It could be perhaps the biggest news to hit in 2012…never mind that 2012 just began!  It looks like New York City pest control professionals may be winning the battle against the creepy blood sucking vampires that attack each night.  2010 was a bad year for NYC bed bugs.  The unwelcomed guests appeared in courthouses, office buildings, retail stores, schools, libraries, college dorms, colleges, jail houses, hospitals, taxi cabs, nursing homes, hotels, motels, single family homes, and multi-unit housing units.  Not even the intimate apparel of Victoria’s Secret was off limits to these creepy little parasites in 2010.  With the help of NYC pest control experts, city residents and business owners went on full attack of the bugs to knock their numbers down.

In New York, it only takes one bed bug being found by an inspector to be issued a violation.  According to Crain’sNewYorkBusiness.com, bed bugs finally might just be losing their stronghold on residents of New York City.  New numbers just released by the Department of Housing Preservation and Development show a decline in bed bug reports in apartment buildings throughout all of the NYC boroughs except one.  Queens is the only borough that had an increase of violations reported, up 17 violations written from last year.

Reports of bed bug violations dropped by 344 instances in 2011 in NYC.  Additionally, New York City’s 311 help line received 22% fewer calls about bed bugs from January through November 2011 than they did in 2010.  You may read the article here.

If you use NYC as a gauge as to how bed bug infestations are affecting others in the United States, this decline is great news!  New York City pest control professionals believe that NYC bed bugs are a still a huge problem, but the fact that their numbers are going down rather than up could be an indication that the extensive work that NYC pest control experts are putting forward to eradicate the bloodsuckers in the city is working.

For expert bed bug removal services in NYC, New Jersey and New York, contact Stern Environmental Group.

New Jersey rat populations do not slow down in the winter months report New Jersey pest control professionals.  In fact, locations that were previously rat free might experience sudden rat infestation issues when environmental changes occur.  For example, if an area did not have ample water to support a rat population previously, but was subjected to a period of continuous wet weather, rats may indeed move into the area because they suddenly find it to be a suitable living environment.  In addition, if rats were previously located in an area that was subjected to high amounts of rainfall where flooding occurred, it would not be uncommon for rat burrows to become flooded.  Rats are very intelligent creatures.  Sensing the danger of high waters, rats will instinctively head for higher ground, thereby infesting previously rat-free areas.

Ridgewood-GlenRock Patch reported on December 16, 2011 that 20 rat burrows have been found in three areas within one block in Ridgewood in Bergen County.    Reports are that rats have not been a problem for the Village in the past and these burrows are located in the Central Business District of the Village.  Unlike other cities where rat infestations are found, this NJ rat infestation is located where a minimal amount of restaurants are located.  The Village Manager is hopeful that the pesticides combined with the cold winter months ahead will wipe out the rat population that have moved into the Village.  You may read the article here.

Rats live in burrows outdoors so the cold winter weather does not affect them.  They are however on the constant hunt for food, which is not aplenty during the winter months.  Normally dining on seeds and plants which are gone during the wintertime, rats will turn to homes, businesses, and trash receptacles as a means to gain a meal.  Rats are excellent at climbing and can enter a structure via the soffits or attic vents.  They have powerful teeth and can chew their way through a variety of different building materials to reach their desired food sources as well.  Rats are so resourceful that they can squeeze their body through a hole the size of a quarter.

Rats can be dangerous pests to contend with as they are known disease carriers and can cause fires when they chew on electrical wires.  A NJ pest control professional can help you keep rats out of your home or business.  Call Stern Environmental Group today for expert rat removal services.

New York City and New Jersey pest control professionals know first-hand how difficult it can be to treat bed bug infestations.  Creepy bed bugs will hide in the smallest of cracks and crevices and come out to feed during the wee hours of the morning when you are fast asleep.  No person is off-limits to a hungry bed bug and no hiding spot is off limits once they are finished feeding which is why these bugs are so difficult to locate.

Out of panic, many people choose to discard their mattress immediately upon discovering bed bugs.  This however will not solve the problem because bed bugs can and will live and breed in other locations within a room.

Mattresses, box springs, nightstands, dressers, curtains, floorboards, electrical outlets, headboards, books, picture frames, and carpet can all harbor bed bugs in a home.  Cluttered living spaces make for a perfect living environment for bed bugs as well.  Stern Environmental Group has many products that will help keep bed bugs from biting you at night so you will receive a good night’s sleep.

