Pest control professionals that use an Integrated Pest Management approach to pest management problems can achieve success controlling all pest issues.

HudsonReporter.com reported on February 4, 2012 that Clarendon Elementary in Secaucus, New Jersey found bed bugs in a classroom.  It is believed that a student transported the bed bugs in from the home environment.  The school district immediately contacted Stern Environmental Group, which is their pesticide control manager.

Out of concern for the well-being of the children and staff, Stern Environmental Group was proactive in their treatment of the building, yet did not use any pesticides that could be harmful to those who entered the building.  Stern used the Cryonite system, which uses rapid freezing to kill bed bugs and other insects in all life stages.  Cryonite uses liquid C02 to kill bed bugs and is perfect for use in schools because it is non-toxic, there is no risk of contamination, and there is no risk of bed bugs becoming resistant to it.  Stern Environmental Group also used 145 degree heat to bake bed bugs to death.  These two integrated systems proved to work for the Secaucus school as no bed bugs have since been found by the pest control professional, the health inspector, or the bed bug sniffing dog.  You may read the article here.

Some public school systems within the United States would like you to believe that bed bugs will not thrive in a school environment.  Not unlike any other location that you will find bed bugs, these little vampires will hitch a ride into the school via a student, teacher or administrator.  Backpacks, coats, hats, gloves, purses, laptop bags, and lunch boxes all serve as excellent transport vehicles for bed bugs.  Bed bugs can also hitch a ride in the folds of clothing that a person is wearing and drop off in a school at any moment in time.

Any bed bug could immediately climb up on their next victim or scurry off and hide in the area that it dropped off of its original host in.  Bed bugs can easily thrive within a school building because there are plenty of places for them to hide and an easy supply of blood sources available.  Left untreated by a licensed pest control professional, bed bugs will be able to multiply. It only takes one pregnant bed bug to cause a massive bed bug invasion.

On January 27, 2012, MyFox New York reported that the New York Department of Education Pest Control Unit confirmed that a bed bug was found at the Russel Sage Junior High School in Forest Hills.  The bed bug was found in the schools general office but reports from students are that they have also found bed bugs in the cafeteria and in classrooms at the school.  You may read the article here.

Avoiding bed bugs at school can be difficult.  Parents should be on high alert when bed bugs are present in their child’s school.  All items should be checked daily for bed bugs prior to them being brought into the school.  Clothing should be shaken out outdoors and immediately laundered to avoid bringing bed bugs inside the home.  Soft items can be placed in the dryer on high heat for 30 minutes to kill any hitchhiking bed bugs or their eggs.  In the event that bed bugs are found in your home, it is wise to contact a licensed pest control professional to kill the bloodsuckers before the infestation rages out-of-control.

For businesses across the United States, having a customer find bed bugs in their establishment could spell big trouble.  Depending on the response given from any bed bug infested business, it could either spell great news or really bad news for a business.  Bed bugs are a problem for upscale hotels as well as fleabag motels.  Because of the fast turnover of people, a hotel/motel can be bed bug free on one day and then infested on another.

The New York Times reported on January 25, 2012 that a swanky New York City hotel near Central Park South is the latest to have the creepy crawlers infiltrate one of their rooms.  Reports are that the hotel was alerted to the problem when a guest produced a bed bug to the front desk upon check-out.  The hotel jumped into action by moving guests from the adjoining rooms as well as the rooms above and below the infested room so that proper treatment could commence.  In addition to calling a New York City pest control professional, the hotel staff was shown a video and given training about how to recognize the signs of bed bugs.  Kuddos to the hotel in question for their quick action and not denying that the problem exists!  You may read the article here.

Many people have learned the hard way that bed bugs are not a do-it-yourself type of pest.  Hiring a New York City pest control professional that is trained in bed bug eradication services is the only way to fully eradicate bed bugs.

The house mouse is a native of Asia that was spread throughout Europe.  Humans helped the house mouse spread throughout the rest of the world.  Like other types of insects and animals, mice need food, water and shelter to survive.  Human habitats provide the perfect environment for mice to thrive.  Once they have moved into your home, you’ll need help from a NYC pest control professional to eliminate the pesky critters.

The house mouse will eat crumbs, food scraps, or pet food that is left out.  They will also gnaw into boxed or bagged food with ease to gain access to sealed food products.  Mice constantly dribble urine and leave a trail of feces behind in their wake which will contaminate any surface that they walk upon as well as any food product that they are near.

Mice tend to stay within 10 feet of their nesting site and they typically follow the same path to and from food or water sources over and over again.  Trying to remain undetected, mice will travel from place to place along the walls.  In addition to a dirt or oil type smear left on the wall.  You may also notice gnaw marks on the wood baseboards or furniture as mice are in constant need of filing down their incisor teeth.

Stern Environmental Group provides commercial and hospitality industry rodent extermination services to businesses in New York and New Jersey.  Call us today for help with your mice or rat eradication needs.

1011Now.com reported on January 19, 2011 that two students found bed bugs in their dorm room at Abel Hall at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.  The bed bugs were not discovered until after the students returned from winter break.  The University quickly brought in a pest control professional which then found a significant amount of the pesky critters nesting behind cork board that was hung just over the student’s bed.  As expected, soft items such as bedding and clothing has been laundered to kill the bed bugs.  The University chose thermal heat treatment to bake the bloodsuckers to death.  You may read the article here.

What is surprising to some folks is that just a day later, more bed bugs were found at the University.  According to JournalStar.com on January 20, 2012, another dorm room at Abel Hall, a student room at The Village, and a student lounge have also been found to have creepy bed bugs.  You may read the article here.

