Spring brings sunshine, warm breezes, blooming posies — and bugs. Insects are at their most prolific and most active when the weather heats up. Ants, bees, hornets, wasps, roaches and bed bugs are gearing up for summer and your home may be party central. If you’re not keen on sharing your domicile with a host of creepy-crawlies and their friends, you may need to call in a pest control professional to handle the evictions. How do you decide when to call and who to call? This week we’ll share tips on hiring a pest control company.

First you have to decide what’s eating you. The problem may be obvious. You may see a trail of ants across your kitchen floor. You may glimpse something scurrying under the fridge when you turn on the light. You may see fat bees buzzing around the eaves or spy a wasp nest under construction. But what if you suspect a problem, but can’t figure out the cause? Even worse, what if you wake up with itchy red welts? How do you figure out what’s biting you?

Try putting heavy-duty double-sided tape or glue traps on kitchen countertops, under sinks, and around windows, doors and headboards to see what sticks. Zip your catch into a plastic bag or dump that mystery bug into a small jar of rubbing alcohol. Take you catch to your local cooperative extension office or a pest control company for identification. They can tell you what you’ve got and how to get rid of it.

The New York City Health Department claimed that progress has been made regarding the battle with cockroaches. However 30% of the households have reported to be hosts for the annoying pests. They are residing primarily in poor neighborhoods.  One resident claimed he has not seen a cockroach in 10 years. He was pleading with them to come home (perhaps not).

There are a variety of products which can destroy the cockroaches. For those of you who are adventurous you can hire a gang of wasps to destroy the eggs. You can utilize the pest control services of wasps belonging to the Ampulicidae family. They’re predators of the adults and nymphal cockroaches. The house centipede is the star when it comes to getting rid of cockroaches. If you have human visitors, some might consider your choice of exterminators to be quite rude or very silly or quite odd. 

Cryonite, used by Stern Environmental has been very effective at destroying German cockroaches as well as their egg cases. It’s a non-toxic carbon dioxide that freezes them to death and has been very effective with bed bugs. We don’t recommend a battalion of wasps or purchasing three tons of centipedes (even if you have a coupon) because if you do city officials might put your name in a special file. Try some Cryonite.

Tomorrow, April 22, is Earth Day and everyone’s talking about “green” solutions to save our planet. Stern Environmental Group has long been a believer in environmentally friendly solutions to pest control problems.

Stern is one of an elite few pest control companies to introduce to the U.S. the revolutionary new non-toxic Cryonite system so popular in Europe. Cryonite uses no toxic pesticides or harmful chemicals and is extremely effective against bed bugs, pesticide-resistant German cockroaches, Indian meal moths and other annoying insects. With no noxious odors, messy wet residues or health implications, Cryonite is safe for children, pets (even fish!), asthmatics, allergy sufferers and the elderly.

Cryonite kills insects by freezing them with a carbon dioxide vapor that can penetrate into cracks and crevices and reach the undersides of furniture. The CO2 used is food-grade quality recycled from industrial processes. A truly “green” system, Cryonite does not add CO2 to the atmosphere.

Our unique Track & Trap mouse and rat control system is another “green” solution to pest control. This innovative system uses a fluorescent powder to track rodents to their nests. Entry points into your home or business are pinpointed and permanently sealed, keeping rodents out. The fluorescent tracking powder allows nests and dens to be located and rodents trapped and permanently removed.

Scientists have known for some time that cockroaches produce allergens than can increase the severity of asthma symptoms, particularly in children. According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, one in five children in the U.S. is severely sensitive to cockroach allergens. These allergens are introduced into homes through cockroach saliva, droppings and decomposing bodies. Now new research indicates that cockroaches may also harbor molds that can trigger allergic reactions.

In research on Madagascar hissing cockroaches — at 3 inches long and up to an inch wide, the King Kong of the roach world — a trio of Ohio doctoral students have found that the giant bugs carry 14 different types of molds. Several of these molds produce spores that can trigger stuffy noses, itching eyes, wheezing coughs and irritated skin in people with allergies. Additional research will be needed to see if common roaches and the hard-t0-kill German cockroaches that bedevil American apartments and homes similarly carry molds.

Allergies generally increase with repeated exposure. Since there is no such thing as a single cockroach, allergy risk increases exponentially if roaches enter your home. Allergens enter the air and then your sinuses and lungs on minute dust particles. Professional cockroach extermination and pest control is needed to eliminate the allergy and asthma risk caused by cockroaches.

