Signs of infestation of mice include gnaw marks on wood cabinets or furniture, track marks, nesting material, mouse droppings, and dribbles of urine.  Mice constantly need to file down their incisors so they gnaw on wood.  Nesting material can consist of sticks, leaves, fabric, hair, paper, cardboard, string, or anything that a mouse can forage and shred.

Mice are most active at night.  They prefer to eat grains, but they are scavengers and will feed upon any food source that they come across.  Not needing much food to survive, crumbs or pet food that is left unattended can feed hungry mice in a home.  Because mice have strong sharp teeth, they can easily rip open sealed packages of food and eat undetected in cabinets.

Mice infestations are difficult to control because they multiply very quickly.  Female mice can have from five to ten litters of pups in her lifetime.  Each litter has on average between five or six mice babies, which are born approximately 21 days after mating occurs.  Those babies reach reproductive maturity in six to ten weeks depending on the environment that they live within.  It’s easy to see how a single pair of fertile mice can multiply out-of-control and cause a full-blown mouse invasion in no time.

The pest control technicians at Stern Environmental Group are trained to look for the signs of mice activity and can find their nesting spots so that they can be safely eliminated in homes, garages, sheds, attics, and all types of businesses.

There are 16 species and 18 subspecies of Triatoma in the United States. Just like a bed bug, the kissing bug survives solely on the blood of mammals.  These bugs will attack wild and domestic animals, as well as humans.  In North America, opossums, raccoons, rats, armadillos, cats, and dogs have fallen victim to kissing bug attacks.

Kissing bug bite wounds are often misdiagnosed as spider bites, bed bug bites, herpes zoster, flea bites, and erythema multiforme.  In extreme cases, death from anaphylaxis is possible from the bite of a kissing bug.

The main reason that the kissing bug bite is so dangerous is because it can spread Chagas’ disease.  The disease is spread when the kissing bug bites their victim and leaves their feces behind in or near the bite wound.  If a person scratches or rubs the feces into the bite wound, the disease can be contracted.  Some people will show signs of the disease immediately, some will not.  Symptoms include a rash, fever, vomiting, and a swelling near the eyes.  The disease often goes misdiagnosed by the medical community.  Additionally, some people will not show any symptoms of the disease for years.  Chagas disease will lurk in their blood and surface twenty to thirty years after the bite wound occurred.  When this happens it is difficult for doctors to determine the digestive and heart problems that the victim is exhibiting.

Please check back on Monday for the conclusion.

Honey bees remain a beneficial insect in New Jersey as well as other parts of the United States.  They are responsible for pollinating approximately 80% of the fruit, nut, vegetable and grain plants throughout the United States.

According to a report from Environment News Service on January 10, 2012, the nation’s honey bee population could be in serious danger.  Researchers out of San Francisco State University have recently discovered that many honey bee nests have been invaded by a fly parasite which renders affected honey bees into a “zombie-like” state of being.  Their research has shown that “The fly, Apocephalus borealis, deposits its eggs in a bee’s abdomen. Usually about seven days after the bee dies, fly larvae push their way into the world from between the bee’s head and thorax.”  Bees that survive the attack are disoriented, walk around in circles with no sense of direction, abandon their hives (or are thrown out by other bees), and tend to congregate near lights.  It sounds like a strange science fiction movie!  Some researchers speculate that this parasite could be the reason for the honey bee colony collapse disorder.  You may read the full article here.

Because honey bees are beneficial insects, honey bee nests must be relocated from a home or business by a beekeeper.  Stern Environmental Group performs bee eradication services for other types of troublesome bees and wasps.  Nuisance bees such as yellow jackets, hornets, wasps, and carpenter bees can safely be removed with the help of Stern Environmental Group.

 Call us today for expert service in New York, New York City and New Jersey.

Clothing, books, electronics, bedding, appliances, upholstered furniture, wood furniture, pictures, mirrors, and curtains all create the perfect nesting spots for bloodsucking bed bugs.  The challenge for NJ pest control experts is to root out and kill the bugs without harming any belongings in the process.

New York City continues to top the nation as a problem spot for bed bug infestations.  PRWeb showcased on December 8, 2011, Stern Environmental Group’s new mobile bed bug heat treatment trailer in their online magazine.  Thermal heat treatment has proven to be extremely effective at killing adult, nymphs, and bed bug eggs.

