With the recent California wildfires and the more active than usual hurricane seasons we’ve seen over the past few years, the term climate changer gets bandied about quite a bit. The politicians want to argue over whether it’s the natural order of the planet or if humans are to blame. Either way, it’s clear our world is going through changes that affect our weather – and our pest control approach.

You may not be aware of it, but the same atmospheric variations that cause changes in the weather - air pressure, temperature, and moisture levels – also cause changes in the size and variety of our local insect populations. The scientists refer to this as “pest pressure.”

And brace yourselves. The way weather has changed in recent years leads experts to predict a longer and more active year for some of our least favorite insects.

Building Up

January is usually our coldest month, but it’s been even more unseasonably chilly the past few weeks as we deal with repeated cold snaps. While we didn’t break Sarasota’s record from December 1983 (a chilly 20-degrees that even sprinkled a little snow), all our local meteorologists noted the significant drop in temperatures dipping into the 40s and 50s – cold for the Gulf Coast.

Come Monday, though, we’ll be back in the mid to upper 70s. And that means more pest pressure for the remainder of 2025.

In general, warmer temperatures mean more time for insect breeding. Our wonderful sub-tropical weather brings the bugs to our yards, so it’s no surprise we deal with pesky insects year-round. Even though it’s chilly and rainy today, the milder winters of past years continue to impact our bug population.

Rising, Rising

Speaking of the rain, the extra precipitation this month will cost us later. It’s never too early to dump out standing water and avoid more mosquitoes. More moisture will also increase our supply of roaches and termites.

And it’s not just our traditional pests we need to worry about. Weather and climate changes bring new and exotic insects to our area – things like Cactus Moths, Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs and Tropical Bed Bugs. But we can’t simply blame it on the rain. Or heat, or wind currents.

Our area is exploding with new construction, up and down the Gulf Coast of Florida. That already displaces several types of insect habitats. But the influx of new full-time residents, from other states and countries often bring with them other invasive species that want to settle down.

That’s where we get Asian Long-horned Beetles, Spotted Lanternflies and various new fruit flies. Not to mention our growing population of imported red fire ants.

Releasing the Valve

What’s worse – a lot of insects are now developing resistance to the traditional chemical pesticides so many have relied on for years to keep their properties bug free. More and more often, experts are saying we need to look to more innovative solutions.

For more than 35 years, Good News Pest Solutions has been doing just that. Early on, we started looking for pest treatments that were safe for our clients and their families as well as the planet. It didn’t hurt that these green, more organic answers were also more effective against the pests we encountered on a regular basis.

Our Go Green Perimeter Plus handles the ants, roaches, spiders, silverfish and more that want to infest your home. As our most popular treatment, our customers find it affordable and proven. The everyday solution that can also be bundled with our Term Assure 365 termite protection or our state-of-the-art TAP insulation. For more details on those or any of our products and solutions, please give us a call!