It’s no secret that residents and retailers are struggling with bed bug infestations in New York.  If you doubted how bad things are in the state, Terminix even named New York City as the city where they provide the most amount of bed bug treatments for in all of the United States.  It stands to reason that with these nocturnal nibblers working their way through high end department stores, favored shoe stores, bra and panty stores, office buildings, and movie theaters; that the New York school systems would not be immune to the little red coats either.

New York’s Education Department has grim news for parents and school children alike.  In the 2009-10 school year, there were 1019 confirmed bed bug cases in the NY school systems.  That translates into an 88% increase from the previous years reporting.  The news is not getting any better for this new school year either.  So far, since school began on September 8, 2010, there have already been 22 bed bugs cases reported within the school system.

In a drastic measure, one Kentucky school district recently banned all lunch boxes, backpacks, purses, etc. from being brought into an elementary school because bed bugs were found crawling around a classroom.  When it comes to bed bugs, maybe it’s not so drastic after all.  Bed bugs are masters at hiding in the tiniest of spaces.  Add in the fact that humans cannot typically detect the presence of bed bug eggs, and you can see how one newly hatched egg in a backpack, tote or lunchbox can cause an infestation at any school.  As the cold winter months are approaching in NYC, there will be even more chances for bed bug infestations to occur in schools because they can easily be transported to and fro via heavy winter coats, hats, and scarves.

Please check back on Friday for the conclusion.

The word “discreet”…according to the Merriam Webster Dictionary, is defined as “having a showing discernment or good judgment in conduct and especially in speech.”

As humans, we may find it difficult at times to be discreet about situations that we encounter within our daily lives. For pest control specialists, when dealing with bed bugs or other types of disgusting vermin infestations, discretion should always be used to protect the client’s personal information and their particular problem.

Having an infestation of bed bugs is typically an embarrassing situation for homeowners and can be reputation buster for any commercial establishment.  When folks have a bed bug infestation, they do not run up and down the street telling of their bed bug encounters and neither should the pest control company that was chosen to fight the infestation.

Being discreet about the information that you know about a client should be a top priority of any pest control company.  When recruiting more business, it’s important that sales people do not “name drop” in an attempt to impress a new customer.  It’s even more important that customers know that their information, and their pest control experiences, will not be divulged to outside entities such as to media sources or online social networking sites.

At Stern Environmental Group you will find that we offer discreet bed bug treatment services so that you will not need to worry about the ridicule that is often associated with bed bug infestations.  Stern Environmental Group utilizes unobtrusively marked vehicles and our equipment is carried into your home or business establishment in concealed plastic bags so that your bed bug infestation can be handled without drawing unwanted attention.  We also understand our customers need for discretion and we never share information about our clients.

Whether a pest control company is handling a bed bug infestation in a home or a business establishment, confidentiality needs to be a top priority.  As a general rule, we should always hold ourselves to a high standard and not share any customer’s personal pest control experiences to exploit our own accomplishments so that we may gain more business or acclaim.

Some people believe that we are experiencing a pandemic bed bug outbreak.  Bed bugs are absolutely nibbling their way across America and sometimes you have to wonder if our government officials really understand the severity of the problem or if they even care.  Some states, like New York, are taking bed bug complaints from all residents seriously and are enacting laws and programs to help the entire population of their state.  But, when it comes to the federal government, sometimes, we are just left scratching our head!

The Environmental Protection Agency recently announced a new “Funding Opportunity Announcement for State and Tribal Assistance Grants – Bed Bug Education/Outreach and Environmental Justice”.  The EPA intends on allocating $550,000 for this new “Environmental Justice” program to fight the little monsters that have been feasting on human blood from coast to coast.  According to the EPA, the money will be used to “address bed bug infestations in communities disproportionately exposed to environmental harms and risks.”

It’s not a surprise that some folks are crying foul with this one.  Bed bugs are an equal opportunity offender.  They care not what your economic status is or ethnic background.  These creepy crawlers are only after one thing…human blood…and to them, we all taste the same!  Bed bugs are not just going after those living in disadvantaged communities.  In cities across the United States, blood thirsty bed bugs are attacking the rich as well as the poor.

Some people believe that this $550,000 grant is an expensive effort to solve a government created problem.  The fact is that pest control experts need more alternatives available to them in order to fight bed bug infestations effectively.  Bed bugs have been around for millions of years.  They were once under control in the United States.  They have been able to quietly re-establish themselves in the comfort of our homes and now we are all suffering the effects of our government’s decisions from years past.

You can view the entire EPA grant program and decide for yourself how this new grant program will affect your community.

Famed New York City rat expert, Bobby Corrigan has recently written about new technology that is being used in rodent tracking and monitoring.  “Biomonitoring” is the new wave of “green” rat and mice pest control. According to Bobby Corrigan, laboratories have developed a new non-toxic bait for rats and mice that once ingested makes the rodents feces glow in the dark.  This new technology is perfect for Integrated Pest Management as it allows pest control experts the opportunity to see where rats and mice are gaining entry into buildings so that traps can be placed in specific spots where there is known rodent activity.

According to Bobby Corrigan, this new type of bait has been used in a variety of locations with great success.  It is perfect for use in locations that pesticide usage is discouraged.  This new type of bait is recommended for schools, biotech firms, pharmaceutical plants, zoological gardens, animal-rearing facilities, zoological gardens, etc.

Another interesting fact about this new bait is that it has been found to not only work on rodents, but cockroaches as well.  All pest control experts know that cockroach infestations are difficult to treat.  Bobby Corrigan’s study has found that once cockroaches have eaten the non-toxic bait, their feces also glow in the dark.  This new technology could also aid in the eradication of cockroaches as it will be easier to pin-point their exact locations so proper treatment can be applied.

Bobby Corrigan said “In short, monitoring/tracking baits can help us be better detectives.  Against the cleaver urban rodent pests, we need every detective tool and clue-gathering technique we can get.”  Read the entire “Biomonitoring For Rodents” article that was featured in PCT by Bobby Corrigan for more interesting information about rat and mouse tracking and monitoring.

As the summer is approaching its end, yellow jacket nests are operating at full capacity in New Jersey.  These backyard pests are still causing trouble for area businesses and homeowners who are trying to enjoy their last days of the great outdoors.

A yellow jacket is a black and yellow wasp that is about ½ of an inch long.
Yellow jackets are considered social wasps.  They build their nests in wall voids, the ceilings of buildings, in abandoned rodent burrows, or they will make their own nest in the ground.  In a single season, a yellow jacket colony can have 1,500 to 15,000 insects depending on the species.

Wasps primarily eat spiders and insects.  These aggressive pests have become a nuisance for New Jersey residents because they also seek out human food sources of sugars and protein to supplement their diets.  You will often see yellow jackets hanging around uncovered trash cans, hovering over your picnic food, and slipping in and out of soda cans.

You should never try to eliminate a yellow jacket wasp nest on your own.  Instead you should always call a pest control expert who in trained in wasp removal services.  Yellow jacket wasp stings can be very dangerous, whether you are allergic to them or not.  More people obtain life threatening emergency assistance due to yellow jacket stings than any other type of insect in the United States.
 
Businesses always need to be mindful and protect their patrons from painful bee and wasp stings.  Homeowners too are at risk of an infestation from these nuisance pests.  Call Stern Environmental Group for 24 hour emergency bee and wasp removal service.  We provide expert service to Secaucus, New Jersey, the Greater New York City Metro and Connecticut Regions.