Older | Newer

Posted on: 9:46 am, April 25, 2012, by Chris Smith

KPLR St. Louis

ST. LOUIS, MO (KPLR)– Predictions were that this spring and summer would be extra buggy in St. Louis, and those forecasts were right.

“It has been a crazy year. We are finding the bugs are 30 to 45 days ahead of schedule,” said Jay Everitt, with Rottler Pest and Lawn Solutions.

Everitt says the number of calls from people needing bugs exterminated has grown by 10%, which has the company hiring extra help.

And some of that help was needed at the Webster Groves home of Anne Richardson, who discovered her kitchen was being invaded by ants.

“If you’d leave a plate out they’d be crawling all over the plate and all over the window sill and crawling up the windows. They were very noticeable,” Richardson said.

At the Humane Society of Missouri clinic, the director of veterinary medicine, Dr. Steven Schwartz , says fleas and ticks are worse this year than ever before.

“What makes it really a bit frustrating is this is despite the fact that there are many more flea and tick control products than there once were. There are many good options, it`s a question of using them,” Schwartz said, adding that many pet owners do not use protection against fleas and ticks.

And like pet owners, there are things homeowners can do to protect themselves against insects.

“Keep the leaf clutter from piling up around the perimeter of the house, those are harborage areas for a lot of the insects. Caulking and sealing up around the windows helps too. If you can keep the insects from making it inside, they’ll stay outside,” Everitt said.

If you feel the need to take every possible precaution with your pets, Dr. Schwatz says generally speaking, it is safe to use an oral flea and tick preventer along with a topical treatment at the same time, but only after checking with your vet, or the Humane Society, to make sure the medicines you choose are compatible with each other, and any other medicines you pets may be taking.

Tags: Ants  |  ant prevention  |  ants st. louis  |  Rottler Pest & Lawn Solutions  |  get rid of spring pests