Warm weather to thank for early onset of pests

There hasn’t been much of a winter this year which is impacting crops and trees.

But it will also impact the amount of pests you’ll see.

They could be especially bad this year.

Pest control companies expect this to be one of their busiest years ever when it comes to pests like snakes.

“I'm on the lookout. I don't like snakes and I’m deathly afraid of them,” avid hiker Bonnie Solomon said.

Solomon and her husband hike McAlpine creek nearly every day.

Their home backs right up to the McAlpine area and they've already had a few experiences with some unwanted guests.

“We've had work done in our home and we've had an electrician find three snake skins in our attic. We haven't found the snake yet,” Soloman said.

She said they're calling an expert in today to get the snakes out.

Pest Control Authority worker Mike Seifert is the one who fields those kinds of calls.

He said this year is going to be busy.

“We're expecting a big increase. History in our industry shows it will be a big increase,” Seifert said.

When you mix the warmer weather with the rain that we've had recently, he said you can expect to see more of just about every pest in the next few weeks, especially spiders, mosquitoes and snakes.

“They'll be the areas that hold more heat. Driveways, concrete patios, those places.” He said.

His crews have already removed several snakes, and it's only February.

There are some things you can do to prevent pests from entering your home.

Check for debris around your house, like wood and leaf piles, and clear them out now.

Those are perfect places for snakes to hide.

Solomon already got the message and she said she's not taking any chances.

“In fact, we just removed some ivy from our yard, knowing that’s an area where they can hide,” she said.

The experts said the only thing that could change the pest forecast would be a cold snap.

Cox Media Group