OHIO — The warmer weather has brought insects back outside. Reed Johnson, an assistant professor of entomology at Ohio State University, explained why you see more insects in the warmer weather.
“They can’t generate their own heat. The warmer, the better, the more active they’re going to be. So, if you’re an insect, it’s great that it’s getting warmer. That’s prime season for them,” he said.
Johnson did express that there are a lot of insects that can survive winter.
“They find places to hide out for the winter. Some insects can also tolerate being frozen,” he said.
Although the Ohio winter was milder this year than usual, Johnson does not believe we will see any new or increased insect species this spring. He also reminded people how useful insects are this time of year.
“It means spring is here, No. 1, and there’s these insects that do these really important things,” he said.
He said that insects, such as bees and butterflies, pollinate plants and other insects eliminate some of the peskier insects.
“Many insects are actually predatory as well, so not every insect you see is necessarily eating your flowers. I mean, many of them actually eat other insects because they are predatory and they could be controlling some of those insects that are a little more pesky by eating them,” he said.
Johnson explained that he understands why people can get annoyed with some insects, but asks that people do not call their exterminator right away, as some insects can be helpful or harmless.
“I just encourage people to be tolerant of insects and to just try to control them in as limited of a way as you can, the ones that are causing you problems and to let the broader community of insects that are really fascinating creatures out there. Just let them do their thing,” he said.
