Heavy showers can bring unwanted pests

OKTIBBEHA COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI.) – April showers brings – bugs.

In fact, you may already have seen insects at your house.

Even though you can’t control the amount of water by your home, experts said you can control the pests that may show up uninvited.

Spring rains are still causing problems. From flood waters that are slow to recede, to standing water, many local yards are still wet.

And that means unwelcome visitors. Due to excessive water, mosquitoes and fire ants will try to make your lawn their new home.

“Some of them lay their eggs in dry areas and wait till we have water like now. It only takes a very short period of time for mosquitoes to go through their metamorphosis and adapt if the water has been there for too long. It will produce a lot of mosquito larva,” said Northeast Exterminating owner Richard Linley.

Northeast Exterminating Owner Richard Linley said there are ways homeowners can prevent mosquitoes from invading their property.

“Homeowners can take a look around their homes for any source of standing water. Some areas I know are seeing larger numbers, I know, because of the flooding. And again you’ve got so many different things that catch water and hold water right now,” said Linley.

Pouring water out of buckets and gutters will decrease the chance for larva to develop.

When fire ants are washed up from underground, you might see them building a higher mound to escape the saturated dirt.

“When a fire ant mound gets flooded those ants, and there may be 100 or 200,000 ants, they tend to ball together and go floating down the stream with the water. That results in fire ants in someone’s house or on someone’s property when they’re trying to do cleanup after a flood or situation like that. You get into a big ball of fire ants it can cause some pretty significant sting events,” said Entomologist Dr. Blake Layton.

Entomologist Dr. Blake Layton said using an ounce of dishwashing liquid in a gallon of water will get rid of fire ants.

Linley suggested using mosquito dunks in standing water to kill larva before they become adults.

According to online reviews, dunks are safe to use around people, pets, birds, wildlife and fish.