Spike in temperatures leads to an increase in unwanted critters

TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) - As the temperature warms up, the critters are coming out. Scorpions and termites may seem small, but they could cause problems for you and your home.

The weather has made a difference this year for both scorpions and termites. As it gets hotter, you can expect to see those unwanted critters in and around your home more often.

“The wet weather has really made a big difference. As we come into the warm temperatures, the key with bugs and temperatures is usually about 50 degrees at night and 80 during the day. When you have consecutively two weeks of that, that’s when we see a spike in calls,” said Josh Tennenbaum, operations director for Arizona Pest Control.

Businesses like Arizona Pest Control are gearing up for a busy season. After a winter of cool temperatures and lots of rain, things look a little different this year.

“There’s definitely a lot more foliage, lot more weeds, tree growth and things like that, so that’s going to increase the harborage areas for those insects,” he explained.

The wet winter combined with the hotter temperatures we’re seeing this week will also bring out a lot more feeder bugs which will create a boost in scorpions. Scorpions are most active at night, but during the day you may spot them in your home near sources of water. There are things you can do to protect your home.

“Usually remove a lot of clutter, a lot of moisture, and again the feeder bugs like the water boxes that have the crickets or roaches in them, keep an eye on that as well,” he advised.

When it comes to termites, it’s been nonstop because of the wet winter.

Tennenbaum said, “Our technicians usually have a little bit of a break in the winter, but they’ve been continuously going.”

Some things to look out for with these pests are mud tunnels on the side of your home and near the foundation. When in doubt, always get an expert before the problem gets worse.

“Just because you treat and you have exclusion work or foliage away from the house, it doesn’t mean you’ll never have the issue,” he said. “It’s just maintaining that issue because we’re in their environment, so we have to find that balance of us and them.”

Tennenbaum said there’s also been an uptick in pest control businesses that aren’t licensed here going door to door. The danger with that is that most of the time they don’t know what they’re doing, and it could lead to more issues for you. So, if you have a pest problem, make sure you contact a business that is licensed in the state of Arizona.

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