The University does not believe that other dorm rooms in the buildings that are affected are at risk of having bed bugs.  In actuality, once bed bugs are in a building with shared walls, it is quite easy for them to move from place to place.  Depending on the level of infestation, bed bugs could be lurking within the walls throughout the entire building.  Always on the hunt for their next victim, bed bugs use electrical wires and plumbing pipes as a bed bug highway to gain access between units.  Because of their small size, they can easily travel between walls as well.  With bed bugs already being found in several locations in the building, it might be wise for the University to consider treating the entire building at one time instead of each dorm room, or common space, that they find the bugs.

Image courtesy of Eugene E. Nelson, Bugwood.org

New Jersey pest control professionals say that the brown marmorated stink bughas been a formidable opponent to deal with.  Stink bugs have been nibbling their way on fruits, vegetables, and a variety of vegetation throughout the mid-Atlantic region since their discovery in Allentown, Pennsylvania in the 1990’s.  Much to the dismay of farmers and homeowners, these destructive pests can now be found in 33 different states.

Stink bugs do not pose a threat to humans, but they have caused considerable distress to home and business owners.  During the summer months, these stinky pests are busy suckling on plant nectar and laying thousands of eggs on the undersides of leaves in gardens and crops.  Now that fall is fast approaching, New Jersey pest control experts say that the brown marmorated stink bug will soon be making its way back to your home or business looking for a place to overwinter during the cold winter months.

Many home and business owners call pest control experts to kill the hundreds or even thousands of stink bugs that congregate on the exterior walls of their structure during the fall months.  As the weather begins to cool, left untreated, some of these stinky pests will make their way under your siding and then creep under your insulation where they will huddle together until they feel the warm spring temperatures.

Some pushier stink bugs will find their way into your home or business through cracks, crevices, screens, windows, open doors, etc.  You’ll initially find them crawling on windows, window sills, or walls until the chilly weather arrives.  They will eventually find a warm spot indoors to overwinter.  On the occasional sunny day, these stinky pests will sneak out of baseboards, carpet edging, closets, electrical outlets, or other hiding spots and bask in the sun, waiting for spring to arrive.  Stink bugs do not breed indoors, but they are a nuisance when you crush or scare them and they release their pungent stench.

Stink bugs populations are difficult to control as most over-the-counter pesticides do not work on these non-native creatures.  Stink bugs can be reduced by having the perimeter of your home treated by a licensed pest control expert.

Different states have different laws on the books when it comes to bed bug infestations. In some states, bed bug infestations that are ignored by landlords or building owners open the door to litigation by tenants.  The DesMoinesRegister.com reported on November 11, 2011 that a lawsuit was filed on behalf of about 300 current and former residents of two low-income apartment buildings which houses elderly and disabled residents in Des Moines, Iowa.  The lawsuit claims that the managers of the buildings “turned a blind eye to the growing bed bug infestation for more than two years.”  The residents report that they were repeatedly bitten by the bloodsuckers, forced to sleep on the floor because their furniture was infested, forced to discard furniture, shunned by relatives and landlords, suffered from emotional issues, and incurred medical costs and financial damages.  Just recently, a Judge has ruled that the lawsuit that was filed may proceed as a class action suit on behalf of the tenants against the two apartment buildings.  You may read the article here.

The simple fact is that everyone deserves to sleep in peace in their home without the threat or knowledge of little vampires creeping into their beds at night to suck their blood.  Having to dispose of furniture and personal property because of bed bugs is a terrible burden to carry, especially in today’s troubling economy.  Hiring a licensed pest control professional at the first sign of bed bugs is the only way to stave off a massive bed bug population explosion say NYC pest control professionals.

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.

In another story, WWMT.com reported that a Kalamazoo man accidentally caught his bedroom on fire and forced the evacuation of his apartment complex when he was looking bed bugs in his box spring.  According to the report, lacking a flashlight to investigate, the man used a lighter to look for bed bugs in his newly purchased box spring.  The lighter accidentally ignited the bed causing damage to his apartment. You may read the article here.

Desperate American’s have used bug bombs to try to kill bed bugs, which have proven to make them spread from room to room.  People have washed their children in gasoline and insecticides in an effort to avoid being bitten by bed bugs at night.  In addition, some people have even used outdoor pesticides indoors on their bedding and other areas in their home to try to kill the bloodsuckers.  These remedies have all proven to be dangerous and are not recommended by the CDC as they have made many people ill.

For NYC or NJ bed bug infestations, the best way for achieve full eradication is to hire a licensed pest control professional with extensive experience in bed bug removal services. For fast and accurate service in New York or New Jersey, contact Stern Environmental Group.

WMBF News reported on January 2, 2011 that a family from North Carolina got more than they bargained for when they stayed the night at a hotel in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.  The family claims that they awoke to find what appear to be bed bugs crawling around the bathroom sink.  The hotel management was quick to move the family to a second room, but upon entering that room, the family claims that the same type of bugs were found in the doorway.  The family claims that when a third room was requested, they were told by the hotel’s manager that they must leave the property.  The video provided shows the bugs quickly scurrying around the sink, and it is difficult to identify if they are indeed bed bugs.  You may read the article and view the video here.

Bed bugs typically have a difficult time crawling around on slick surfaces because they have claws instead of pads on their feet.  These claws are used to climb and latch onto soft items so that they can easily again access to luggage, purses, backpacks, clothing, bedding, etc.

It is difficult to protect yourself fully from encountering bed bugs when you travel.  The key is to educate yourself about how to look for the bloodsuckers and know where they could potentially be hiding.  If you awake with red itchy bite marks on your exposed skin, it is very likely that bed bugs are present someplace in the hotel room.  NY and NJ pest control professionals recommend that you contact a pest control expert who is trained in bed bug removal services if you think you have encountered bed bugs while you travel.