They are big, hairy, and scary looking.  They buzz around you while you are walking to your car, working in the garden, or sitting on your front porch.  People often wonder what they want as they just appear to be staring at you as they lurk about.

They are carpenter bees!  For many people, carpenter bees are considered to be a nuisance pest as they lurk, buzz, and dive bomb.  They are non-aggressive, but still an annoying pest none-the-less.  Male carpenter bees are harmless and do not have a stinger.  Most of the time male carpenter bees are the ones that tend to do the buzzing around people.  This show of force is one way that they “show-off” for their female counterpart.

The female carpenter bee tends to hang out closely by the chosen nesting site.  She is the one that works feverishly to create the nest as she prepares to lay her eggs.  Females are not considered aggressive, but they do have a stinger and they will sting you if you take a swat at them or if they think you are threating their nest or budding babies.

Carpenter bees drill holes in new and old wood for their nests.  Each hole that is created is used by subsequent generations as well.  The deck railing is often the target of the resourceful carpenter bee.

Stern Environmental Group offers 24 hour emergency hive removal and carpenter bee treatment.  You don’t have to be annoyed by these bees any longer.  Call Stern for expert help.

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Rats have been a problem in New York City since people, boats and goods began arriving in the area report NYC pest control professionals.  These critters need three things for survival…food, water, and safe living quarters.  Rat and mice infestations survive quite well in the controlled environment of commercial establishments, businesses, and warehouses.

Because many business establishments are not open 24 hours a day/7 days per week, rats and mice have the opportunity to easily infest a building or business and operate uninterrupted.  Storage facilities and restaurants that house large amounts of food products are highly susceptible to rat and mice populations.  While these locations remain quiet during the nighttime hours, rats and mice are able to chew and claw their way into precious food supplies, contaminating all that they touch.  It is estimated that rats and mice contaminate 20% of all of the food sources in the world.

Rats and mice are resourceful creatures.  They don’t care much about what they eat report NYC pest control professionals.  Rats and mice are typically nocturnal creatures, but will come out during the daytime hours if they are in need of food or water, or if their nesting area has been disturbed.

Stop by our website to read about our innovative “Track & Trap” system.  Invading mice don’t stand a chance when we use this device as we are able to track their every move which enables us to see where their entry points are and their nesting place is.  We can safely remove mice in no time at all by using the Track & Trap.

Continuing from Wednesday…

If bed bugs are found, treatment must be completed to the unit and all of the surrounding units as well.  PHAs may offer special services to tenants such as inspecting furniture, non-chemical treatment of furniture prior to moving into a unit, the use of bed bug detection devices or mattress encasements, but tenants are not required to use the services.  All special services must be incurred at the expense of the PHA.

Public Housing Agencies cannot deny residency to tenants who have had previous bed bug experiences.  Preferential treatment may not be provided to tenants based upon their response to the question regarding exposure to bed bugs.  Any person who lives in a HUD owned Public Housing Unit cannot be charged for bed bug eradication services.  All costs for bed bug eradication must be covered by the PHA.

Recognizing that tenants have some responsibility in controlling bed bugs, tenants must also take an active role in avoiding and eliminating the pests.

In the regulation, “tenants are strongly encouraged to immediately report the suspicion of possible bed bugs in a housing unit or other areas of the property.”  This should be a REQUIREMENT, not an encouragement!  Bed bugs spread very quickly.  It is imperative that pest control professionals be called at the first sign of a bed bug infestation.

Tenants will not be reimbursed for bed bug infested items so it is important for them to cooperate and aid in the eradication process.  When bed bugs are concerned, tenants, PHAs and pest control professionals must all work together for full eradication.

Public Housing Agencies and Pest Control Professionals are encouraged to keep abreast of the new HUD guidelines by reading Notice: PIH-2012-17 provided by HUD.

Any confusion as to who is responsible for a bed bug infestation within any public housing facility may now be put to rest.  The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has created new bed bug protocol that will protect the tenant and the landlord that will go into effect immediately.

It has been recommended that Integrated Pest Management (IPM) plans be implemented to help control bed bugs as well as other types of household pests and HUD is strongly encouraging Pubic Housing Agencies (PHAs) to incorporate a good IPM plan.  According to HUD, the procedures include:

“Raising awareness through education on the prevention of bed bugs.

Inspecting infested area, plus surrounding living spaces.

Checking for bed bugs in luggage and clothes when returning home from a trip.

Looking for bed bugs or signs of an infestation on secondhand items before bringing the items home.

Correctly identifying the pest. Keeping records indicating dates and locations where pests are found.

Cleaning all items within a bed bug infested living area.

Reducing clutter where bed bugs can hide.

Eliminating bed bug habitats.

Physically removing bed bugs through cleaning.

Using pesticides carefully according to the label directions.

Following up on inspections and possible treatments.”

In the new guidelines, PHA must respond to complaints of bed bugs within 24 hours and discuss what measures will be taken to get rid of the pests with tenants.  Inspection of the unit in question, as well as the units above, below, and on the sides must also be performed within three business days.  If bed bugs are not found, re-inspection must be completed periodically over the next several months.

Please check back on Friday for the conclusion.

There’s nothing like visiting your favorite restaurant, grocery store, or hotel and discovering that insects have also staked their claim to the goodies inside.  NYC commercial pest control professionals can attest to the fact that cockroach infestations in a business will scare customers away.

Cockroaches in New York City are one of the many types of pests that can easily slip inside of a business and multiply very quickly.  Because cockroaches are typically nocturnal pests, at least in the early stages, they often go unnoticed by employees, managers and business owners.

Cockroaches can be transported into a business via shipping boxes, a neighboring business, or even via a customer.  Resourceful cockroaches will seek harborage in cardboard boxes, behind or in cabinets, in walls, in or around garbage, and behind appliances.  These pests need food and water and typically reside within a 15 foot radius of those sources.

Not only will cockroaches prove to be a horrifying site to customers, they also pose a health risk as they are known to carry many disease causing pathogens.  Because cockroaches will eat just about anything, and travel through garbage and other vile areas, they collect pathogens on their legs which in turns contaminate all surfaces that they travel upon.

Keeping your business pest proofed by hiring a NYC commercial pest control expert is the key to keeping disease ridden cockroaches under control.  Stern Environmental Group has extensive experience in cockroach eradication.  Listen to our “cockroach stories” and you’ll hear how our technicians are able to identify the source of the cockroach infestation and use our extensive knowledge to rid businesses of even the most invested areas a short period of time.