Certain bloodsuckers love El Niño.
No-see-ums, mosquitoes and other pests thrive in the hotter, wetter weather that the El Niño climate pattern typically brings to Florida and the Southern United States. So since a “super” strong “Godzilla” El Niño is now expected in the coming months, experts say to brace for a ‘buggier’ summer and mind the freestanding water in and around your yard.
Tropical systems and persistent rainfall can create ideal breeding conditions for fire ants, flies, mosquitoes, termites, ticks and midges, some of which spread disease.
Less talked about are snails and slugs. They also can boom during unusually wet summers, damaging gardens, landscaping and some agricultural crops. Additionally, standing water and lush vegetation can support spikes in gnats and midges, especially near wetlands and retention ponds.
Why a ‘buggier’ summer matters
According to University of Florida:
Deadly insect stings on the rise
For most people, insect bites and stings are painful, but generally, harmless events.
But for some people, they can trigger a serious allergic reaction would could be fatal.
It’s unclear how many die annually from fire ant bites. But a 2025 East Carolina University study found hornets, wasps and bees among the most common venomous species involved, responsible for an average of 83 deaths per year from 2018 to 2023. Generally, less than 100 people die yearly from such venomous stings, CDC says.
Red imported fire ants
El Niño could mean more red imported fire ants, which rank among the world’s most invasive and destructive species. In America, they cause $8.75 billion in yearly economic damages, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Fire ants chew on fruits, roots and stems, damaging crops. They swarm, harm and even kill newborn calves and stunt grazing. Their mounds damage mowers, balers, combines and other farm equipment, resulting in costly repairs and downtime.
Florida’s urban sprawl also means more landscapes fire ants seek, with fewer natural predators, and more ants hitching rides in potted plants to new landscapes. Meanwhile, global-warming-fed floods float colonies of clung-together fire ants to new areas.
‘No-see-ums’ like warm, wet summers
Biting midges go by a variety of names, depending on where you are.
Some say ‘sandflies.’ Others call them no-see-ums. Some in the Northeast call them punkies.
But all agree they are a painful nuisance. And warm, wet summers are the perfect breeding conditions for the microscopic marauders.
Female no-see-ups, have specialized mouthparts for piercing the flesh of vertebrate animals and sucking their blood. Males don’t bite.
Like mosquitoes, most biting midge activity is around dawn and dusk and can continue through the night. But midges rarely bite during the day, except for heavily overcast days and when winds are calm.
What you can do to control biting insects
There are several similar ways to prevent mosquito and midge bites. The EPA, Purdue University and Brevard County offer these suggestions to limit bites from midges and mosquitoes:
Where can I learn more?
Visit Brevard Mosquito Control’s site at: www.brevardfl.gov/MosquitoControl
Contact Waymer at (321) 261-5903 or jwaymer@floridatoday.com. Follow him on X at @JWayEnviro.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: ‘Godzilla’ El Niño will mean a ‘buggier’ summer for Florida, Southeast
Reporting by Jim Waymer, Florida Today / Florida Today
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Jim Waymer, Florida Today | USA TODAY Network
