TYLER (KYTX) - The creepy, the crawly, the biting, and the flying are out in full force. With another summer upon us so are the bugs and this year more than normal. CBS 19's Amanda Roberson has more and tells us which four bugs people are seeing the most of right now.
Tyler pest companies tell CBS 19 it's everything from fleas and mosquitos to crickets and flies and they're not only invading neighborhoods, they're also moving in to big businesses.
"Visually annoying, don't really bother anybody but it's a little bit of a mess," said Monte Hall, General Manager of Hall Buick GMC in Tyler. You don't have to look far past the front door of his dealership to see which pest, crickets, he's talking about. "We've been seeing them now for a solid 30 days at least a month and it's kind of an annual event. If you move a vehicle there'll be a whole bunch of them that will come out from under the tires."
"I imagine there's at least a couple hundred thousand, several. I don't know there's quite a few," added Town and Country Pest Control CEO Tommy Treadwell.
Treadwell said crickets are just one of the insects with a higher population now than years past. It's a noticeable increase from last year when we were in a drought. "The moisture and the heat produces insects and this year we're about a month ahead of last year. We already have fleas and mosquitos, we started spraying for them in February."
There are plenty of chemical repellents for crickets and other insects. But hall said one of the best natural cricket repellents isn't around this year. "Last year with the drought the birds were kind of cleaning them up for us. This year the birds got a lot of food everywhere so they're not around as much."
One of the easiest ways to get rid of crickets around the house, get rid of any outside lights. But if you do need light outdoors, use a yellow light. They're less attracted to those."
But Treadwell said cricket season won't go on forever. "It'll last probably four to six weeks and then probably in the fall the same period of time."
It's time Hall will rely on the experts to keep his dealership bug free. "Pest experts and then landscape guys to blow them away."
With another round of insects coming this fall, think about standing water around your home. Standing water is a breeding ground for all sorts of insects, especially mosquitoes. By getting rid of the water, you're also eliminating the invitation for that most pesky of neighbors.
With the mild winter and high flea population, don't forget about protecting your pets.
