Freezing weather is expected in St. Louis this coming week. Can bugs survive when temperatures drop to the single digits or below zero?
This is a common question, and Titan Pest & Wildlife has the answer. We are bug experts with more than 35 years of experience as professional exterminators. Whether you live in a residential home, apartment, or condo; or manage a retail store, restaurant, warehouse, or office building, we have your pest control solution.
Does Extreme Cold Mean Fewer Bugs?
All bugs have some ability to withstand cold weather. One of their most common strategies is burying themselves underground, beneath old leaf piles, or burrowing under tree bark for protection and hibernating for the winter. These protective measures work reasonably well, allowing insect populations to remain relatively stable.
When winters are warmer than average, bug populations explode. When temperatures never reach an intense freeze, bugs make it to spring unscathed and ready to reproduce.
How Cold Does It Need to Get?
The temperature required to kill off a significant population of pests depends upon the species. Some insects can survive in temperatures as low as -20°F. Individual insects will inevitably survive, but the reduced numbers could benefit other species. The average low temperature in the St. Louis area over the last 10 years is -3°F. Not quite low enough to have a significant impact on hardier bugs.
However, other species die off more easily. Fleas, for example, can die off when temps dip below freezing. Once temperatures fall to 37ºF, it’s cold enough to kill mature fleas, eggs, larvae, and pupae. But those temperatures need to be maintained for 10 days or longer outside.
Residential Pest Control
No matter what the weather does this winter, we can be sure of one thing – there will be bugs in the spring. Cold temperatures may kill off a portion of insects, but no amount of snow and ice is going to eradicate bugs.
Therefore, you will continue to need pest control services at some point, and Titan Pest & Wildlife is here to help! We make it our business to protect your home. Our residential pest control solutions provide a thorough pest management process designed to eliminate the bug problems you have now and, more importantly, prevent future infestations from happening.
