Warm temps and rain mean more bugs ... and it could get worse!

ATLANTA — Don’t shoot the messenger, but more stink bugs and other insects may be invading your home.

That’s because the warm temperatures and all the rain we’ve been getting is driving them out of the ground!

"More rain means more pests, bugs and rodents trying to get away from the saturated ground," Severe Weather Team 2 Meteorologist Katie Walls said. "The warmer temperatures are also beckoning those bugs that have spent all winter in a dormant state to come out."

Chelle Hartzer, an entomologist with Orkin, showed Walls some of the bugs that may be trying to get in your home.

"We're going to see a lot more insects trying to find drier areas," Hartzer said. "We're also going to see some of those insects that like water, like mosquitoes."

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How could freezing temperatures forecast early next week impact this?

"It will kill off some of them, but a lot of them are going to find that safe spot to curl up and avoid those cold temperatures. A lot will survive," Hartzer said.

Walls suggests you begin preparing for mosquitoes now, too.

"Use repellant anytime the temperature climbs above 50 degrees, and be sure to empty any standing water around your house every few days," Walls said.

Cox Media Group