People are excited about Stern Environmental Group’s new environmentally-friendly insect extermination treatment — Cyronite. We’ve had so many calls and orders for this revolutionary pest control system that we’re in the process of expanding this part of our business to meet the demand!

Cryonite uses pressurized carbon dioxide (CO2) to rapidly freeze and kill insects and their eggs. It’s particularly effective on pesticide resistant bedbugs and hard-to-kill German cockroaches. Popularized in Europe and Australia but just introduced in the United States, the Cryonite system is only available from a select number of pest control companies, including Stern Environmental Group.

Cryonite system uses no toxic chemicals, making it is ideally suited for use in sensitive areas like homes, day care centers, hospitals, schools, nursing homes and restaurants. Cyronite’s instant kill action means that hotel and motel rooms can be rented immediately after treatment. Cruise ships can be treated with no scheduling delay for detoxification or clean up. The hospitality industry is showing major interest in Cryonite. The green pest control system maximizes occupancy rates and lowers down time for infected rooms.

For more information about Cryonite, click the post title or click here to contact Stern Environmental.

Comedian Mark Malkoff moved into the Elizabeth, New Jersey IKEA store on Monday while his New York City apartment is being fumigated for cockroaches. If he’d just called Stern, he’d never have had to leave home.

Known for his 2007 video 171 Starbucks, the 31-year-old filmmaker dragged along a camera crew to document his week-long stay at the world’s most famous do-it-yourself furniture store. (Watch the video on www.marklivesinikea.com.) While he’s been impressed with the spaciousness of his new IKEA bedroom suite (twice the size of his Queens apartment), he’s already run into a few snags: The sinks don’t work and the toilet is just a prop, as are the refrigerator, TV, washer and dryer. He’s showering in the staff locker room, cooking his meals in the staff cafeteria, and spending his days chatting up the customers. Of course, if his landlord had used Stern’s new Cryonite extermination system, Malkoff could have stayed home.

Cryonite is the green solution to effective pest control. Chemical-free and non-toxic it’s an environmentally friendly way to kill bugs that has proven particularly effective against nasty German cockroaches and pesticide-resistant bed bugs. The Cryonite system works by creating a penetrating carbon dioxide snow that vaporizes to penetrate cracks and crevices, under floorboards, behind baseboards, the undersides of furniture, behind appliances, inside bedding and box springs, and other hard-to-reach places where roaches and bed bugs hide and multiply. It freezes the bugs before they can scurry away and kills them — and unlike many pesticides, Cryonite is effective on bugs in all stages of development, including eggs.

Cryonite application produces no pesticide smells, messy wet residues or health implications. The CO2 used is food grade quality which presents no contamination risk. Click the post title for more information on Cryonite, the green solution to your pest problems.

If you ever took high school biology, I’m sure you’ve heard of Pavlov’s dogs. More than a century ago, Ivan Pavlov was the first to demonstrate that animals could learn to associate food with a noise. Pavlov’s dogs learned to salivate in anticipation of chow time when he rang a bell. Humans are the only other species who can be conditioned to salivate (just think of the last time you saw a burger commercial) — until now.

Japanese scientists at Tohoku University have conditioned cockroaches to salivate when exposed to the scent of sugar syrup. Roaches that can learn! It boggles the imagination! I fancifully envision new breakthroughs in pest management. Perhaps roaches could eventually be conditioned to line up and march to the sound of a flute. Like the pied piper we could come into your home, play a few bars and lead the creepy crawlies outside and far away. I’m sure you’d be willing to help out with flute lessons for the gang in the shop.

Unfortunately that’s unlikely to happen. I can’t imagine what relevance science will find for cuing roaches to salivate on command, but some day it may prove useful. Until then we’re stuck with the tried and true methods of removing these pesky insects from your home or business. If you have a roach problem, don’t delay. Give the insect control specialists at Stern Environmental Group a call today.

Roaches bring disease and bacteria into your home and are a primary cause of the increasing number of asthma cases in our cities, particularly among children. Click the post title to learn more about cockroaches and Stern’s effective pest control program. You’ll sleep well tonight when you get “Stern” with your pests.