Whether you have bed bugs or not, it is highly recommended that you use a mattress encasement that is specifically designed to keep existing bed bugs from biting.  The Protect-A-Bed Mattress Encasement has a miracle membrane that won’t allow bed bugs to bite through the fabric.   Its seamless design means that bed bugs will not be able to hide within the piping or stitching areas on the mattress.  This mattress encasement’s easy installation, and the many sizes to choose from, makes it the perfect choice for homes and hotels alike.

You can find the Protect-A-Bed Mattress Encasements as well many other useful bed bug prevention, travel, monitoring, and treatment products available at Stern Environmental Group.

In schools, it used to be that lice were the feared creepy crawly pest that school administrators worried about.  In the not so distant past, children endured a “lice check” ritual whereas the school nurses lined the kiddies up in the hallway and picked through their little heads one by one on a hunt for the bloodsucking beast.  If found, the child in question was sent home and subjected to lice treatment, picking, and combing until they were completely lice free.  The goal was always to not to spread lice to other children and families within the school system.

Fast forward to 2011, lice is still a troublesome itchy pest that schools and families must endure, but when you compare lice to bed bugs within the school environment, it’s a completely different story.  Both lice and bed bugs are bloodsucking parasites that hitchhike from person to person.  Lice however prefer to live on their host while bed bugs live in dark locations, cracks, crevices, furniture, or other places that are difficult to detect by humans.

The Greenwichtime.com reported on December 20, 2011 that bed bugs have once again been discovered at the Hamilton Avenue School.  Reports are that a dead bug was found in October, and then on December 2nd a dead bed bug was found on a student’s backpack.  On December 9th, a live bed bug was found on the same student and on December 14th, another live bed bug was found creeping around a classroom.

After the first discovery of a dead bed bug the school implemented a policy of requiring students to place all of their belongings in trash bags upon their arrival at school and the school underwent treatment by a licensed pest control professional.  Because the bed bugs were found on a student twice, it is more likely than not that the bugs originated from the students home and not from the school.  You may read the article here.

The challenge for schools across the United States is to remain bed bug free without ostracizing a student or family that is enduring a bed bug infestation at home.  It is important that a school provide educational support to parents regarding the treatment of bed bug infestations and they develop strict guidelines as to how to handle families with known bed bug problems.

If you are suffering from a NYC or NJ bed bug infestation, contact Stern Environmental Group.  Our expert technicians have the experience to help you rid your home or business of these pesky bloodsuckers once and for all!

As 2011 is nearing its end, you might have thought that you were becoming safer from bed bug infestations.  NYC pest control professionals warn residents to not let their guard down lest these creepy pests sneak in and wreak havoc in your home or business.  Published in August of 2011, the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) and the University of Kentucky released their 2011 “Bugs Without Borders Survey”.  The compelling information provides insight as to where we stand in the war against America’s bed bugs.

The new survey from the NPMA reveals that 99% of the pest control professionals that were surveyed confirmed that they have treated bed bug infestations during the past 12 months.  Of those who responded, 73% believe that bed bugs are they most difficult pest to treat.  Infestations are occurring in homes as well as public arenas such as college dorms, hotels, schools, retail stores, day care centers hospitals, movie theaters, airplanes, taxis, buses, and apartment buildings.

Nationwide, the increase in reports of bed bug infestations is staggering in comparison to information collected just one year prior.  According to the NPMA, examples of bed bugs increasing include:

• College dorms:  Current: 54% – Previous 35%
• Hotels/Motels:  Current:  80% – Previous 67%
• Nursing Homes:  Current:  46% – Previous 25%
• Office Buildings:  Current:  38% – Previous 18%
• Schools/Day Care Centers:  Current:  36% – Previous 10%
• Hospitals:  Current:  31% – Previous 12%
• Transportation (train, bus, taxi):  Current: 18% – Previous 9%
• Movie Theaters:  Current:  17% – Previous 5%

You may read these and more bed bug statistics from the National Pest Management here.

A NYC pest control expert like Stern Environmental Group can help you pin-point the exact location of your bed bug infestation problem.  We have multiple treatment options available and state-of-the art equipment to kill bloodsucking bed bugs with the greatest of ease.