Any pest control expert who has been on the front lines in the fight against bed bugs will tell you that they are one of the worst insects to eradicate.  Those little red coats are marching their way across the United States, taking a bite out of human flesh and their wallets as well.  There does not seem to be an end to the invasion of these blood sucking parasites!

Many pest control experts have a difficult time finding the exact locations of bed bugs because they are extremely good at staying hidden from their well trained eyes.  There is now a new tool available that will help you win the war against bed bugs…and Termite and Bed Bug Detector.

This innovative product was recently created and has been released by TDS.  It was originally invented to locate termites by detecting the C02 that they emit when they are in a confined space but has been found to be helpful in finding bed bugs as well.  With the success of termite detection going strong, the TDS customers began to report that this incredible machine was also finding bed bugs as well.  Field tests have shown that the unit’s sensors are so sensitive to the C02 emission that bed bugs and termites are consistently found when this fantastic product is used.  The great news is that the Termite and Bed Bug Detector’s extremely powerful sensors are able to detect as few as one or two hidden bed bugs, so you can catch an infestation early and find bed bugs in all of their tiny hiding places!

According to TDS, the Termite and Bed Bug Detector is the only electronic bed bug detector available in the world.  It is perfect tool to use for finding bed bugs that are hiding in hard to find spots like electrical outlets, behind headboards, and in cracks and crevices.

TDS also is developing a new product exclusively for bed bugs called the Bed Bug Locater. This interesting product is still in development but will be priced around $400 and made especially just to find bed bugs. We’ll keep you posted on this new product as we think the uses are huge!

If you are a professional pest control company that is looking for an interesting product to detect exact locations of bed bugs and/or termites, this is a great product for you!

A bed bug infestation can be a huge problem for any person.  The simple fact is that it does not matter where you live, or how much money you make, bed bugs go where people go.  Some people think that bed bugs are just a problem for New Yorkers, but recent surveys have shown that bed bugs are now in all 50 states.  As such, nobody is immune to the bite of these nocturnal nibblers.

When traveling, you must be very careful about picking up bed bugs and bringing them home with you.  Five star hotels and flea bag motels, and everything in between are all hot spots for bed bug activity because of the constant turn-around of guests.  You should always be diligent and look for bed bugs once you check into any hotel or motel. 

Bed bugs can be found around the seams of the mattresses, in dressers, behind mirrors or picture frames, in night stands, under or in box springs, around or behind baseboards, in electrical outlets, and even in telephones, televisions, and alarm clocks.  Because humans are only 30% accurate at identifying and locating bed bug infestations, it is wise to take other precautions when you are traveling.

Hefty has invented a great product to help protect your belongings while you travel.  The Hefty Sealed Big Bags are 24 x 32 inches and are perfect for use in hotel or motel rooms.  These giant bags allow you to safely store all of your belongings in strong plastic bags.  With Hefty’s patented one zip feature, you can easily zip your personal items inside the bag so that bed bugs cannot climb inside.  Use these fantastic bags and you will never need to touch the inside of the dresser or floor again; thereby eliminating the risk of bringing bed bugs home with you.  These huge zippered bags also work great when you have an infestation and are in the tedious clean up process.

You will find that it may take a little bit of effort to safeguard yourself against bed bugs while you travel.  The end result of not bringing blood sucking bed bugs home with you is definitely worth the extra time spent as it will save you money and the mental anguish of having a bed bug infestation.

There could be another new bed bug law on the books if Assemblyman Dov Hikind and Senate Majority Conference Leader John Samson get their way in the next couple of months.  Don’t expect to hear any news though until January of 2011 when the State legislature goes back in session.

The proposed bill would require that any insurance company that underwrites property and casualty policies in New York State also offer policies that would cover the costs associated with bed bug infestations.  It the bill does make it into law, it is not mentioned if every property and casualty insurance policy would then need to cover bed bug infestations or if this would be a separate type of insurance policy that would be offered to consumers.

