BEAUMONT, Texas — In Southeast Texas, it’s hot, humid and rains a lot, meaning there’s a lot of bugs.
One bug in particular, mosquitoes, get worse this time of year. But because winters are short, the problem exists basically all year round.
Experts on both the private and public level have made careers out of fighting the annoying pests, which are more than just a minor inconvenience.
"They also affect a lot of the work going on at industrial sites in our area," said Bart Foster with Bill Clark Pest Control.
The business has offered private services for 65 years, which includes spraying for mosquitoes.
Foster has been with the company for 15 years, and has a PHD in Animalogy.
He says people might not realize how easy they can show up.
"Tarp over a stack of firewood holding water, a kid's toy in the backyard, anything that can catch water is a breeding place," he said.
The pest control offers home treatments, but when it comes to personal protection, Foster recommends the “3 D's.”
"Avoid activity at dusk and dawn, dress with long pants and use closed shoes,” Foster said.
Repellent is also very important. DEET repellent is the official recommendation by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
Meanwhile, Jefferson County has an entire division involved in the fight.
"We try to control them as best we can, as effective as we can," said Mosquito Control Director Denise Marcel.
They use a fleet of trucks and planes to spray on a weekly basis.
"The planes are definitely effective, we use those in the rural areas, but integrating the trucks and the planes is how we are effectively controlling the mosquitoes," she said.
If you wanna keep the mosquitos away at your home, you should keep vegetation down and dump any standing water.
"Generally doing good lawn maintenance will make areas less favorable for mosquitoes to rest and hide where they wait for you to come out in the yard and end up biting you," Marcel said.
If that doesn't work, you should call the experts. A home inspection is free with Bill Clark Pest Control.
If you want to see how your tax dollars are involved in the fight, click here.