Asthma is a growing problem in children and cockroaches have been proven to be a major factor. Several recent comprehensive studies by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the National Institute of Allergy and Infections Diseases have confirmed the dangerous connection between cockroaches and asthma in children.

They report that “one in five children in the United States have severe sensitivities to cockroach allergens, which can cause or increase the severity of asthma symptoms. These allergens are most commonly introduced into homes through cockroach saliva, droppings and the decomposing bodies of these pests,” reports the National Pest Management Association in a recent press release.

Homeowners must be vigilant in preventing infestations, which usually increase as temperatures rise in the summer. Cockroaches thrive in warm, dark, moist places and are most active when temperatures reach 70 degrees and above. For more information on these nasty pests, click the post title.

The National Pest Management Association offers homeowners some tips to protect their families against cockroach infestation:

• Keep food tightly sealed and stored properly, particularly in kitchens.
• Clean kitchens daily where crumbs and trash are more likely to build up.
• Dispose of garbage daily or more often and store in sealed containers.
• Seal cracks and holes in homes, including entry points for utilities and pipes.
• Keep basements and crawl spaces well ventilated and dry.

If you see a cockroach in your home or suspect you may have a problem, contact Stern Environmental Group immediately. There is no such thing as a single cockroach. If you live in an apartment or other multi-family housing unit and your neighbors complain of roaches, chances are they’ll be invading your home next, if they haven’t already.

You need a qualified pest professional to treat infestations and protect your children and your family. Stern Environmental Group uses safe and effective pest control products that won’t harm your children or pets. Visit our website to find out about our pest control and pest management services. The only good roach is a dead roach! Call our roach control experts today to keep your family and your children safe. You’ll sleep well tonight when you get “Stern” with your pests.

I keep a gigantic size 15 man’s shoe in my basement. It’s sole purpose is to squish bugs. Like many people, I’m squeamish about bugs, but cockroaches are my particular nemesis. My daughter lives in Brooklyn where, like in any big city, roaches seem to be a fact of life. If I think one might be lurking in her kitchen, all my senses go on high alert and I’m poised to flee at the slightest skitter.

I know it’s ridiculous. I’m what? at least a thousand times bigger than a common city cockroach? Doesn’t matter. They’re ugly and creepy and quick and don’t belong in my house. Like many people, cockroaches send me into panic mode.

Cockroaches were here long before man came on the scene and will probably still be here long after we’re gone. They have an annoying sense of entitlement and can be found nearly everywhere on Earth. Prolific producers, there is no such thing as one roach. As they forage for food they leave chemical trails for their buddies to follow until, before you know it, the whole clan has joined the party and your kitchen is crawling with the nasty buggers. And they eat anything. They’ll eat your cereal and when it’s gone, make of feast of the glue on the box!

Roaches pose a serious health threat. They are known to spread 33 types of bacteria, 6 varieties of parasitic worms and at least 7 other human viral and bacterial pathogens. They spread germs as they crawl through decaying garbage and sewage, picking up and depositing bacteria and viruses on their legs and bodies.

Their excretions combine with molt carcasses to create a biological dust that has been shown to trigger asthma and allergies. They are considered a significant contributing cause to the increase of asthma among city dwellers, particularly children. My own daughter developed serious asthma in part because of a horrendous roach infestation caused when an elderly neighbor became mentally incapacitated and allowed garbage to accumulate in her apartment. At least the roaches did alert my daughter and other neighbors to the problem so they could get help for the unfortunate woman, but at what a price to all concerned. Living with the infestation was a nightmare and extermination seemed to take forever. I wish her complex had called Stern Environmental Group, but they didn’t. It was months before my daughter could sleep peacefully. And that’s one of the big issues with cockroach and other insect infestations. Not only do they create a serious physical health threat, but the mental anguish can be extremely upsetting.

The highly trained professionals at Stern Environmental Group understand both the health/safety and emotional need to control cockroach and other insect infestations quickly and effectively. Stern Environmental is a fully licensed and insured pest management company providing insect control services to residential and commercial customers in all of New York City, most of Long Island and New Jersey, and parts of Connecticut and New York State. Bed bugs are our specialty. Click the post title to learn more about our insect control services. We also provide wildlife control services. Visit our website for a full explanation of our pest management services. If you have a pest problem, call Stern Environmental Group today. You’ll sleep well tonight when you get “Stern” with your pests.