If the new legislation does pass, entire structures will be able to be covered by this new type of insurance thereby protecting residential building owners, condo owners, and co-op associations in New York.  The legislation would require that policy holders be reimbursed for all bed bug infestation related costs.  This would include cleaning the insured’s property, pest control services, and replacement costs of items that cannot be treated or cleaned (mattresses or furniture etc.)  If the bill passes, it will take effect 90 days after it becomes law.

To date, insurance companies have been sitting back and watching consumers scramble with bed bug infestations.  Currently there are no insurance policies, in any state, that provides coverage for bed bug infestations as bed bugs are considered “vermin”, like rats, mice and cockroaches.  One of the main differences with having a bed bug infestation compared to typical “vermin” is that while having rats, mice or cockroaches living in your home is considered to be disgusting, and time consuming to eradicate, they do not cause thousands of dollars to get rid of!  Nor do other types of vermin cause consumers to replace expensive furniture.

Although there might be some folks who are jumping with joy at the thought of receiving some financial relief for their own bed bug infestation issues, nay-sayers are shaking their heads “no”.  It stands to reason that if the insurance industry is forced into providing this service, the cost will be passed down to the consumer.  There are no free rides when it comes to any type of insurance coverage or premiums!

Continuing from Wednesday…

If the new legislation is signed into law, New York residents will be able to have raccoons removed just by asking.  If a raccoon is found to be scampering across someone’s backyard, but is causing no harm or annoyance, they can call for removal services.  If a raccoon happens to choose a tree hollow on a particular property to have its babies, and it is causing no trouble, it too can be evicted by the Health Department with a simple call from a borough resident.

Even though it is recommended that the Health Department humanely trap and release the raccoons that it captures, it only seems logical that if the Health Department were to trap an endless amount of raccoons for homeowners, not all would be able to be humanely released into the wild.  It stands to reason that some, if not all, would absolutely need to be euthanized.  Although raccoons can be a bothersome pest when they invade human spaces, plucking them out of their own natural environments just because they are a potential nuisance is not the right thing to do.

You can keep raccoons away from your home by keeping pet food indoors, making sure that they cannot gain entry into your attic, and covering your trash with tightly fitting lids.  New York City residents are encouraged to report any sick looking raccoons to the 311 number, the Health Department, or you can even call 911.  Additionally, sick or well, you should never approach a raccoon.  They may be cute and cuddly looking, but they have powerful bite and grasp and could potentially have rabies.  If you have raccoons in your yard…leave them be.  If you do happen to have a raccoon in your attic, wall, or crawl space that needs removed, contact Stern Environmental Group for humane raccoon removal services.

Raccoons are extremely intelligent and very adaptable to human environments.  Their long dexterous fingers allow them to be able to gain access into various human habitats.  They can easily turn doorknobs, open latches, and open trash can lids.  Once a raccoon discovers a good food source, they are not likely to want to leave and will return for their nighttime nibbling, often causing destruction and mayhem.  Although their adorable masked faces and ringed tails might make them look friendly, they can be a fierce pest to have lurking about your home or business.

Raccoons thrive not only in the wilderness, but in cities as well.  People may find it hard to believe, but the densest population of New York raccoons is in New York City.  There have been dozens of raccoons in Central Park this year that have tested positive for rabies.  The city has been very aggressive in trapping and vaccinating raccoons at the park to help keep rabies from spreading.

Raccoons are causing New York City residents in some boroughs constant problems.  Because of complaints by some homeowners, Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley introduced a new bill that would require that the city provide raccoon trapping services to residents in all five boroughs.  The bill would allow for residents to call the Department of Health and request that raccoons be removed from their property.  As it stands now, the  Department of Health will onlyremove raccoons that appear to be sick, ie…are showing signs of having rabies.  If New York City residents are having trouble with raccoons gaining access to their homes, scampering through their yard, tearing through their trash, knocking on their windows, etc, they are required to call a pest control specialist who is trained in wildlife removal services.

Please check back on Friday for the conclusion.