MILFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — The Mosquito Squad in Milford has been spraying yards since March.

But it’s not the flying insects people are most concerned about. It’s ticks, which can crawl and jump on you and your pets. The boom has led to an increase in calls for pest control companies.

“For now, I want to say about 50%t more,” said Jeff Ronaghan, of Mosquito Squad.

Because of the mild winter, the blood-sucking ticks didn’t die off, and there is fear they — and their diseases — will be out in full force this spring and summer.

“They come out when it’s… temperatures hit 50 degrees,” Ronaghan said. “However, we target the eggs before they can hatch.”

Mosquito Squad technicians aim their sprayers where ticks breed — in bushes, shrubs, trees and near the house. Ronaghan said they can breed wherever it’s shady and moist, which includes under decks.

Residents are also encouraged to try their hand at the six Cs of tick control: clear out, clean, choose plants, check hiding places and care for family pets. And, as Ronaghan adds, “Call the Squad, and we’ll get out there by tomorrow.”

There are also some products people can buy right off the shelf if they want to try to protect their yards. That includes liquid pesticides that can hook right onto a garden hose.

“You drag it to the farthest point of the yard, and you just walk back and apply it on your lawn,” said Emerson Dexter, the store manager at Cash True Value in East Lyme.

Cash True Value has a variety of products to rid your property of ticks.

Nantucket Spider out of Wilton Connecticut makes family friendly, DEEP-free sprays. One for children is also free of citronella.