LITTLE ROCK, Ark — While COVID-19 has left some businesses hurting, pest control companies are booming.
Curry's Pest Control has seen 20% more business than usual and is hiring twice as many technicians this year.
"It seems like on average we're handling about 100 to 115 calls a day more than normal," said Richard Sims of Curry's Pest Control.
He attributes the increase to more people working from home. As they spend more time inside, they will notice more of the bugs around their house.
Pest control companies usually see an increase of bugs and insects as the warmer months set in.
This year, Curry's Pest Control saw a lot of business this spring with ants.
As summer started, there were more calls than ever for ticks and fleas, plus preventative measures for around houses.
"People are at home wanting to enjoy their backyard, so we're doing a lot of mosquito treatments trying to keep them from ruining an evening," said Sims.
We reached out to other companies in central Arkansas who are noticing the same trend.
An Arkansas Pest Control technician said they've seen an increase of calls the past three months, especially for wasp control.
He says the uptick is partially due to the pandemic, but also because of the time of year.
Mike Hall with Clark Exterminating says they are seeing more business than ever before.
Every year they are growing, but this year has been different. Hall says he wouldn't contribute the boom in business to COVID-19.
"Arkansas has a plethora of insects that like to ruin our potato salad or cupcakes on the countertop, so when someone's trying to enjoy more time at home, it's always good to see business continue," said Sims.