GETTING BUGGED; EL NINO SPURS TICKS, FLEAS.Byline: Sherry Joe Crosby Daily News Staff Writer April showers bring May flowers and - mosquitoes, ticks and other creepy-crawlies. And this summer promises to be even worse than usual for pet owners as the hot weather triggers the arrival of flea season. Ticks already are on the rampage. From grasshoppers Grasshoppers may refer to one of the following:
pest control n → lutte f contre les nuisibles pest control pest n companies hopping. ``It's a good year for bugs,'' said Gail Van Gordon, an entomologist for the Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. Department of Health Services Department of Health Services may refer to:
At the Groomers Touch in Chatsworth, shop owner Sylvia Cunningham said she already has started to see infestations of ticks on her furry clients. ``We barely saw any ticks last year and already we have quite a few dogs coming in with ticks - and not just one or two, but 15 to 20,'' she said. ``They're infested in·fest tr.v. in·fest·ed, in·fest·ing, in·fests 1. To inhabit or overrun in numbers or quantities large enough to be harmful, threatening, or obnoxious: .'' Topanga Canyon resident Deanna Santos, who has five dogs and two cats, is almost at her wits' end. She's already starting to scratch and itch - and she doesn't see any relief in sight. ``Every year it seems to be getting worse with fleas,'' Santos said. ``They're eating themselves up and gnawing on their skin, and it will continue to get worse because of the weather.'' This season's heavy rains have combined with warm weather to provide perfect breeding and living conditions for mosquitoes, plant-eating insects such as beetles and predatory bugs such as spiders. ``Since El Nino, there's been a lot more bugs and stuff outside - all kinds - roaches, earwigs and fleas,'' said Suzie Themeli, a customer service representative for Terminex pest control, which has seen a 70 percent rise in business over last year at this time. The hardest hit areas of the Valley seem to be wooded, hilly communities along Mulholland Drive and the foothills of Sylmar, Granada Hills and Chatsworth, pest control companies say. ``In the hills there's a lot of rain,'' Themeli said. ``A lot of people track dirt into the house and they bring bugs in. And when you have dogs that come into the house from outside, they track in fleas.'' Van Gordon said the population of mosquitoes could skyrocket this summer unless homeowners ferret out standing pools of water in their back yards and other hidden places. ``If the breeding sources are not eliminated or treated, we will have a very good year for mosquitoes, which won't be a very good year for us,'' she said. At ACME Termite termite or white ant, common name for a soft-bodied social insect of the order Isoptera. Termites are easily distinguished from ants by comparison of the base of the abdomen, which is broadly joined to the thorax in termites; in ants, there is and Pest Control in North Hills, work has been so hectic that inspectors recently were running a week behind. They're catching up by working from 7 a.m. until midnight, said secretary Claudia Macias. ``In about three hours, I booked 18 inspections just for termites,'' said Macias who usually arranges just three to four such inspections in that time span. HOW TO BE FLEA FREE Several revolutionary products could leave your dog and cat flea cat flea ctenocephalidesfelis. free this summer. Veterinarians Veterinarians and veterinary surgeons (vets) are medical professionals who operate exclusively on animals. Well-known and notable veterinarians include:
The best solution they said is to treat dogs and cats even before they begin to scratch or show signs of infestation infestation /in·fes·ta·tion/ (-fes-ta´shun) parasitic attack or subsistence on the skin and/or its appendages, as by insects, mites, or ticks; sometimes used to denote parasitic invasion of the organs and tissues, as by helminths. . For bad flea problems, pest control experts say it might be necessary to fumigate fu·mi·gate v. To subject to smoke or fumes, usually in order to exterminate pests or disinfect. fu the home and vacuum more frequently, changing the bag each time. To eliminate mosquitoes, entomologists The following is a list of entomologists, people who have studied insects. Name Born Died Country Speciality John Abbot 1751 1840 United States suggest ridding properties of standing pools of water that might have collected in empty paint buckets, wheelbarrows and other containers. Also, homeowners are advised to cut back weeds and other thick vegetation that could provide a food source for plant-eating insects such as beetles and aphids. CAPTION(S): Photo, box PHOTO (color) Groomers Touch owner Sylvia Cunningham, washing Copper, says she's seen an increase in ticks. David Sprague/Daily News Box: How to be flea free (see text) |
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