Could a mild winter mean more bugs in Michigan? In the short term, we will likely see few unusually large insect populations earlier than expected. However, Michigan State University field crop expert Chris DiFanzo says, in the long term, the friendly Michigan environment may be more tempting for bugs to migrate from the south.
“In the next 10, 20, 30 years, Michigan could look more like Kentucky from a pest management standpoint and from a bug standpoint,” DiFanzo said. “Things like different mosquito species, different kinds of ticks moving in. Those are things I don’t work on, but surely can happen, and I’m seeing a few different ins4ects that I’ve never seen before coming in.”
DiFanzo says warmer weather also means farmers may be starting early, which coincides with larger pest populations. One thing that could affect pests is a late season cold snap. If bugs start to get comfortable with the warmer weather, a late freeze could set them right back to the start.
