Mommy’s always said “Sleep tight; don’t let the bed bugs bite” before we were tucked into bed at night.  In 2011, avoiding a bed bug infestation is difficult under the best of circumstances.  Those blood thirsty bugs are popping up at movie theaters, hospitals, airplanes, hotels, office buildings, schools, subways, and everywhere in between.  Once the warmer weather starts to settle in, New Jersey pest control experts believe that we will soon be seeing a spike NYC and NJ bed bug infestation reports.

Bed bugs are sneaky travel companions as they will easily hitchhike their way into your clothes or suitcases while you travel. With the spring break travel season fast approaching, Stern Environmental Group has the perfect travel solutions to help keep your home bed bug free.

The Bed Bug Patch has proven effective at keeping bed bugs away from humans while they sleep.  The Hefty Bedbug Travel Bags works great for storing all of your personal belongings in a giant zippered see-thru storage bag.  The BugZip Luggage Bags and Drawer Liner Bags allow you to place your entire suitcase in the special rectangular shaped plastic bag that you are able to seal shut so bed bugs cannot climb inside.  They are great for using inside of hotel room drawers too.  The Bed Bug Control and Mattress Spray is non-toxic and is safe for use around humans and pets.  It will prevent bed bugs, fleas, ticks and cockroaches from hitching a ride home with you!

In addition to using these great products, it’s important to look for bed bugs or the signs of bed bugs whenever you are traveling.  Remember, despite their name, bed bugs are not only found in beds.  Bed bugs can be found most anywhere that humans frequent.  In a hotel room, check for bed bugs on the mattress and box spring, between the sheets, behind the headboard, and in the bed frame.  You should always look for blood smears, fecal matter, skins, and live or dead bed bugs when you travel.

If you need help getting rid of a NYC or NJ bed bug infestation, contact Stern Environmental Group for expert bed bug eradication services.

In the pest control industry, there are many different types of vermin that can be troubling for a business. Cockroaches, mice and rats are an unsightly intrusion that will surely drive customers away, ruin a reputation, and cause serious penalties to be imposed by local health authorities.

Odd at it may seem, some people believe that there is an acceptable level of vermin that can be present at New York City restaurants, grocery stores, delis, bars, mobile carts or trucks, retail warehouses and the like say NYC pest control experts.  In every state throughout the United States, and in most countries, there are laws that require that all food establishments and facilities be free of vermin at all times in order to remain in operation.

New York City pest control experts say that any vermin in a food facility is a serious problem as rats, mice and cockroach infestations put the public’s health in danger.  Vermin are always on the hunt for a good food source and food establishments provide ample opportunity for an infestation to occur.  It’s important for all businesses to ensure the safety of their patrons by hiring a pest control professional for regular pest control treatments.

The signs of rats and mice are fairly easy to notice as they leave a trail of feces in their pathways and they gnaw into any type of food source that they can gain access to.  Rats and mice are able to squeeze into small openings into businesses, which must be completely sealed in order to keep them out.  A good NYC pest control expert will aid restaurants in finding the entry points and nesting spots when rats or mice are suspected.

New York is home to four different cockroaches, the German cockroach, the brown-banded cockroach, American cockroach, and the Oriental cockroach.  Each of these cockroaches can easily infest a restaurant as they feed on wide variety of food sources.  Cockroaches carry bacteria on their legs which is then transferred onto food preparation surfaces, utensils, bowls, plates, and food sources.  Restaurants with a NYC cockroach infestation must worry about transmitting the Salmonella bacteria to their customers.

There is no acceptable level of vermin in any business establishment!  Stern Environmental Group recommends that all businesses maintain good sanitation practices, regular rat and mice inspection and extermination services, and utilize cockroach eradication services on a regular basis.

The New York Post recently ran an article about the growing opossum population that has now joined the forces of other unwanted furry creatures in Brooklyn, New York.  These marsupials are wandering the streets in high numbers, reportedly because the City Council decided to introduce them into the borough as a means of controlling the ever growing rat population.

