Are Winter Freezes Good for Pest Prevention in Florida?

You have probably heard that our area is expecting very cold temperatures for Christmas. Some have even gone so far as to predict snow. The last time people here saw anything resembling snow was 19 years ago when a some flurries occurred on the coast of Brevard down to Vero.

In 1977, there was a record low of 17 degrees which would have produced snow if there was precipitation, which there wasn’t. That recorded temperature has since been debated by scientists. Frankly, the odds of seeing snow are highly unlikely. But the cold weather will stick around for a bit and meteorologists are expecting lows of 31 degrees at the time of publish.

With the cold weather on the way people have asked us if this will affect the pest population in Brevard.  Rodents and insects are aware of the cold conditions and will seek a warm spot. This may cause they to try to get into your home. So, you may actually see a spike in pest activity. However, the population of the actual pests are affected. Rodents and bugs may go into hibernation mode and this means that there is no time for hanky-panky. A good cold freeze can reduce the pest population just slightly.

Anyone who has lived up north knows that even after very bitter and cold winters, summer brings many bugs and other pests. They seem to flourish regardless of how brutal the winter was. Insects are adapted to brutal conditions. This is why they remain the most common pest on the planet. Their eggs can be buried in the ground and are designed to survive extreme conditions.

Insects like bed bugs are especially resilient because they are attracted to warm spots 24/7 – 365. And because of the cold weather they have even more incentive to find that warm human to cuddle up with. Oh, and they will suck your blood while you sleep. So it is important to make sure you are bed bug free.

Plants

It is probably a good idea to prepare your outdoor plants for this winter spell. Covering your plants can actually help them beat the freeze. Some plants will die anyway, but if you value it then you should cover it.

There are actually some steps you can take leading up to the big freeze and some you can do after. Check out this article for details