It's Almost Time to "Fall Back"

Daylight saving time is just around the corner! That means we will “fall back” and we will gain a precious hour of sleep. Daylight saving time has been a staple for the United States since World War I, but it’s origin and effects are still misunderstood. A B Pest Control & Insulation has some common myths are DST. Check them out below!

Myth: It saves energy

The common rationale for daylight saving time is that by extending summer daylight later into the evening, Americans would use less energy. This was the reason that Congress used in enacting daylight saving time during World War I. While it seems like it would be true, it’s unfortunately not. A 2008 U.S. Department of Energy study reported that daylight saving time reduces annual energy use by about 0.03%.

Myth: Daylight saving time was meant to help farmers

The idea that daylight saving time was created to help farmers get their harvests in, is so ingrained into the national consciousness, it’s hard for many to believe that it’s not true. Farmers found hard against the proposals of daylight saving time, arguing they cut productivity and made life harder for them. The lost hour of morning light means they had to rush to get their crops to market. Dairy farmers aren’t fans of daylight saving time either. Apparently, cows adjust to schedule shifts rather poorly.

Myth: The extra daylight makes us healthier and happier.

A little more vitamin D might be healthy, but the way daylight saving time provides it is not so beneficial to our well-being. Experts have warned about spikes in workplace accidents, suicide, and headaches when daylight saving time starts and ends. This can be linked to the possible disruption in sleep cycles.

Myth: Businesses Benefit

Businesses think that daylight saving time is good for the economy, the chambers of commerce lobbied for increased daylight saving time in 2005. The charcoal and grill industries say they gain $200 million in sales with an extra month of daylight saving. When the increase to eight months came up for a vote in 2005, it was the National Association of Convenience Stores that lobbied the hardest. However, not all industries love daylight saving time. Television ratings tend to suffer during daylight saving time and of course, the networks hate it. Airlines are also among those that don’t like daylight saving time. When it was lengthened, the Air Transport Association estimated that the schedule-juggling necessary to keep U.S. flights lined up with international travel would cost the industry $147 million. Daylight saving time might also cost employers in the form of lost productivity. Sleep cycles are thrown off and productivity is lost.

Regardless if daylight saving time is actually beneficial or not, we will all be a little more rested when we wake up on Sunday, November 5. A B Pest Control & Insulation wants to remind you to set your clocks back Saturday night before heading to bed. With the time change, if you happen to find creepy crawlers in or around your home, give your pest control company at the Lake of the Ozarks a call. We’ve got you covered!

Lake of the Ozarks
Pest Control Company

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www.abpest.net

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