Get ready to grab that OFF! Spray.
In a report released today by lawn care company TruGreen, Tampa Bay is ranked as one of the top five cities nationwide most impacted by outdoor pests—specifically mosquitos, fleas and ticks.
The study places the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Sarasota region at No. 5 out of the country's 20 largest metros.
The list was compiled from data from a double opt-in survey between Jan. 1- Dec. 1 of last year, showing the top “metropolitan areas most impacted by mosquitoes, fleas, and ticks.”
Cities that ranked higher than Tampa Bay include Los Angeles, California (No.1), Houston, Texas (No. 2), Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas (No.3) and Atlanta, Georgia (No. 4).
The Orlando-Daytona area was the only other Florida city mentioned in the report, ranking at No. 8. Surprisingly, the Miami Dade area did not make the cut.
"This year, we have observed shifts in weather and temperature as they stray from traditional patterns, bringing a number of storms and other inclement weather, with predictions indicating a wet spring season ahead," said Brian Feldman, Senior Director of Technical Operations at TruGreen in the report. "This could potentially mean a buggier spring and summer for us all.”
This recent TruGreen study comes as no surprise, since Tampa Bay is no stranger to pests. In similar studies by Orkin, Tampa ranked No. 50 on its top rattiest cities list in 2021, and No. 16 on the company’s top bed bug cities list last year.
Tampa Bay ranks among nation’s ‘buggiest,’ says report
It’s getting hot outside and the critters are coming.
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