Veterinarian: Mild winter means very buggy summer

Published 6:31 pm Monday, February 27, 2012

His clinic already is seeing enormous numbers of fleas and ticks on dogs and cats, Palermo said.

“And that’s just the tip of the iceberg as far as the summer goes,” said Palermo, of the Bienville Animal Medical Center. “They’ll be hatching out and causing problems. We suspect a heavier than normal activity of fleas and ticks.”

However, Jeffrey Brown, entomologist for the Mississippi State Department of Health, said years of experience have taught him it’s nearly impossible to predict seasonal bug populations.

“My advice is to always be prepared for a regular insect pest season and take precautions,” he said. “Use personal insect repellent, remove potential breeding sites by not letting water stand, know when mosquitoes are active — two hours before sunrise and two hours after sunset — and after every walk in the woods — after you have used repellent — inspect yourself and your companions for ticks.”

Mosquitoes can carry heartworm, encephalitis and West Nile virus.