TAMPA, Fla. -- For Richard Frank, it’s normally the insects that are buzzing. But in the weeks after Hurricane Ian’s landfall, the incessant buzzing now comes from his phone.
“I’ve had five calls today alone about ants,” said Frank, owner of Do It Yourself Pest Control in St. Petersburg. “The ants are going crazy right now.”
After nearly four decades of doing business in Pinellas County, Frank knows the drill after a hurricane: Strong winds knock down tree limbs and disturb the natural habitat for rodents and bugs, sending them scurrying for shelter. Rainfall turns to stagnant water, which attracts mosquitoes. And now, as debris piles await their pickup throughout Tampa Bay, the pests are finding new homes. Often in yours.
