It is the price of living in paradise: mosquitoes! It is that time of year again when the little buggers seem to multiply faster than any other known insect. And they invite themselves and all their relatives to every backyard barbecue on the block.
It comes with the territory of living in a water-rich environment. But what is far more disturbing than being irritated and inconvenienced while mingling with mosquitoes are the health risks, such as West Nile Virus and encephalitis, among others.

Florida has a bounty of beaches helping residents and tourists temporarily free themselves of responsibilities and lather up in sun lotion and fun times. As a Florida homeowner, your backyard gives you the chance to add another noteworthy beach to the state. A new pool helps make the fun of the beach readily accessible. The benefits of having a pool range from improved mental and physical health to increased property value. However, there is much to consider at every stage of new pool construction.

While Floridians experience flea issues year-round,entomologists confirm that the environmental conditions that arise during the summer make it the worst season for fleas, with population explosions more intense than anywhere else in the world. The primary species in Florida is the cat flea. Before dog owners breathe sighs of relief, however, it’s important to know that cat fleas aren’t picky feeders, infecting dogs, cats and even humans. To help pet owners fight fleas this summer, Animal Hospital of Largo’s Dr. Mike has come to us with artillery in the form of information.

With the technological advances in medicine (for humans) taking leaps and bounds, it comes as no surprise that veterinary medicine is following suit. Over the past 25 years, lasers have been making their way into an increasing amount of animal surgeries and, more recently, laser therapy in animals has been on the rise. Animal Hospital of Largo is keeping pace with these advances, employing lasers in surgery and therapy for seven and three years, respectively–time that has been spent learning all aspects of the method and consequently, enhancing the benefits for their furry patients.

As flowers bloom and leaves brighten, we know exactly which season we’re entering: that of Excuse Mes and Bless Yous. For many allergy sufferers, spring brings puffy eyes and scratchy throats. Tony Mainolfi of WESH 2’s First Alert weather team, however, assures us that properly preparing for tree pollen season is as simple as checking the weather report. In fact, doing so is exactly what he recommends to best know what to expect in the way of pollen throughout springtime.