Cicadas Were Just The Beginning: Expect A Bad Bug Summer In IL

ILLINOIS — Cicadas were just the beginning.

The billions of winged bugs that descended on the state this spring may be gone, but with Illinois predicted to have a warmer-than-average summer with equal rainfall, the state is likely to see an increase in activity from ants, bed bugs, centipedes, cockroaches, crickets, houseflies, silverfish and spiders, according to pest control website The Pest Dude.

The website analyzed predicted 2024 summer weather patterns from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to determine which pests are more likely to be a problem in each state this year.

Fortunately, there are ways to combat the unwanted insects, the website said.

Sealing entry points is an effective method to prevent ants, cockroaches, centipedes, spiders, crickets and silverfish from getting inside, according to The Pest Dude. The website also recommended baits and/or traps to stop ants, cockroaches, spiders, houseflies, crickets and silverfish that have already breached a property. Reducing moisture, clutter and garbage helps deter many insects as well.

Bed bugs, however, are on another level, according to The Pest Dude, which said preventing and removing the strange bedfellows can require regular inspections, heat treatments and professional extermination.