The opossums were apparently set free at various parks and underneath the Coney Island boardwalk two years ago.  It was assumed that once the rat population had diminished, the opossum populations would as well because of the lack of food that would be available.  The problem is that these cleaver pointy nosed creatures have been able to thrive alongside other problem pests in Brooklyn with great ease.

Many area homeowners are crying foul as they wonder why the City Council would release another type of problem pest into the area.  But, perhaps the opossums are not as problematic as you might think.  According to The National Opossum Society, opossums are a beneficial animal for many different reasons.

Contrary to what some people believe, opossums do hunt, kill, and consume a large number of rats and mice.  Being nature’s ultimate scavengers, they will consume all types of dead animals (carrion) that they encounter.  They also eat many types of bothersome insects like crickets, beetles, snails, slugs, and cockroaches too.  Fallen fruit in neighborhood yards is a particular treat to a roaming possum.  Opossums do tend to carry fleas like other wild animals; but they seem to have a high immunity to most diseases, especially rabies!

Now if we could just train them to hunt and eat NYC bed bugs, perhaps they would be the perfect pet!

Opossums can be trouble when they rummage through trash cans and pet food left outdoors.  Like any other wild animal, they will bite if they are grabbed too.  If they happen to enter your home or attic though, you should never try to remove them yourself.  Wildlife removal is best left to professional pest control experts like the ones you will find at Stern Environmental Group instead!

A cockroach, mouse, or rat infestation can be a horrible mess for any commercial business.  Restaurants and hotels can suffer terribly from these disgusting pests because these creatures love to hang out where food, water, and shelter sources are a plenty.

A pest infestation is bad for business in many ways.  Infestations will not only drive needed customers away, they are also known to shut businesses down completely as well.  Having an unwanted pest infestation at your restaurant can easily destroy your food supply.  Mice and rats carry dangerous diseases in their urine and feces.  They contaminate food preparation areas and chew into food supplies.  Cockroaches transmit bacteria and can bring disease into your environment.  No food source is off-limits to a cockroach.  They will eat anything, including another cockroach if need be.

The presence of mice, rats, or cockroaches can easily tarnish or destroy completely a company’s professional reputation.  Once patrons hear about a cockroach infestation at a restaurant or hotel, they are likely to head for the hills!  Customers often remain leery for a long time after the reported pest problem has been taken care of, in fear that it could return at any time.

Businesses would be wise to consider having a pest control specialist perform pest inspections and treatment at regular intervals to keep unwanted pests at bay.  Commercial pest control services are a small price to pay in comparison to a business losing its long standing good reputation.

Stern Environmental Group has been providing expert pest control services for over 10 years to businesses in Secaucus, New Jersey, the Greater New York City Metro and the Connecticut Regions.  If your business is experiencing rats, mice, cockroaches, ants, spiders, bees, or other problematic pests; give us a call and we will send our trained technicians out to get rid of your pests!

Continuing from Thursday…

Not only is Josimar Ferreira accused of operating a Massachusetts extermination company without being certified, but it has been reported that he has also allegedly maintained pest control companies in New Jersey and New York as well.  Both New Jersey and New York have cited Ferreira for operating an unlicensed pesticide business.  It makes you wonder how he is able to obtain toxic pesticides, without being properly licensed.  Clearly there was a breakdown…in three states!

Stern Environmental Group has been providing expert bed bug and pest control services in New Jersey and New York for over ten years.  We pride ourselves on providing our customers with the safest pesticide application available, and offer a wide variety of services and products to meet many different types of needs.  We offer professional services to both residential and business customers alike.  Whether you are looking for help with bed bugs, rats, mice, squirrels, raccoons, groundhogs, ants, spiders, cockroaches, or bee control, Stern Environmental Group’s licensed pest control applicators are here to lend a helping hand!