They have a somewhat harmless and romanticized name but they are far from any type of bug that you would want to spend any alone time with!  The “kissing bug” is also known as the assassin bug, the Mexican bed bug, and the cone-nosed bug, is bloodthirsty pest to keep a watchful eye out for.  There are several species of kissing bugs within the United States. Some have a painless bite, while others deliver what is considered to be the most painful bite of any type of insect.

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.

The winter months are fast approach on the east coast and humans are not the only ones that are gearing up for the cold months ahead.  New York City and New Jersey pest control professionals report that many other creatures that spend the warmer months outdoors are now looking for a warm spot to hunker down in to escape the upcoming blast of Old Man Winter.

It may begin as an unexplained bang here or there, or maybe some strange scratching noises, or perhaps you’ll hear scampering in your attic, ceiling or wall voids.  The threat of rodents entering your attic is a problem says pest control experts.  Raccoons and squirrels are common rodents that invade homes as the winter months approach.  These pests often cause serious problems for residents in New York and New Jersey as they chew through electrical wiring causing electrical shorts and a fire hazard.  Once these pests arrive, they send pheromones out to others of their species inviting them to join them.

Raccoons are extremely agile creatures that will gain access to your home by tearing attic vents, soffits, and even shingles and roofing boards up.  Their paws are strong and resemble those of a human with long claws attached. Raccoons are curious creatures and scavengers that leave a trail of destruction in their wake.  Raccoons use attics at a nesting site to raise their young and reside as a family.  They defecate and urinate at will, causing serious damage and health threats to humans.

Squirrels may seem fun to watch as they frolic in the trees and garden, but once they gain access to your home, they are a menacing pest to encounter.  Squirrels can squeeze into small openings and gain access to an attic.  If they opportunity presents itself, squirrels won’t hesitate to venture into the main area of the house, helping themselves to food and causing enormous damage as well.

Raccoon and squirrels should not be poisoned to be eliminated and should instead be trapped by a licensed pest control professional with experience in rodent removal services.  For expert services in New York and New Jersey, contact Stern Environmental Group.

Raccoons look adorable when they are frolicking outdoors, but you never want to have a raccoon invasion inside your home or business.  Soffits, attic vents and even roofing materials are not always enough to keep New York City raccoons from coming in from the cold, warn NYC pest control experts.  As the winter chill continues to rage on throughout the east coast, creatures big and small are seeking warmer shelter.  Raccoons are cleaver and strong creatures.  Once they gain access to your home, it’s difficult to get rid of them.

Left to their own devices, raccoons are known to chew through electrical wires; which has caused serious fires.  They ruin insulation, stored items, and attic wood by leaving feces and urine throughout.  Raccoons do not make good house guests and should be removed by a NYC pest control expert immediately upon discovery.

Some people report receiving conflicting information when they call for help with raccoon removal services.  As a general rule, in New York, people should call the Department of Public Health’s general sanitation unit for help with dead raccoon removal.

If a raccoon appears to be sick or injured, residents should call their local Department of Public Health so that the raccoon can be trapped and euthanized to see if it has the rabies virus.  Raccoons that appear to be acting confused or agitated, are stumbling or falling, are frothing at the mouth, or are acting aggressively without provocation are all exhibiting potential signs of carrying the rabies virus.

Eileen Hagerman, who is the Executive Director of Volunteers for Wildlife, told the Times Beacon Record that “no member of the public should ever attempt to trap raccoons or any wildlife themselves” and “people should never approach or have any contact with the animals.” 

A raccoon’s behavior is naturally unpredictable and you never know if it may be carrying the deadly rabies virus.  If you have a raccoon in your attic, walls, or home, removing the raccoon should be left to a New York pest control expert.  Stern Environmental Group has trained technicians who can humanely remove raccoons from your home or business.  We offer professional raccoon removal services to Secaucus, New Jersey, the Greater New York City Metro and Connecticut Regions.

Continuing from Wednesday…

If the new legislation is signed into law, New York residents will be able to have raccoons removed just by asking.  If a raccoon is found to be scampering across someone’s backyard, but is causing no harm or annoyance, they can call for removal services.  If a raccoon happens to choose a tree hollow on a particular property to have its babies, and it is causing no trouble, it too can be evicted by the Health Department with a simple call from a borough resident.

Even though it is recommended that the Health Department humanely trap and release the raccoons that it captures, it only seems logical that if the Health Department were to trap an endless amount of raccoons for homeowners, not all would be able to be humanely released into the wild.  It stands to reason that some, if not all, would absolutely need to be euthanized.  Although raccoons can be a bothersome pest when they invade human spaces, plucking them out of their own natural environments just because they are a potential nuisance is not the right thing to do.

You can keep raccoons away from your home by keeping pet food indoors, making sure that they cannot gain entry into your attic, and covering your trash with tightly fitting lids.  New York City residents are encouraged to report any sick looking raccoons to the 311 number, the Health Department, or you can even call 911.  Additionally, sick or well, you should never approach a raccoon.  They may be cute and cuddly looking, but they have powerful bite and grasp and could potentially have rabies.  If you have raccoons in your yard…leave them be.  If you do happen to have a raccoon in your attic, wall, or crawl space that needs removed, contact Stern Environmental Group for humane raccoon removal services.

Raccoons are extremely intelligent and very adaptable to human environments.  Their long dexterous fingers allow them to be able to gain access into various human habitats.  They can easily turn doorknobs, open latches, and open trash can lids.  Once a raccoon discovers a good food source, they are not likely to want to leave and will return for their nighttime nibbling, often causing destruction and mayhem.  Although their adorable masked faces and ringed tails might make them look friendly, they can be a fierce pest to have lurking about your home or business.

Raccoons thrive not only in the wilderness, but in cities as well.  People may find it hard to believe, but the densest population of New York raccoons is in New York City.  There have been dozens of raccoons in Central Park this year that have tested positive for rabies.  The city has been very aggressive in trapping and vaccinating raccoons at the park to help keep rabies from spreading.

Raccoons are causing New York City residents in some boroughs constant problems.  Because of complaints by some homeowners, Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley introduced a new bill that would require that the city provide raccoon trapping services to residents in all five boroughs.  The bill would allow for residents to call the Department of Health and request that raccoons be removed from their property.  As it stands now, the  Department of Health will onlyremove raccoons that appear to be sick, ie…are showing signs of having rabies.  If New York City residents are having trouble with raccoons gaining access to their homes, scampering through their yard, tearing through their trash, knocking on their windows, etc, they are required to call a pest control specialist who is trained in wildlife removal services.

Please check back on Friday for the conclusion.