Normally, insects go into a state of diapause similar to hibernation during cold winters, and many insect populations will die out in the cold, Grieshop said. But this year, the weather allowed more insects to survive the winter, which leads to higher pest populations earlier in the year.

“If we have a very damp, sort of warmish, mild spring and early summer, we’re set up for really bad mosquitoes,” Grieshop said.

Human resource management sophomore Emily Kasper said she hasn’t noticed a lot of bugs outside, but as a leasing agent, she has heard complaints from tenants about bugs in their homes.

Kasper said although the mosquito population will be more of an annoyance than anything, their increased numbers serve as a reminder of recent climate change.

“People aren’t even thinking about it right now, but they should,” she said.

Paul Swartz, a campus arborist and MSU Landscape Services coordinator, said he is about three weeks ahead of schedule in applying insecticides to trees on campus.

“(The weather) will definitely cause us to get sprays going right now, (but) we have to be careful because we could get another cold patch,” he said.

Swartz said one concern is the potential for a large insect outbreak that could harm plants, much like what has happened with the emerald ash borer in recent years. MSU Landscape Services injects nontoxic pesticides in the trunks of trees, where invasive insects are more likely to feed, every two or three years. Swartz said many trees already have been treated and will not need injections this year.

But when it comes to mosquitoes, Swartz said he is vigilant in monitoring their population near the Red Cedar River.

“I think the biggest thing for a lot of people is mosquitoes coming out early,” he said, adding he already has had mosquitoes biting him.

East Lansing environmental specialist David Smith said the city approaches mosquito control by identifying breeding grounds before applying bacterial pesticides to any standing water where mosquito larvae are present.

The East Lansing City Council must review and approve any additional targeted spraying programs, Smith said in an email.

Grieshop said mosquitoes have a fast reproduction rate and the earlier breeding season will increase numbers into the summer.

“If you start with 50 insects instead of five and you start earlier in the year, you’re going to have a much higher population of insects by the end of the season,” he said, adding increased numbers potentially could lead to higher transmission of mosquito-borne diseases.