5 Reasons Summer is the Season for Pests

Key Points

• Extreme heat drives pests indoors: When temperatures peak, pests seek refuge in your climate-controlled commercial facilities.

• Moisture breeds trouble: Summer showers and high humidity create ideal breeding grounds for pests, especially mosquitoes and cockroaches.

• Accelerated life cycles: Warmer weather puts pest reproduction into overdrive, meaning a small issue can quickly become a full-blown infestation that threatens health inspection scores.

• Proactive facility maintenance is crucial: Simple exclusion tactics and strict waste management protocols are your first line of defense against summer pests.

• Professional partnership is required: Tailored commercial pest control keeps your business compliant, safe, and open for operation.

With summer in full swing, it’s likely you’ve noticed increased pest activity. Why is it that most pests like the summer season best? Orkin’s Dr. Ron Harrison dives into the top five reasons why pests like ants, cockroaches, mosquitoes and spiders thrive during summer months.

Factors That Increase Pest Activity in the Summer

1. Temperature

Temperatures that rise in spring and summer affect the behavior and development of many common pests. But even pests have their limits when temperatures reach extreme heights. Fire ants, for example, will go deep into the ground, and some other pests will try to seek shelter indoors to avoid the heat. That means the temperature favorability makes pests more active until that tipping point when they’re inclined to make their way into your air-conditioned facility with the rest of us.

2. Moisture

Water is essential for survival, which is why many pests thrive in moist areas. Moisture in the air also has an impact, so summer showers and high humidity make for favorable conditions. During periods of drought, pests will move indoors to seek out damp areas for shelter.

3. Food Sources

If you spent your weekend mowing the lawn at home, you’re well aware that grass and other vegetation is more abundant during summer. What eats up your Saturday afternoon is an all-you-can-eat buffet for many pests. This can lead to a pest population increase until the food source is completely depleted and pests move on.

4. Life Cycle

Many pests are cold-blooded and therefore highly impacted by the weather. This results in a stage of increased activity during certain stages of their life cycle in summer months. Ant colonies, for example, will monumentally increase in size as pests reproduce to ensure the survival of their colony during the approaching colder months when they become dormant.

5. Daylight

Summer means longer days and shorter nights. More hours of sunlight in a day give many pests more time to feed. This means we may see pests more often over the summer as we, too, are enjoying longer days outdoors.

Summer Commercial Pest Prevention Tips

Many summer pests are not only bothersome to humans, but also able to inflict painful bites and spread diseases. To protect your facility, maintain regulatory compliance, and keep your health inspection scores high, follow these proactive prevention tips:

• Clear the gutters: Check for and clear debris from all facility gutters. Clogged gutters create ideal, moist breeding grounds for mosquitoes and flies.

• Manage your landscaping: Limit thick vegetation and trim back branches that touch your building's exterior. Create a vegetation-free barrier of at least two feet around the foundation to prevent harborage and eliminate hidden entry points.

• Seal the perimeter: Inspect your building’s exterior for cracks and crevices in the walls, floors, and pavement. Seal them with a high-quality, weather-resistant sealant.

• Lock down entryways: Use heavy-duty weather stripping around windows and doors. Seal any exposed pipe or conduit penetrations with commercial-grade caulking.

• Regulate your waste management: Trash cans on your property must have tight-fitting lids. Work with your waste management provider to regularly clean and rotate your dumpsters. Summer heat amplifies garbage odors, turning your loading dock into a pest magnet.

• Safeguard outdoor teams: Protect employees who work outside by providing EPA-registered mosquito repellents. Per CDC and OSHA guidelines, these should contain active ingredients like DEET, Picaridin, or Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus.

Partnering with Professional Pest Control

Protecting your business from pests in the summer can feel like a full-time job. With insects and rodents seeking shelter from the heat, you may find that your usual pest control efforts aren't enough to keep them out.

Partnering with a commercial pest control provider can save you time and help protect your business. They can identify vulnerabilities you might have missed and create a tailored plan to keep your facility pest-free and compliant with health regulations.

Don't let pests interfere with your business this summer. Contact Orkin to schedule a free commercial pest control inspection of your facility.

Seasonal Pest Control Resources

How Your Pest Control Changes with the Seasons
Seasonal changes influence pest pressure in commercial environments, with different species becoming more active as temperatures and weather conditions shift throughout the year.

Fall and Winter Pest Prevention Tips
As temperatures drop, pests such as rodents, cockroaches, and spiders seek warmth, food, and shelter inside commercial buildings, increasing the risk of disruption to operations and reputation.

Protecting Your Business from Spring Pests
Focusing on exclusion, consistent sanitation, and regular inspections helps businesses reduce entry points, limit pest attractants, and identify vulnerabilities before spring pest activity escalates.