Warm weather could lead to more bugs

Iowans had better brace for more bugs come April. An insect expert says the warm winter we’re having will mean a six-legged invasion when the “real” spring arrives. Pessimists like to say for every silver lining there’s a dark cloud. While we’re enjoying temperatures twice what’s normal in January, state entomologist John Haanstad says this warm snap will allow more creepy crawlers to stay alive that would normally freeze to death.Haanstad says insect problems will also be more plentiful, from ants to spiders to mosquitoes, and all sorts of crop-munching creatures will be a bigger problem for the Hawkeye state’s corn and soybean growers. Haanstad says it’s possible this warm weather will confuse some bugs into peeking their heads out of the dirt.While the spring-like days in January may confuse some insects into emerging now, he says the majority of them will stay put until the true spring arrives.