Get ready for bugs, pollen and misery. Spring has sprung early in the Southeast
Spring has arrived early in the Southeast, meaning a longer season of misery and suffering for some.
Lilacs and honeysuckles, which are among the first plants to show leaves in the spring, have started doing so earlier than usual across the region, according to the National Phenology Network.
Some states are seeing this “spring leaf” more than three weeks early, the NPN says, and others are already seeing “spring bloom,” which is the “flowering of lilacs and honeysuckles.”
This is the earliest spring on record for several areas in the region, according to the NPN, and for others it’s the earliest spring in nearly 40 years.
Although some may be enjoying the warmer weather, an earlier spring isn’t all sunshine and rainbows.
The last freeze of winter has been earlier and earlier across the country over the last 50 years, according to a study from Climate Central. Of the nearly 200 cities analyzed, 80 percent are seeing an average last freeze earlier in the season, and 50 percent are seeing it more than a week earlier than in 1950, Climate Central says.
This means a longer growing season, which means prolonged misery for allergy sufferers, Climate Central says.
About 1 in 6 Americans suffer from seasonal allergies, Climate Central says, and treating them costs between $2 billion to $5 billion each year in the United States.
The number of people who suffer from symptoms caused by airborne allergens like pollen and mold has “skyrocketed” over the last few decades, according to Climate Central.
In 1970, only 10 percent of people suffered from these allergies, according to a 2019 Climate Central report. By 2010, that number had increased to 30 percent.
The asthma rate, which often occurs with pollen allergies, tripled between 1970 and 2010, Climate Central says. In 2016, about 3,500 Americans died from asthma, Climate Central reports.
But allergies aren’t the only reason for concern with an early spring.
A longer growing season also means a longer season for bugs, which can be more than just annoying according to Climate Central.
Heat and humidity are good breeding ground for mosquitoes, Climate Central said in a 2016 report. Over the years, the number of days that are “conducive to mosquitoes” has grown.
Mosquitoes aren’t just irritating, Climate Central says, they can also carry diseases like the West Nile virus and Malaria.
Warmer, humid air can also change the behavior of ticks, according to Climate Central.
“Looking toward the future, a warming world is going to change where habitats are suitable for disease-carrying ticks,” Climate Central said in a 2017 report.
Ticks can be dangerous as well.
Lone Star Ticks, which are mostly found in the Southeast, can carry ehrlichiosis, which is a disease that causes headaches and fatigue, Climate Central says.
