Pest Control in Kennett, MO
Kennett sits in the Missouri Bootheel, land that was mostly unsettled swampy forest until the Little River Drainage District began cutting more than 1,000 miles of ditches, canals, and levees through the region in 1905, turning swampland into some of the most fertile farmland in the state and creating the nation's largest drainage district in the process. Kennett is also the birthplace of Grammy winning singer Sheryl Crow, honored locally with the Sheryl Crow Aquatic Center, and Missouri's first confirmed red imported fire ant mounds were found here in 2009.
Pest control in Kennett starts with the Bootheel's drainage history. The Little River Drainage District began cutting more than 1,000 miles of ditches, canals, and levees through Dunklin County in 1905, turning what had been unsettled swampland into some of the most fertile farmland in Missouri and building the largest drainage district in the country in the process. That same network of open water moving through farmland year round, paired with the Bootheel's warm, humid climate, the mildest and most humid in the state, gives Kennett a longer mosquito season and a longer termite season than towns farther north. Dunklin County's farm fields and ditch banks carry ticks into properties bordering open agricultural land, American cockroaches do well in the area's warm basements and older infrastructure, and Missouri's first confirmed red imported fire ant mounds turned up right here in Kennett in 2009, a reminder that the Bootheel's mild winters make it the part of the state most hospitable to a species that can't survive further north.
The pests that matter in Kennett
| Pest | When active | Local notes |
|---|---|---|
| Mosquitoes | March through November | The Little River Drainage District's more than 1,000 miles of open ditches and canals run throughout Dunklin County to keep Bootheel farmland dry, and that same network of slow-moving water gives mosquitoes breeding habitat across the county for most of the year, including close to Kennett. |
| Subterranean termites | Active nearly year-round, swarms in spring | Southeast Missouri's Bootheel has the warmest, most humid climate in the state, and that extended warm season lets termite colonies around Kennett stay active for more of the year than colonies in cooler parts of Missouri. |
| Ticks | March through October | Dunklin County's farmland, fence lines, and drainage ditch banks give ticks plenty of tall grass to wait in, and properties bordering agricultural fields around Kennett see more of them than town lots further from open farmland. |
| American cockroaches | Year-round, most active in warm weather | The Bootheel's warm, humid climate, the mildest in Missouri, suits American cockroaches especially well, and they turn up more often in Kennett basements, crawl spaces, and older drainage and sewer infrastructure than in cooler parts of the state. |
| Fire ants | Spring through fall | Missouri's first confirmed red imported fire ant mounds were found in Kennett in 2009 by a University of Missouri Extension entomologist, and the Bootheel's mild winters give this species a better chance of surviving here than almost anywhere else in the state, though Missouri Department of Agriculture monitoring shows the ants have not spread into widespread, permanent colonies statewide. |
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Or call 1-800-PEST-USAMosquitoes and the Little River Drainage District's Ditches
Before 1905, most of the Bootheel was unsettled swampy forestland, and the Little River Drainage District spent the following decades cutting more than 1,000 miles of open channels, ditches, and levees through the region to drain it into farmland. That same drainage network still moves water slowly through Dunklin County today, and slow-moving or standing water in those ditches gives mosquitoes breeding habitat that reaches across the county for most of the warm season, sometimes starting as early as March. Clearing any standing water closer to the house and using screens on doors and windows during peak season helps limit exposure.
Termites in the Bootheel's Longest Warm Season
Southeast Missouri's Bootheel has the mildest winters and most humid climate anywhere in the state, and that extended warm season lets subterranean termite colonies around Kennett stay active across more of the calendar year than colonies farther north in Missouri. A spring swarm of winged termites indoors is the clearest sign a colony has matured, but in a climate this warm, homeowners should not assume winter brings much of a pause in activity the way it would elsewhere in the state. An annual inspection catches problems before they reach the point of structural damage.
Ticks Along Kennett's Farm Fields and Ditch Banks
Dunklin County is heavily agricultural, and the fence lines, ditch banks, and fields surrounding Kennett give ticks plenty of tall grass to wait in for a passing host. Properties that border open farmland see more tick pressure through the March-to-October season than lots farther into town, and mowing grass short along property edges plus checking pets and kids after time near fields or ditch banks reduces the risk without requiring homeowners to avoid the outdoors.
Cockroaches and Fire Ants in a Warmer Missouri Climate
The Bootheel's warm, humid climate, the mildest in the state, gives American cockroaches better conditions than they find almost anywhere else in Missouri, and they show up more often in Kennett's basements, crawl spaces, and older sewer and drainage infrastructure. That same mild-winter climate is also why Missouri's first confirmed red imported fire ant mounds turned up in Kennett in 2009, found by a University of Missouri Extension entomologist working with the Missouri Department of Agriculture. State monitoring since then shows the ants have not established widespread, permanent colonies across Missouri, since most of the state's winters are too cold for the species to survive long term, but Kennett's milder Bootheel winters keep it an area worth watching.
How to keep pests out in Kennett
- ▪Clear standing water near drainage ditches and low yard spots to reduce mosquito breeding habitat.
- ▪Schedule an annual termite inspection given the Bootheel's extended warm season and mild winters.
- ▪Mow grass short along fence lines and ditch banks bordering farmland to reduce tick exposure.
- ▪Seal basement and crawl space entry points to keep American cockroaches out of cooler indoor spaces.
Pricing for Kennett pest control
Termite inspection in Kennett typically runs free to $75, with treatment from $900 to $2,600 depending on colony size. Cockroach and fire ant treatment typically runs $150 to $350 depending on the extent of the problem. Free inspection included.
Common questions from Kennett
Why does Kennett have such a long mosquito season?
The Little River Drainage District cut more than 1,000 miles of ditches and canals through Dunklin County starting in 1905 to drain Bootheel farmland, and that same network of slow-moving water still gives mosquitoes breeding habitat across the county for most of the warm season, often starting as early as March.
Is termite risk higher in Kennett than in the rest of Missouri?
The Bootheel has the mildest winters and most humid climate in the state, and that extended warm season lets termite colonies around Kennett stay active across more of the year than colonies farther north in Missouri.
Are fire ants actually a problem in Kennett?
Missouri's first confirmed red imported fire ant mounds were found in Kennett in 2009. Missouri Department of Agriculture monitoring since then shows the species has not spread into widespread, permanent colonies statewide, since most of Missouri's winters are too cold for it, but Kennett's milder Bootheel climate keeps it an area worth watching.
Why are ticks common around Kennett's farm fields?
Dunklin County is heavily agricultural, and the fence lines and ditch banks surrounding Kennett give ticks plenty of tall grass to wait in. Properties bordering open farmland see more pressure through the March-to-October season than lots farther into town.
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Reviewed by Dr. Lena Ortiz, Board-Certified Entomologist (BCE), PestRemovalUSA, PestRemovalUSA