Spring is here and along with the flowers, beautiful warm weather and pollen; come small creatures that have people big and small running for cover.  Wasps are common pesky critters that certainly warrant attention.

There are four common types of wasps that can be found in the average yard.  Some are docile creature and others are more aggressive ones that you should avoid.  It should also be noted the Carpet Beetles, which are hard to control, tend to gather where wasp nests form, so it is a good idea to get rid of wasps as soon as you can. 

Often time’s homeowners will see a wasp nest being built up under eaves, porches, deck railing, and even playground equipment.  These wasps are not usually aggressive unless you try to disturb their nests.  The nests are built by the females from a blend of saliva and wood.  These wasps are considered good to have around because they do eat insects that cause damage to plants, but bad because nobody wants to experience their sting.  These types of wasps are called Paper Wasps.

The Solitary Wasp is the one that usually hangs out alone.  They zip by you in your yard and don’t pay much mind to humans.  They have a long and thin body with minimal color.  Since they travel alone, they are not territorial or aggressive in most cases.  They mostly dine on garden pests like beetles and aphids.

Please check back on Tuesday for more wasp information.

The New York Times had an article about the odious bed bugs in their health section. The article mentions that bed bugs do not spread disease. Perhaps this has become common knowledge. The article claims that most people who are bitten by bed bugs do not react. Since they don’t react it can actually be a problem for their family, friends and neighbors, especially neighbors that live in close by apartment units. Since they’re hard to spot they can become a major infestation in a residence where the bed bug human meal doesn’t get a skin reaction and thus doesn’t realize he has bed bugs. These unnoticed bed bugs have opportunities to climb aboard humans in the home and take a ride to work places, schools, haberdashery shops and all types of settings.

No knowledge of the critters means no NJ, NYC bed bugs exterminators showing up at the house. The article mentions how a Brooklyn family didn’t even know they had bed bugs living with them until a relative showed up who was attacked by the critters and had a reaction. Those people that don’t have reactions to bed bugs bites should be ashamed of themselves for contributing to the bed bugs infestation problems all over NYC! Just kidding!

April brings many new things around the United States.  The snow is a distant memory, the birds are chirping, flowers are blooming, it’s getting warmer each day, and many seasonal pests are rearing their ugly heads.  It is so appropriate that the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) has designated April as “National Pest Management Month.”  This observance has been recognized for the past thirty years by each sitting United States President.

This recognition is greatly warranted because the pest control industry plays a key role in protecting people’s health and homes from significant pest borne threats around America.  According to Missy Henriksen, Vice President of Public Affairs for NPMA, “National Pest Management Month continues to be an important way to highlight and publicly acknowledge the hard work that pest professionals do day in and day out.  Protecting our valued customers’ homes and families is not something this industry takes lightly and NPMA is pleased to honor this important work with a month-long celebration.” 

Additionally, consumers are encouraged to visit a newly developed online website that will serve as a great resource for pest information.  On the site you will find a podcast series where visitors can hear expert information on selecting a pest professional.  It is easy to download the information for free by visiting Pestworld.org and iTunes.  Consumers will also find specific information on how to dispose of Household Hazardous Waste on the site.

If you are plagued with any pest problem that needs attention, check out what Stern can do for you.

The Environmental Protection Agency had their National Bed Bugs Summit. Some people that actually read a lot of information about the summit at the EPA website have stated the summit produced a ton of ideas but more than half were about educating the public and about how odious the little critters are. Sure their were ideas such as create strategies, more funding for research, focus research to develop solutions and use new technologies. All solid ideas and things you typically hear at conferences. Hopefully the EPA will go beyond the conference and help the citizens of NJ, the Bronx, Queens, Manhattan and Brooklyn get rid of their bed bugs. Sure let’s urge the EPA to get rid of them all over the country and not just in NYC.

One idea that could be implemented soon and could be helpful to NYC residents is to provide official bed bug certification to pest control companies. Some apartment owners and homeowners have complained their pest control company didn’t seem to know much about bed bugs and did a poor job. Let’s just hope they don’t give certification to anyone with a bed bug on their business card.

If you have bed bugs ask a NJ, NYC bed bugs pest control expert to eliminate them.

The residents of NJ, NYC, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens and Manhattan are fully aware of an insect named bed bug aka Cimex lectularius aka repugnant critter etc. According to an online survey which included 509 pest control companies located in the United States 91% of the companies encountered bed bugs in the past two years however only 37% encountered the odious insects five years ago. They have become the most difficult pest control problem in the country. Just about any type of structure that humans hang out in have bed bugs. Unfortunately they are excellent travelers and they don’t give off warnings signs such as burping and sneezing.

Besides itchy welts on the skin, the little critters are also causing monetary damages all over the country. The bed bugs exterminators often want more than a biscuit and a firm handshake for their services. Million dollar bed bug lawsuits have been filed. People are throwing out furniture and clothes and yachts. Well the yacht tossing is just a silly rumor.

Well how about this to brighten up your day in NYC: An article written by bed bug experts concluded “the outlook for a simple solution is not encouraging.” Oh well.

If you have bed bugs ask a NJ, NYC bed bugs pest control expert to eliminate them.