Many in Nebraska are already thinking spring, but remember the mosquitos, ticks and those Japanese beetles from last year?
Experts are weighing in on what to expect this spring.
Carl Braun of Quality Pest Control says winter weather can have an impact on bug populations, including mosquitos and ticks.
This year, there's been around 8 hard freezes, or days when its been below zero degrees. The freezes work to kill off some bug populations, but Braun says not all are slowed.
"We'll soon find out how they managed the winter," Braun said. "Ticks over winter as adults and when it warms up, the female tick will latch on and get a blood meal and then she'll fall off any lay her eggs in the spring. So I don't think we've had a hard enough winter to kill off the ticks."
KMTV 3 News Now Meteorologist Ryan McPike says temps are colder compared to this time last year
"In fact, I was looking at some numbers the average February temp has only been about 23, 24 degrees," he said. "Last year in February it was 37.7 degrees. That's a huge change."
Overall snowfall totals are also down, from about 5 years ago. Because pests love moisture, that's working in our favor too. But, McPike says March is never predictable.
"March can be wild, we can get severe weather, we actually have a chance for some thundering on Sunday afternoon, but it traditionally warms up," McPike said. "You can also still get blizzards."
Braun says mosquitos and ticks typically have a flurry of activity come spring time to lay eggs. But as far as the Japanese beetles the area was unable to shake last year? Braun says too early to know what exactly is going to happen.
"Will it be to the magnitude it was last year? I don't know, lets wait and see."
