Warm weather pests are hatching out already

[Atrea]

I've been seeing everything from fleas to fruit flies for a week now here in Washington state. Yesterday I was on the porch after dark and a huge moth as big as a butterfly was flapping around the light! There are quite a few sow bugs present under my cardboard mulch, and the grass has been growing continuously all winter. All of this warm weather seems to be pointing to a worse-than-usual spring when it comes to garden pests.

I think what I am most concerned about are the slugs. They are going to be coming after the lettuce as soon as it sprouts, unless we have a hard freeze in February or March. Unfortunately, I have seen plenty of 70-degree February days around here even in normal winters. We also have a year-round snail infestation all through this little valley. These are large snails with yellow shells. I often find them climbing up the fruit trees, and if this weather continues it will be bringing them out in hordes

Some of my friends are saying this is probably being caused by the current El Nino and/or climate change. I am just wondering if this mid-winter hatch-out is only occurring in the local area, or whether it's affecting other areas as well?

 

[Chuck]

Everything is normal here except for the mild weather. My peach trees are just about to bloom 2 months early which means I won't have a peach crop this year. But insects? Nothing unusual, yet

 

[IcyBC]

I love warm weather, but I don't like pest and fleas! I am in Michigan and this year so far we only have two snow storms and mostly rain. Though our temperature is still cold, so I haven't noticed any insect just yet.