ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – While the Braves are fighting for a wild card and the Falcons are still looking for their first playoff trip this decade, Atlanta has found it tops in one category.
Unfortunately, that category is bugs.
According to a newly released ranking from Thumbtack, which monitors requested services across the country, Atlanta earned the title of “America’s Buggiest City” for the second year in a row, beating out Washington, D.C., and Dallas, TX.
“It’s gotta be a nine or a 10 [this year],” said Robert Pittman. “It’s brutal.”
Pittman owns and operates Tuxedo Mosquito Control, and no bug is peskier to humans than the mosquito.
“The mosquito is actually the world’s deadliest animal,” Pittman added.
Pittman said he’s seen an increase in requests for mosquito services.
So why are all the mosquitos moving to Atlanta?
“These bugs exist because they’ve got the proper habitat,” he said.
That means all that July rain metro Atlanta received turns the area into a wet and humid “Mosquito Bora Bora” and the meals are on us.
“Type O blood is one of the types they really seem attracted to,” Pittman said.
Spraying is the most effective bug killer, but maybe not for your pollinators. So here are some problem areas.
“If you’ve got kids’ toys in the yard. If you’ve got tarps that are covering your firewood in the back or other things,” Pittman said. “Those are areas where mosquitos breed or inhabit.”
One area Pittman said people often forget is their gutters.
In Marietta, Angel Garcia isn’t surprised at Atlanta’s dubious spot atop the rankings. His business, Mayday Pest Control, has seen the same problems.
“Stagnant water is your worst enemy,” he said.
Garcia has clients who sometimes want to take a more organic approach that doesn’t involve spraying.
“There are greener options,” he said, recommending mosquito-trap products from companies like In2Care. “They’ll probably give you a 40-50% knockdown, which is huge.”
The good news is that bugs of all kinds will start to dissipate within the next month, but in the south, the problem never completely goes away.
“We make a great argument for being recession-proof,” Pittman said.
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