Why more bugs are bugging you this summer

(NBC) - Seen a lot of pincher bugs or earwigs lately? Maybe some Japanese beetles?

"This seems to be the summer of the denizens of the dirt ... things like earwigs, soldier beetles, the return of the Japanese beetles," Dr. Mike Raupp said.

Dr. Mike Raupp is a professor of Entomology at the University of Maryland, and says the mild winter and lack of snow cover could be to blame.

The earwigs or pincher bugs, he says, have a good and bad side. While they kill some pests in the garden, they're likely to eat your marigolds. But Raupp says the Japanese beetles are just plain bad.

"This is one of the most destructive insects around the landscape,” Raupp said. “They'll feed on more than 300 different kinds of plants."

Japanese beetle bug bags are in hot demand. Garden expert Richard Thomas says folks are buying all kinds of products to protect their homes and gardens against pests. Right now he says ants are a big problem.

"Ants are attracted to moisture, especially when it's dry like it has been,” Thomas said. “They tend to come in more."

There is some good news this summer. There’s one bug we're not going to see as much of -- the stink bug. But if you're still having trouble at your house, there are some products you could but to help."

But Raupp says, chances are you won't need it.

"Seems like some of our natural enemies are catching up,” Ruapp said. “Hot weather may be detrimental to stink bugs. But there needs to be more years of research to get the answers to that question."