Warm winter leads to 'buggy year'

Because there wasn’t a hard freeze to kill some of nature’s critters, pest control companies are on the job.

“It’s been an extremely buggy year for us starting off,” said Ken Sharp, owner of Sharp Pest Control, an eight-year-old home-operated outfit.

Sharp, who has 15 years of experience in the exterminator business, said he’s been working weekends with his wife’s help, and a newly hired secretary answers the many phone calls.

“We’ve had 30 times the phone calls that we normally get on clover mites alone,” Sharp said. “Because the weather didn’t get cool enough, people’s yards are abundantly full of those.”

He said revenues this year could increase 40 percent, four times his usual annual growth.

Treating both residential and commercial properties, Sharp also said he’s seen an early outbreak of fleas. “To have fleas this early just blows my mind.”

Flies also have been a problem earlier than usual this year.

John Sunny, manager of Ziggie’s Café at 2222 S. Campbell Ave., said the eatery saw signs of the buzzing beasts about 45 days earlier than usual this year.

The five area Ziggie’s Cafes have a contract for monthly pest treatments with Bug Zero, 311 N. Waverly Ave.

“When you’re seeing those little critters, it’s time to bring it to (the exterminator’s) attention,” Sunny said.

Sunny said the restaurants spend up to $8,000 annually on regular pest control. He said he didn’t expect that figure to increase this year because of their already frequent treatment schedule.

Of course, bugs and insects aren’t the only pest population thriving because of the warm winter.

Jeff Archer, franchisee for Critter Control, 2801 W. State Highway F in Ozark, said he’s been getting more calls than usual to kill squirrels, bats, raccoons and snakes.

While business volume during the winter months was consistent with previous years, Archer said April was about 10 percent higher than normal.

“(The warm winter) has definitely increased (business),” he said.[[In-content Ad]]