Mosquito problems? Ways you can stop being a mosquito's buffet



MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- It's feeding time and YOU are on the menu. Mosquito season is in full swing -- adding unwanted buzz to the great outdoors.

It's a beautiful day at Homestead Hollow County Park in Germantown. It would be even better if Denise Welshhons hadn't forgotten one big thing.

"Bug spray next time!  We didn`t bring it this time, but we`ll be ready for it next time," said Welshhons.

The Welshhons family is sharing the park with a group of pests...

"With all the rainfall we`ve had lately, mosquitoes are on the rise," said Randy Allen, Wil-Kil Pest Control regional manager.

Allen says the more mosquitoes, the more chances of West Nile Virus.

"Right now, we have one confirmed case of WNV.  Last year, across the country, the CDC reported about 25-hundred cases - 119 of them were fatal," said Allen.

Standing water is typically breeding ground -- literally -- for the bugs.

"A lot of people have bird baths.  I recommend switching the water out on those," said Allen. "Anything that collects water - mosquitoes can breed in about a quarter of an inch of water."

And at the other edge of the woods, another pest peeks out of the bushes.

"When someone is in a park or outdoors, I recommend they stay on the short grass.  When you get into the leafy, brushy type of environments - that`s where the ticks are," said Allen.

Ticks, of course, are known transmitters of Lyme Disease. Allen says the number of state Lyme Disease cases already stands at 67 so far this year.

Welshhons says her 8-month-old puppy Deke has already had a tick this year.

"The bugs are not always our friends," said Welshhons.

But a little bug spray, and a lot of patience, can make all the difference.

Experts suggest using insect repellents with 20-30 percent deet. The EPA finds normal use of deet is safe for most people, including children.