Ants crawling inside of home on the floor

Bugs like warm weather the most, although many of them also need plentiful water sources to help them thrive. Because they are unable to generate their own body heat, insects rely on the warmth of the sun’s rays to keep going. Some insects are even able to absorb water from the air to avoid drought conditions.

When the weather has been exceptionally dry, you may not see as many bugs outside, but there could be increased activity indoors, as they look to cool down and search for water sources. Bed bugs tend to come out in the heat because they get dehydrated and thirsty, which means finding more humans to feed on. Ants prefer higher temperatures and are most active in weather that is 70 degrees or warmer, but they, too, will come indoors, looking for both water and food.

Horizontal photograph of a roach on a kitchen water faucet.

Cockroaches don’t mind the heat, but they can’t survive well without humidity, and the best place for them to find that is inside your home. Once they are inside, pests like spiders will stick around as long as there is something for them to eat and a place to hide. Of course, an increase in the presence of other bugs provides ample nourishment for the spiders.

Insects aren’t the only pests that infest your home during dry months. While they are more common during winter months, don’t be surprised if you discover mice and rats have found their way indoors, as they seek new water sources, all of which are found near your house.

The one positive about drier weather is that, with the limited amount of standing water, mosquitoes aren’t as plentiful. In your yard, you’ll find that butterflies are big fans of hot, dry weather, which means you could see more of them, but their increased numbers also attract predators such as birds, beetles, and small wasps.

Twon dog dishes, one filled with water and the other filled with pet foot. Dog paws are walking up to the bowls and each both has a paw print on them. Bowls are light brown on the outside and blue on the inside, white background.

As with all pests, prevention is always more effective than trying to find a cure. If you did not pretreat your home for bugs and start to see them, prevention can be as simple as making sure that you clean up your dishes and pick up any clutter around the house. If you have pets and have found evidence of rodents, putting away your cat’s or dog’s food and water at night will help discourage the pests. It’s also a good idea to eliminate points of entry by closing up cracks and holes, both inside and outside your home, and seal switch plates, outlets and baseboards along your walls.

Have you tried all of these things but are still battling an infestation? Call or message us to take care of the problem.