Pests looking to move inside as temperatures hit triple digits

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — Hot weather can significantly impact the pests in and around your home, local pest control business, Economy Exterminators, says with temperatures expected to reach the triple digits this weekend, their call volume has exponentially increased.

“It goes from getting in January, February, maybe 10 calls, to we may see anywhere from 70, 80, 100 calls a day,” said Economy Exterminators Branch Manager Robert Dyson.

He’s been working with economy exterminators for nearly three decades.

He says out of all the summers he’s worked, this summer has been one of the hottest they’ve seen, and insects react to heat similarly to humans.

“They kind of have to have the triangle of life, which is going to be your food, water, shelter. So when those things are stressed, especially with heat and lack of water, you’ll see a lot more insects moving into homes and stuff. That’s not unusual,” Dyson said. 

Temperatures are expected to reach at least 100 degrees for the next few days. Dyson says the weather can trigger things like termite swarmers. 

Right now, the company’s phones are ringing off the hook for hornets, yellow jackets, mosquitoes, and ants.

“It ranges anywhere from ants to some spiders, definitely seeing roaches hanging out with the heat in the movement with them and everything,” Dyson said. 

Exterminators spend about 30 to 45 minutes treating homes, using chemicals made to withstand environmental factors like rain and heat.

But Dyson says there are steps homeowners can take on their own to keep bugs outside.

“Essentially, just less openings for them to get in a second part of that would be looking at what you have around the outside of your home. If you’ve got things like, you know, wood piles that are that are against the side of your house, or if you have a lot of leaf debris or stuff like that, those are all areas for insects that can actually breed and stuff like that. It just makes it easier for them to get inside,” Dyson said.