Stern Environmental Group offers their custom built, state-of-the-art trailer to both retail and residential customers who are suffering from bed bug infestations.  The innovative design of the mobile heat treatment trailer kills all stages of bed bugs through an advanced computerized monitoring system.  Once items are placed inside of the 22-foot long trailer, the baking process begins.  The exquisite seals on the trailer prevent any bed bugs from escaping and the extreme heat is able to penetrate deep into all surfaces to efficiently kill bloodsucking bed bugs and their eggs.

Retailers and residential customers will find that using our mobile bed bug heat treatment trailer for bed bug eradication on their goods and belongings is an efficient and cost saving alternative for New York and New Jersey bed bug infestations.

Stern Environmental Group has been a leader in the fight against bed bugs in New York and New Jersey.  We are proud to be a company in the New York and New Jersey area to offer a Thermal Heat Remediation Trailer for killing your bed bug infestation.  Our heat treatment services were recently mentioned on BedBugger.com, which is a useful resource site for those who are suffering from New York City bed bug infestations as well as bed bugs across the United States.

The National Pest Management Association has stated that all stages of bed bugs and their eggs will be killed when they are exposed to temperatures that reach 122 degrees.  Here’s how it works…

• At 95 degrees, bed bugs leave their hiding places in search of a blood meal.

• When temperatures reach 105 degrees, bed bugs try to escape because the space becomes too hot.

• Leaving a room at 113 degrees will take 7 hours to kill bed bugs and their eggs.

• Leaving a room at 118 degrees will take 90 minutes to kill bed bugs and their eggs.

• Once the optimal temperature of 122 degrees is reached, bed bugs and their eggs will die a sudden death in less than a minute!

Stern Environmental Group offers customers the opportunity to bake bed bugs and their eggs in our portable heating trailer.  At 22 feet long, this amazing bed bug killing machine will safely kill bed bugs in most any type of furniture and personal belongings that you own.  Heat treatment is so effective that even bed bugs hiding deep inside of upholstered pieces of furniture do not stand a chance of survival against the extreme temperature.

Stern Environmental Group understands the difficulty involved with treating nasty bed bug infestations.  Our experienced movers will carefully remove your belongings into our special heat treatment trailer for quick bed bug eradication.  Call Stern today for expert NYC and NJ bed bug services.

One new product that will soon be available is the “Bed Bug Plug”.  Discreetly disguised as a typical looking electrical outlet, this interesting bed bug device is actually a bed bug monitor and trap.

Bed bugs are small in stature and are notorious for their bite and hide activity.  Additionally, it is estimated that approximately 50% of people have the allergic reaction to the bite of bed bugs that result in painful itching, swelling, and redness.  Absence of the irritation and the lack of seeing the bloodsuckers typically will allow the infestation to grow unnoticed for a good period of time.

The Bed Bug Plug attracts bed bugs by the low level heat and moisture that it emits.  This innovative device not only attracts cowardly bloodsucking bed bugs that like to slurp, run, and hide, it also serves as a trap to keep bed bugs away from you!  Once bed bugs enter the “electrical outlet”, bed bugs are trapped on the sticky glue traps that are on the inside.  You even have the option of purchasing this unit with a real operational electrical outlet, making it even more versatile.  The Bed Bug Plus is economical because each glue trap remains effective for 3 months before a replacement trap is needed.

These new monitor/traps are economical and are perfect for college dorms, homes and hotel rooms too.  They are perfect for travelers who are concerned about picking up bed bugs while they travel and homeowners concerned about guests bringing bed bugs into their abode.

Watch for this new item in Stern Environmental Group’s Marketplace soon!

New York City pest control professionals say that bed bug infestations are not considered a health threat as they are not known to spread diseases to humans, but they are not an easy pest to eliminate once they have made your home or business their home.  In the United States, over-the-counter pesticides have proven to be ineffective on bed bug treatments, and in many cases, cause the infestation to worsen, as the bugs tend to spread from room to room.

Out of sheer desperation, many homeowners have resorted to unsafe practices as a means of ridding their homes of the blood thirsty pests.  There have been many reports of homeowners, and untrained pest control applicators, using pesticides that are intended for exterior use, on the interior of homes, to eradicate bed bugs.  There have been other reports of people applying dangerous chemicals on their clothing, bedding, carpets, children and themselves in an effort to try to avoid being bitten by bed bugs.  These practices have proven to be very dangerous to humans and pets.

