Expect an influx of bugs and rodents

‘‘The numbers will stay high all winter so the vulnerable young of those pests won't get killed off.’’

A warmer than average winter in the Auckland region may mean a spring and summer plagued with bugs and rodents.

NIWA’s preliminary figures for the mean winter temperatures show June and July were 1.3 degrees and 1.4 degrees warmer than average respectively.

A few cold snaps in early August will bring that figure down slightly when NIWA’s full winter summary is released.

That report is due out in early September but a spokesman said warmer and wetter weather was expected to round out the final week of winter.

The mild winter will mean a summer buzzing with even more flies, ants, fleas and spiders than usual.

Pests like rats, mice and stoats would also have booming popu- lations come the warmer months, Dr Neil Mitchell of the University of Auckland said.

‘‘The numbers will stay high all winter so the vulnerable young of those pests won’t get killed off.’’

Mitchell said the pests could pose an elevated threat to native birds in the spring.

World Class Pest Control owner James Lawler said he expected the weather would be good for business and he predicted calls to pick up when the warmer months came around.