You’ve probably heard that we’re in the middle of a heat wave, and if you hadn’t heard it, then you can step outside and experience it for yourself. It’s hot right now. 90+ degrees every day throughout Gainesville and the surrounding area, causing many of us to stay indoors.

This heat wave is also corresponding with another issue that we’re having here in the Gainesville area: pest season. We’re at peak pest season, when many of the pests that were dormant through the winter are awake, full grown, and seeking out food, water, and resources.

What happens when pest season corresponds to a heat wave?

Those pests begin to seek out other things that they need:

• Shelter
• Water
• Access to More Food

Perhaps not surprisingly, all of those things are found inside of your home.

Heat Wave Invasions

When it’s especially hot outside, more and more pests will seek out shelter and safety inside of your property. Bugs can live in heat, but they do not like heat, and your property offers a cool and safer alternative. Pests are also able to sense cooler air when it’s present. When your home is cooled via air conditioning, but the outside is hotter, pests will have an easier time locating openings and eventually will find their way onto your property.

They’re also going to find that you have water and shelter they require, and – since many pests are going to be invading – some pests like spiders and house centipedes are going to find that they have access to food sources as well. Rodents, as mammals, may also find their way indoors, since the heat can be a bit too much for them. You may not see them during the day but can hear them at night.

All of these mean that during a heatwave, your home is going to be more prone to pest invasions, and you are likely to see more of these pests during the day.

Alternative Theories: You’re Inside More

Of course, another thing to note is that the issue may *not* be that there are more pests on your property. It may be that you’re simply indoors more, noticing the pests, because you’re not going outside or driving around. It’s also pest season, so pests are more common during this time of year with or without the heat.

Still, for most of us, we probably are seeing an increase in pests as these bugs rush indoors, trying to get out of the blazing hot sun. That doesn’t mean that the pests will survive as they pass over pesticides, but it can be upsetting to those with phobias. If you’d like an interior treatment to help give yourself another layer of protection, or you’d like us to take a look for openings and see if we can identify where and why pests may be entering, please contact ExtermPRO, today.