Bed bugs cannot stand the heat so some exterminators are using heat treatment as a means of treating bed bug infestations.  Bed bugs and their eggs are subject to death at temperatures over 120 degrees.  When typical heat treatment is used, propane tanks are attached to heaters which raise the temperature of the structure for several hours, baking all creepy critters and their eggs inside.  Because of the extreme heat used, there have been occasions when fires have erupted when this treatment has been utilized.  WCPO.com reported on May 15, 2011 of a home in Cincinnati, Ohio that caught fire when bed bug heat treatment was being used.  You may read the article here.

As an alternative to extreme heat treatments, Stern Environmental Group offers the opposite…rapid freezing.  Cryonite is extremely effective at killing bed bugs as well as all other types of pests.  It’s non-toxic and will kill bed bugs in all stages of their life by freezing them to death!

When you have a bed bug infestation, it’s important to choose a pest control professional with experience in safe and effective bed bug eradication procedures.  For expert bed bug removal services in New York and New Jersey, contact Stern Environmental Group.

Similar to the United States, Canadian pest control experts utilize a variety of techniques to try to eradicate bed bugs once an infestation is discovered.  Insecticides, Cryonite, steam, and heat treatment are all commonly used by pest control professionals to eradicate bed bugs in Canada.

The Edmonds Journal reported on July 13, 2011 that there was a fiery blaze at an apartment building in Edmonton, Canada.  Authorities are still investigating the incident that sent a grandmother, mother and her two small children to the hospital with serious injuries from the fire.  Tenants in the building claim that they were given notification that an apartment within the complex would be undergoing bed bug eradication treatment on the day of the fire.  The article says that tenants also say that two 100 pound propane tanks were seen on the balcony of one of the apartments prior to the fiery inferno, which would indicate that bed bug heat treatment service was engaged.  Additionally, according to reports, one tenant claims to have called the property management company to report the smell of gas prior to the fire breaking out.  The cause of the blaze is being investigated by fire investigators so it is unclear as to the actual cause of the blaze.

The article can be found here.

Please check back on Monday for the conclusion.

Stern Environmental Group is pleased offer a bed bug testing kit by using DNA Testing which is offered by a leading research laboratory.  Using the kit will save you money by allowing you to test for a bed bug infestation in the privacy of your home or business, prior to calling a New Jersey pest control professional.

You don’t need to be a crime scene investigator to use the DNA Testing kit.  This easy to use kit allows users to swab any environment that they suspect bed bugs to inhabit and then send the swab sample off to the laboratory for final DNA analysis.  Within about 24 hours, the DNA Testing will be complete and you will have an indication or confirmation that your home or business has creepy bed bugs lurking about.  The DNA Testing kit has been found to be very effective at detecting the DNA evidence of bed bugs in environments that are swabbed.

In a recent Canadian study of bed bugs collected on patients in a hospital setting, MRSA, a dangerous antibiotic resistant bacteria, was found on bed bugs.  Using this DNA testing kit will allow hospitals and nursing homes to test bed bugs for the dangerous MRSA bacteria as well.

Once bed bugs are determined to be present within the home or business, it’s important to immediately seek the help from a New Jersey pest control professional who has experience in bed bug eradication services.

The BBD-100 Personal Handheld Bed Bug Detector is priced at $299 making it an affordable alternative for any homeowner that is concerned about bringing the blood thirsty pests into their abode.  This device is great for checking kid’s backpacks, library books, television sets, automobiles, toys, computers, radios, remote controls, and telephones.  Homeowners will also be able to check their own mattresses, box springs, headboards, electrical outlets, cracks, crevices, picture frames, baseboards, dresser drawers, clothing, and any other place within the home that could potentially harbor bed bugs.

The sleek design of the BBD-100 Personal Handheld Bed Bug Detector will allow travelers to discreetly inspect airline seats, taxi cabs, rental cars, luggage, and hotel rooms so they can travel with ease.

Hotels and motels that use the BBD-100 Personal Handheld Bed Bug Detector will be able to gain the upper hand against annoying bed bugs as it can be used as a preventative tool by maintenance or housekeeping staff members as well.  Its compact size and its ability to detect as few as just one bed bug will help the user in the hospitality industry avoid potential bed bug related lawsuits from guests, and the bad publicity involved when bed bugs are detected.

You can purchase your own BBD-100 Personal Handheld Bed Bug Detector by contacting Stern Environmental Group.  Please note that due to its extreme popularity, the manufacturer has informed us that there is currently a 2 week waiting period for the BBD-100.  Don’t be fooled by imitators, the BBD-100 Personal Handheld Bed Bug Detector will find those elusive bed bugs before they get out-of-control!

Stern Environmental Group carries a huge selection of bed bug products that will help you defeat your bed bug infestation once-and-for all!