Pest patrol

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The weather from December to February was the warmest on record and after three months of historic highs, pests are coming out much earlier than normal. And the regular winter kill-offs didn't happen, says Chris Malcom, operations manager of Ramey's Yard Care and Pest Control in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.

“What we do have are increasing in numbers everywhere,” he says.

This unusual weather means pest control operators will be treating earlier than normal, says Jeff Taylor, manager of Martz Brothers Lawn Care in Kansas City, Kansas. “We're going to see how it goes and adapt,” he says. “We're ready for everything and anything.”

Here are three tips on how to deal with pesky pests this season:

1) Focus on your technicians as much as your products.

Crenshaw Termite & Pest in Tampa, Florida, puts technicians through a five-day classroom program to get the basics. Then they have to ride with a certified pest control operator for at least 10 days and head back to the classroom for another four to five days.