mosquito populations, and with the lack of one, the NPMA anticipates a quick start to the season. This is mainly true of all east coast states in 2017.
  • Increased Mosquito Populations: Although we’ve had a dry beginning to 2017, the warm nature of the 2016-2017 winter means the pump is primed for a high-level mosquito summer. As soon as meaningful rainfall begins of any type, we should expect an immediate mosquito response.
    • 2016 brought the first wave of the Zika virus, and there are indications that we may see this again. It is important to protect yourself in the usual fashion: sprays, long-sleeved clothing, and a restriction on being outdoors during dusk and dawn in the peak summer months
  • High Termite counts: Termites are active year round in Florida, so there is less of a spring swarm that other areas of the country concentrate on; instead, there is steady pressure. The termite population of 2017 will be entirely undeterred by a warm winter and are expected to continue flourishing.

The National Pest Management Association’s bug barometer made the evidence for a strong mosquito season rather clear. At this time in the season, you should already be seeing more frequent activity than usual (if you haven’t yet, odds are you will). For these reasons and more, having the best in Orlando pest control with Apex will be important all year long. Contact us anytime for more information and a free, no-risk inspection.

 

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