Mild Oklahoma Winter Could Cause Critter Problems

No one's enjoyed our extremely mild winter more than our creepy crawly friends.

We all know it's February, but when it feels like April, insects and other critters don't know any better. Even the Tulsa Zoo's tarantula is noticing the unusual warm-up.

"They do respond to weather, no doubt about it. I think she's a little bit early, but nothing to be that alarmed about," said Rob Bowe with the Tulsa Zoo.

A mild winter doesn't always mean insect trouble for the warm seasons to come, but there are repercussions to late winter warmth.

"A mild winter could actually cause the tick population to come up sooner. Even a 40-degree day, even with snow on the ground, they can become active," Bowe said.

Ticks are not only a nuisance; they can spread serious disease to both humans and animals.

"If they become active, then they'll be feeding on their hosts, and possibly reproducing sooner, and, in turn, causing populations to go up," Bowe said.

And as the populations go up, the risk of spreading disease increases as well. Now is the time to think about your pets.

"Just make sure your outside animals, your dogs and cats have flea and tick medicine - just kind of knock that back," Bowe said.

There's still time for another winter storm or at least a hard freeze. That could be a major setback to the early risers this year.

"It can be very damaging to animals that come up, that would have been dormant during this cold period. To just go up and down has a negative impact on them," Bowe said.

If you're wondering about mosquitoes, zoologists say they less prone to harsh winter weather and will be here whether or not we see any more really cold weather.

The fate of other Oklahoma insects isn't set in stone, but the ones that are out are already bugging many of us. It could be a sign of the months to come.

Zoologists recommend making sure your dogs and cats have their flea and tick medicine as the pest population goes up this year.