Last week a controversy surfaced regarding a July 24 article in USA Today, “Bugs like it hot: Record heat kicks bugs into high gear,” by Doyle Rice. Rice’s article implied that the intense heat experienced this summer has caused increases in populations of several insect pests, including grasshoppers, crickets and mosquitoes. Last week, two researchers from Purdue University challenged that theory in their own article, “Do bugs really like it hot?” and indicated that in the Midwest, the drought has actually reduced the numbers of mosquitoes, although the high heat has made it difficult to enjoy what they say is virtually a mosquito-free summer.
Filed under: Insects, Urban IPM | Tagged: bugs like it hot, do bugs like it hot, fleas, insects and drought, insects and heat, mosquitoes 2012, USA Today | 1 Comment »
