Varmints in the backyard

We were having cosmos at a neighbor's house Saturday night when a certain show came on television.

This is where you came from, right?

Right.

This week, Billy the Exterminator has come up in conversations in both personal and professional life. It's a show on A&E that follows Billy and the family working the family biz of killing pests and varmints out of their Benton, Louisiana-based business. I've seen references on Twitter, on Facebook, and out in the community. It's quite intriguing to think about people being interested in a zany pest control company in the area where I used to live.

I thought I'd give the show a chance. I almost fell out of my chair when I saw Billy's mom, Donnie, give her son instructions from the home office. The menagerie of crosses behind her desk had to be the same ones my roommate used to have up on her wall. I recognized a few places and references. I got skeptical a few times, but understand the producers have to sell the show.

Who knew the place where I lived was so dangerous?

Coincidentally, it's not the first time the area has been highlighted nationally for pests. Check out this YouTube story, a 1969 report the CBS news did on Texarkana's rat problem. They needed Billy the Exterminator for sure!