WNKY News 40 Weather Reports: Fall Warming

Prolonging Allergies and Mosquito Season

Meteorological fall begins September 1st  and the unrelenting summer heat lasting longer leads to a warming Fall climate.

“As the climate is warming, we’re seeing an increase in the length of our growing season, which is good if you have a vegetable garden, but not so good if you have allergies to ragweed and all the other common allergens that we have here in Kentucky.” said Dr. Greg Goodrich, Associate professor at WKU. 

“The other problem that we see is an increase in the length of mosquito season. Normally  in early fall you expect them to start disappearing, but they’re starting to persist later and later into the fall each year.” Said Goodrich

“Insects absorb moisture through their exoskeleton, through their body. When there’s high humidity, there’s moisture in the air.”- Said Jimmy Blankenship, Owner of Guarantee Pest Control.

Since 1970, the average seasonal temperature in Bowling Green has exceeded the 30 year normal between 1990 and 2020, and at least a week of above normal weather days.

“We’re more likely to see 90 degree days in September. But the one good thing is that we’re not seeing the humidity that we would normally see in July and August.”- Goodrich 

Once the weather cools down, pests may try to find refuge in your homes.

“We start having cool nights, like we’ve just had insects start recognizing that winter is coming and they start looking for overwinter ha bridge, which is our homes.”- Blankenship

How can you protect your homes? Blankenship suggests looking around your yard for any any standing water. Mosquitos thrive where there is a water source.  Blankenship also mentioned that September and October are busy months for pest control because of standing water left in bird baths, dog bowls, or rainwater caught in buckets for watering flowers.