KCTV 5 News
Kansas City
Sandra Olivas, Reporter

MISSION, KS (KCTV) – For those seeing more bugs in their home, they can blame it on excessive heat.

Experts said extreme temperatures are causing a “breeding bug bonanza” across the country. Because insects are cold-blooded, their body temperatures are regulated by the outside temperature, and when that temperature rises, larva grow at a faster pace, reproduction cycles speed up and pests move more quickly – which is why people are seeing more pests like ants, mosquitoes and spiders.

“They’ll traipse right in through the back door. It’s an older home so I’m sure there’s cracks here and there, but they like to come right to the cat dish looking for food,” Rob Linsin, a Mission, KS, resident, said.

Linsin said he has problems with ants and wasps each summer. But, this time, spiders are his biggest concern. He has spotted signs of them in his finished basement.

“Mainly just spiders. I’ve seen a few here and there. I have a finished area down there and I go down there occasionally and that’s something I want to catch. I don’t want to have them around when I’m down there,” Linsin said.

Linsin called an area pest services business to come out and spray Tuesday.

“There are more bugs. We had a warm winter. Mother Nature didn’t give us a reset button,” David Resz, a technician for Schendel Pest Services, said.

Resz has been with Schendel Pest Services for 17 years and said they have been swamped with calls.

“It’s wasp season and beetle season. A lot of pests that are outdoors and happy to be outdoors, because of extreme heat, have moved indoors,” Resz said.

The pest technician said bugs usually like the heat, but the scorching temperatures are even unbearable for them.

“With the sun shining and the heat of the afternoon, the foundation and attic space hits upwards of 130 degrees. They have no choice but to look for the can lights, or the vents, maybe a window that’s not been sealed properly. To escape the heat they have to come inside,” he said.

To help keep bugs and insects out of a home, Resz said to check the weather strips at the bottom of doors and replace them if they are worn out. It also helps to caulk and re-seal a home to keep the cool air in and bugs from getting in.

KCTV 5