With the warmer weather, Albertans are probably spending more time outside, but they’re not alone – bugs are also starting to show up after the long, cold winter.
The winter and spring Alberta has experienced can produce an infestation of mosquitoes and ticks very quickly, according to an insect expert.
Tadek Sampson, manager at Buzz Boss, a seasonal service that deals with insects, told the Alberta Morning News on Saturday that all insect populations are driven by weather, particularly moisture and warmth.
“With the amount of snow we’ve gotten, we’ve seen quite a bit of ground saturation. You combine that with two inches of rain within a week, and you’ll see a pretty big mosquito hatch, especially if there’s a lot of standing water.”
In the past, Sampson said Alberta has generally been too dry for ticks, but they have been seeing more of them along rivers, lakes and wooded areas this spring.
To keep yards a bug-free zone, people need to make sure they deal with any standing water.
If there’s any standing water that won’t soak into the ground because it’s too saturated, it needs to be filled in as soon as possible.
Sampson also advises that people keep their lawns cut short, as mosquitoes and ticks like to hide in the long cool grass.
And while people may want to ignore these pests, Sampson said that’s not a good idea, because they can carry diseases.
The bugs aren’t just harmful to people but also to pets. Sampson said certain parasites can be transmitted by mosquitoes, and owners should be aware and make sure to keep their furry friends up to date on vaccinations.