Watch out Alberta – this season may see a surge of insects

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.

READ MORE: Stretch of above average temperatures in Calgary means good breeding conditions for mosquitoes

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.

“Obviously we know [about] things like wheelbarrows, rain barrels, pots, things like that,” Sampson said.

“We still see a lot of it out in the fields where people have that standing water because those things get looked over and forgotten. But also eavestroughs, if they’re blocked, will retain standing water, [or] tarps covering things that are out in the yard.”

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.

READ MORE: Tick forecast 2018: Experts predict more Lyme disease in Canada

And while people may want to ignore these pests, Sampson said that’s not a good idea, because they can carry diseases.

“We’ve all heard about Lyme disease, [but] there are some other diseases that ticks can give as well. There’s West Nile with a certain species of mosquitoes that can be transmitted to humans and pets. Luckily for us, we don’t have the really serious diseases like Malaria and Zika.”

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.