There’s an unexpected side effect many Bay Area residents are seeing in this heat: more bugs indoors.
Pest control companies told NBC Bay Area Saturday that they are seeing an uptick in calls for help over the past few days with insects like cockroaches, black widows, ants, and pincer bugs.
EcoGuard Pest Management, which operates around the Bay Area, said they have seen a spike in calls over the past couple of days in the areas between San Jose and Walnut Creek.
"What we are seeing record calls for — unprecedented call — are ants, cockroaches, spiders, earwigs," said Akoni Berman, the director of Quality Control of EcoGuard. He oversees several regions of California for EcoGuard including the Bay Area.
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"What’s really shocking is the sharp increase in calls for roaches from approximately San Jose to Walnut Creek and Brentwood, that whole area, partially due to how warm it is right now," Berman continued. "Our roach calls are up — no kidding — several hundred percent."
Other local pest control companies and East Bay residents told NBC Bay Area they are seeing the same thing.
So why is this happening?
“If you feel like you’re baking to death outside, just about everything else living might be too, and maybe they want to come in and be comfortable just like you," Berman explained.
Plus, Breman noted that the record-breaking storms are impacting bug populations.
“Which left the earth and our surrounding environment very soggy. And with so much water around, that means there’s gonna be a lot of life, once you apply a little heat to it,” he added.
Many find these insects a nuisance indoors, especially cockroaches which are known for crawling around sewers and garbage.
If these bugs are not welcome guests inside your home, Berman recommends cleaning up inside and outside of your home, which eliminates potential places for bugs to hide.
EcoGuard recommends people keep the inside of their house and the outside as clean and dry as possible so that bugs don’t have places to hide. Also, try to eliminate places where moisture is pooling outside your house.
"The earwigs, the roaches, they really like moisture in the yard, so anywhere they can find moisture whether it’s a storm drain, a sewer, a pile of leaves, or even if you just water the yard a little too heavily, they really like that," Berman said.
Cleaning up trash and yard litter around your property can be helpful too. Berman noted that even spilled birdseed can attract cockroaches.
With more days of summer ahead, Berman says residents may also want to check if they have gaps around their windows and doors that could allow insects and unwanted heat a way into their homes.
