Meteorologists say the entire country will likely have warmer than average temperatures through December, with the Lehigh Valley area
holding at least 50% odds or better of above-average temperatures.
As a result, entomologists from the nonprofit NPMA have released a Bug Barometer forecast that will make your skin crawl.
“With most of the country still drying out from a hot, soggy summer, extreme late-season winter conditions predicted will have rodents and
cockroaches fleeing indoors in record numbers,” said Jim Fredericks,
chief entomologist for the NPMA. “Although most of the country won’t be
battered by Old Man Winter until after the holiday season, pests like
mosquitoes, ticks, termites and cockroaches that enjoyed this summer’s
exceedingly wet conditions will have a few extra months to remain active
before conditions turn blustery thanks to the mild, wet fall ahead.”
NOAA’s fall outlook follows the 13th warmest August in its 125-year record, and a July in which above-average temperatures stretched from
the Great Lakes to New England and down to the Gulf Coast as well as
across much of the Southwest.
With just six days to go in September, Allentown’s average monthly temperature was 69.7 degrees — some 4.3 degrees above normal. We’ve hit
90 degrees three times in the last two weeks, and temperatures in the
low to mid-80s are projected again for the weekend.
“Usual suspects like stink bugs, boxelders and beetles will have ample time to multiply this fall before heading indoors en masse, but
spotted lanternfly populations, which have boomed since they were first
spotted in Pennsylvania in 2014, could become even more problematic for
the Northeast as their mating season is extended thanks to favorable
fall conditions,” added Fredericks.
Anything that improves conditions for mosquitoes is also sounding the alarm for diseases they carry: At least 525 mosquito samples have
tested positive for West Nile virus in Pennsylvania so far. To date, 15
of them have been collected in Lehigh and Northampton counties.
A much more rare, potentially deadly virus transmitted by mosquitoes was also confirmed in three Pennsylvania counties over the weekend,
including two in the Lehigh Valley region.The Pennsylvania departments
of health and agriculture issued a warning Saturday after confirming
eastern equine encephalitis (also known as EEE or Triple E) in Erie,
Carbon and Monroe counties. The virus was found in pheasants, horses and
a wild turkey.
Health officials say EEE is fatal in 30% of human cases. They’re urging people to wear mosquito repellent and cover exposed skin with
lightweight clothing.Additional mosquito surveillance, sampling and
larval control will continue to be performed as necessary by the county
Mosquito Borne Disease Control Program and the Pennsylvania Department
of Environmental Protection Vector Management.
The DEP said Monday it’s also conducting truck-mounted ultra-low volume mosquito control operations in parts of Mahoning Township, Carbon
County, where evidence of EEE has been found.
The DEP is urging area residents to inspect their yards, clean up clutter, and dump out any sources of stagnant water. A recent news
release said mosquito surveillance indicates the most common mosquito
species in residential areas continues to come from artificial
containers left behind by humans. This includes something as small as a
bottle cap or as large as a swimming pool. The DEP said one bucket or
tire in someone’s backyard can produce hundreds to thousands of
mosquitoes in a year.
National Weather Service meteorologists say the first hard freeze (temperatures in the 20s for several hours) instead of the first frost
(which can mean temperatures as high as 36) is typically what it takes
to declare an official end to mosquito season.
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