This is not your impression, there are a lot of insects this summer and here are the reasons

insects in summer they are classic. However, this 2023 in Spain, we have the feeling that there are many more than usual. First of all, many people complain about the excess mosquitoes and ants. The bites of the former bring us headlong, and the pests of the latter have become a problem in many homes. What is it about? Is it a delusion or is it true that there are more insects this summer?

Well, it is true that perception plays an important role. In winter, we forget, and when summer comes, we believe that there are more insects than last year, because that’s when they bother us. In addition, psychological negative experience non-traumatic ones are stored in memory less than positive ones. Insects in the summer are not traumatic, unless we are allergic to their bites and we get to the emergency room. Therefore, we forget about the trouble.

But it’s true that there’s more than usual this summer, for two main reasons. On the one side, high temperatureswhich also started ahead of time. Just look at the heat waves we’ve had to deal with before. And on the other hand, although we had a very dry start to the year, right at the end of spring we had some storms that resulted in very heavy rainfall. Heat and water are the favorite ingredients not only of mosquitoes, but also of other insects.

Mosquitoes: the main insects of summer

If we talk about summer insects, we inevitably have to think about mosquitoes. Anyone who hasn’t eaten a few bites yet this summer can congratulate themselves on being very lucky, as there really were quite a few of them this year.

The reasons are the same as we have already seen: heat and late rains. But why do they like them so much?

mosquitoes ectothermic animalsknown colloquially as composure. This means that they do not have the ability to regulate a constant temperature, as, for example, humans do. We usually always have around 36.5ºC, regardless of the ambient temperature. On the other hand, they are cold if the temperature is low and hot if warm.

Mosquitoes can be found all year round, as each species has preferred temperature range. However, they are considered summer insects because they are most numerous at this time of the year. And this is because their larvae need warm temperature for growth. In addition, the larvae can only live in stagnant water. Since this year, it has been raining with enviable regularity, but in the already hot season, warm puddles have become an ideal environment for mosquito breeding.

What’s with the ants?

This summer, the ants are also annoying. Many people complain that pests have appeared in their homes. This does not mean that their houses are dirtier, far from it. Just again the conditions are ideal for these summer insects.

Like mosquitoes, ants are all year round, depending on the type. But there are those who prefer the heat. In fact, they are known to multiply faster at elevated temperatures.

These insects have the ability to accumulate heat, which is very useful for them to descend into anthills, where the temperature is much lower. For this reason, they take advantage of the summer heat to get Booking need to hibernate for the winter. Let’s remember the story Ant and Grasshopper. These summer insects are very far-sighted. The problem is that their products usually come from our homes, which, no matter how much fan or air conditioning we use, are pretty warm in the summer.

The abundance of insects will increase in summer

The peculiar characteristics of the climate during this year are largely due to changing of the climate. And, as we’ve seen so many times, it’s only just begun. Thus, insect population peaks in summer are still expected to be very high. in certain environmentsyear after year.

In places like Spain, where most insects don’t carry disease, it’s not that big of a deal, except for nuisances and allergies. But in places with endemic diseases such as malaria or zikaYes, this could be something very worrisome if global warming is not stopped.

However, the number of insects is getting smaller and smaller.

The fact that there are summers when we see many more insects does not mean that their population as a whole is increasing. Vice versa.

In fact, according to a study recently published in PNASsome species of insects have reduced their population in 70% in the last three decades. Butterflies, grasshoppers and, curiously, antsThey are the most affected species.

And you might think that this is good, but it is not so at all. As annoying as these animals are sometimes, they are the backbone food chain in which the person is involved. In addition, they participate in pollination of plantsso necessary for many reasons. His disappearance would be a very worrying issue.

It is believed that, first of all, these animals disappear due to destruction of their habitats due to urbanization. In short, if there are more summer insects, it’s our fault because of climate change. If the general population declines, so does ours for other reasons. We should complain less and think more about what we are doing.