What Happens When Winter Is Warmer Than Usual

Ants

Winter in Southern California is usually mild, but every now and then we get a stretch of days that feel more like spring than winter. Warm afternoons, sunny mornings, and barely any cold nights. Sounds nice… until the bugs start acting like it’s summertime.

When winter temperatures rise, pests wake up early, move around more, and start looking for food, water, and shelter. Homeowners in Rialto, Fontana, and surrounding areas often notice bugs showing up when they expected things to be quiet.

Let’s talk about what happens during a warm winter, which pests to expect, and how to protect your home before they get comfortable.

Why Warm Winters Bring Out More Bugs

Most pests slow down when temperatures cool. But when it warms back up, even for a few days, they kick back into gear.

Warmer winters create the perfect conditions for bugs to:

• Reproduce sooner

• Extend their active season

• Look for food earlier than expected

• Move indoors for warmth and shelter

Instead of a seasonal break, pests treat a warm winter like a green light to keep going. That means more activity in and around your home.

Which Bugs You Might See During a Warm Winter

1. Ants

Warm soil wakes up ant colonies. You’ll see them searching for water in kitchens, bathrooms, and laundry rooms. Argentine ants especially thrive in fluctuating temperatures.

2. Spiders

Spiders remain active as long as there are insects for them to hunt. Warm weather means their food source is still alive, so they are too.

3. Earwigs

Earwigs love moisture and warmth. When the ground doesn’t cool down, they stay active and show up around foundations, patios, and bathrooms.

4. Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes should disappear when temperatures drop at night. If the nights stay warm, they continue breeding in small pockets of standing water.

5. Cockroaches

Roaches thrive in warm environments. A warm winter allows them to keep breeding in garages, kitchens, sheds, and wall voids.

6. Pantry Pests and Stored Product Bugs

Warmer indoor temps help moths and beetles reproduce faster. Indian meal moths, grain beetles, and flour beetles stay active all winter.

7. Rodents

Mice and rats stay active regardless, but warm winters mean more breeding, more movement, and more attempts to enter homes.

What Kind of Activity to Expect

During warmer winter periods, you may start noticing:

• Ants forming trails to sinks or pet bowls

• Spiders moving around baseboards and corners

• Mosquitoes showing up around porches and patios

• Earwigs under doormats or in bathrooms

• Roaches near appliances or drains

• Rodent noise in walls, attics, or garages

Warm weather tricks pests into thinking it’s the beginning of spring. Their life cycle speeds back up, and your home becomes their next stop for food and shelter.

Why It’s Important Not to Skip Winter Pest Control

Many homeowners think winter is a “break” from bugs, but in Southern California, that’s rarely true—especially during warm years.

Skipping pest control lets pests:

• Set up nests inside the home

• Establish colonies in walls and soil

• Lay eggs that hatch as soon as spring hits

• Hide in garages, attics, and crawl spaces

• Build populations without disturbance

By the time spring arrives, these pests are already way ahead of you.

Routine winter treatments keep your home protected and prevent pests from getting a head start on the warm season.

How to Get Rid of Bugs During a Warm Winter

Here’s what helps most:

• Seal entry points around doors, windows, and utility lines

• Fix leaks and eliminate moisture sources

• Reduce leaf piles and clutter near your foundation

• Keep food sealed and counters clean

• Remove standing water around the yard

• Schedule a professional inspection and barrier treatment

A warm winter is when pests make moves—this is the time to block them.

Professional Warm-Winter Pest Control in Rialto and Fontana

At TruPest Solutions, we understand Southern California’s unpredictable weather and how it affects pest behavior. Our winter pest control services create a strong barrier around your home, eliminate active pests, and prevent hidden infestations from growing.

If you’re seeing bugs during a warm winter, don’t wait for spring. By then, the problem will be much bigger.

Call 951-334-5288 or visit TruPestSolutions.com to schedule your winter pest service today.

Your home will stay protected, no matter what the weather decides to do.