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.

Google confirmed their bed bug outbreak on Friday.  A spokeswoman said “Like several other businesses in New York City, we’ve discovered bedbugs in a small area of our office. We have notified employees and are taking steps to treat the affected area.” Wonderful.

Google is the latest in a long line of New York City businesses to report bed bug infestations for the summer of 2010.  The blood suckers have found there way into upscale shopping establishments, the Empire State Building, Time Warner, the Brooklyn District Attorney’s office, the Kings County Hospital, and just recently a movie theater in Times Square.  Just this past week a pop singer reports that she was visiting New York City and she claims that her $500 a night hotel room was infested with the buggers too.

New York City encourages residents to call 311 to report any bed bug infestations.  You can also obtain helpful information about how to avoid bed bugs and treatment options.  In a somewhat funny turn of events, it has been reported by NY1 that New York’s 311 call center in Lower Manhattan was fumigated for their own bed bug invasion last Tuesday!

Don’t let bed bugs take over your home or business.  Call a bed bug pest control expert today!

New York is now leading the pack in new bed bug legislation.  On Monday, August 30, 2010 Governor David Paterson approved legislation that would require that parents be notified when bed bugs are found within New York schools.

Specifically, Bill Number A05434 would require “city school districts having a population of one million or more to notify parents and persons in parental relation of any bedbug infestations found in a school.”  According to the new law, notifications from school health officials will be sent when any bed bugs are discovered within a school.

In previous school years, when bed bugs were discovered on a student or in/on his belongings, only the family was notified of the bed bug problem.  It was up to the individual school’s health officials to determine if they were to notify the staff or other parents within the school community of the problem.

This new law is crucial because bed bugs infestations can spread easily and quickly.  It only stands to reason that parents and staff members should be notified if an infestation has occurred within a school so that they can safeguard their own home from the dreaded blood suckers.  With proper notification, parents will be able to be proactive and look for bed bugs in their own child’s belongings so that they can seek immediate assistance if they bring the bugs home from school.  If bed bugs are found, they will hopefully be able to catch the infestation early so that a major infestation does not occur within their own home, or spread throughout the entire school or beyond.

When it comes to bed bug infestations, knowledge is power!  If you have a bed bug infestation in Secaucus, New Jersey, the Greater New York City Metro or and Connecticut Regions, contact Stern Environmental Group for expert bed bug eradication services!

The residents of New York have been waiting on pins and needles for Governor Paterson’s okay on this bill.  Just recently, he rejected another bed but related bill that would have required that used mattresses, which would later be resold, be sanitized before being stored with new mattresses.  As it stands now, new mattresses can easily be infested with bed bugs.

Some skeptics of the new legislation think that the new bill might just be too little, too late, to make a difference with New York’s bed bug infestation problem.

New York is the second state to implement such a law to protect potential renters, and Maine was the first.  New Jersey has had similar legislation pending for quite some time.  Some experts think that now that New York’s bill has passed, that there will be many other states that will also follow suit to protect their residents.

Bed bugs are a huge problem in New York City and new protocols are being set in place to help combat the nocturnal nibblers that are terrorizing the city.  These blood suckers have also found their way throughout the entire state.  If you think that New York City is the only state that is dealing with the pests on a large scale, you would be very wrong.  Terminix just released a list of their top 15 most infested cities based on call volume and confirmed bed bug cases. Here are the cities from 1 – 15:  NYC, Philadelphia, Detroit, Cincinnati, Chicago, Denver, Columbus, Dayton, Washington, Los Angeles, Boston, Indianapolis, Louisville, Cleveland, and Minneapolis.

The simple fact is…bed bugs are now everywhere.  All states need better legislation on the books and residents need to contact a licensed pest control specialist if they think they have bed bugs!

Stop by our website to view the vast amount of information that we have collected about bed bugs.  We are often asked what bed bug bites look like.  Click on our photo link to see how these painful and itchy welts can affect you if you are unlucky enough to encounter the bugs.  You will also find valuable photographs of actual bed bug infestations that will assist you in your travels so that you know what you should be looking for when you check into your hotel room or if you think you might have a bed bug infestation at your home.

Many people think that having bed bugs means that they must throw out their bed bug infested mattress.  Stern Environmental Group and Protect-A-Bed allows you the opportunity to save your expensive mattress instead.  Click on the Encasement Info link on our website to find out how these state-of-the-art mattress encasements will seal bed bugs, and their eggs, in forever so that you will not have to go through the expense of purchasing a new mattress!

Stern Environmental Group offers the best bed bug services as well.  Cryonite is the newest and most effective treatment in bed bugs.  This innovative product is non-toxic and will kill pesky pesticide resistant bed bugs (and other bugs too) by rapidly freezing them!  This amazing treatment even works on bed bug eggs!  Another great tool in Stern’s arsenal is the bed bug sniffing dog.  Sniffer dogs work fast and with incredible accuracy.  Bed bug sniffing dogs are able to detect large amounts of bed bugs, bed bugs eggs, and even just one single bed bug that is hiding in the most obscure location.

Stop by our website to see how Stern Environmental Group can help you!  We are a licensed pest control specialist who provides services to Secaucus, New Jersey, the Greater New York City Metro and Connecticut Regions.  Give us a call today!

Pick up any national newspaper on any given day and you will likely find a bed bug related story.  Surf the internet and you will absolutely find an endless amount of stories about unfortunate souls who are suffering with their own bed bug infestation problems.  Query the internet for information on bed bugs and you will find a vast array of information about how to avoid bed bugs, treatment plans, pesticide information, legislation information, pending bed bug lawsuits, bed bug behavior, bed bug life cycle information, bed bug photographs, bed bug products, and bed bug services.  Simply put, there is an endless amount of information available online, but unfortunately, some of the information that is published is not always correct and it can be confusing to consumers.  The great news is that you can always rely on the incredibly accurate bed bug and pest control information on the Stern Environmental Group’s website!

Douglas Stern, of Stern Environmental Group, is considered to be an expert in the treatment of bed bugs and other types of pest control, for both homes and businesses.   As such, he is often contacted by media outlets to share his expertise.  Stop by our “News Room” webpage to view articles where Douglas Stern has been quoted in.  Douglas Stern would be happy to provide you with a personalized interview as well.  You may contact him at 1-888-887-8376.

While visiting the Stern Environmental Group’s website, be sure to take a look at all of the fantastic pest information that we have available.  We strive to provide you with the most up-to-date information, products, and services to make your home or business pest free.  You can easily stay connected with the most current information by following us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and our blog as well.

In October of 2009, the Governor of Ohio asked the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for an emergency exemption that would allow the use of propoxur to be used in Ohio homes.  Currently, the insecticide is only allowed to be used in commercial buildings, on crops, and in flea and tick pet collars.  It should be noted that propoxur was used in homes prior to being removed from the market in the 1990’s.

Laboratory testing has revealed that propoxur is quite effective at killing bed bugs.  According to testing done at the University of Kentucky, propoxur killed 100 percent of the bed bugs that it was exposed to within 24 hours.  Additionally, once the bed bug eggs hatched, the nymphs died too.  This is great news…perhaps we have a magic cure after all.  These results are far better than typical chemicals that are used in current bed bug treatments which have a 16% kill rate after 72 hours.

But the bad news is that the EPA said “NO” to Ohio’s request for an exemption to use the insecticide in June of 2010 because there are concerns about the dangers of nervous system effects in children who spend time in rooms that are treated with the pesticide.  Despite the rejection, on August 18, 2010, there was a gathering in Ohio to discuss the matter further.  In attendance were representatives from Ohio, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, pest control, and even the Department of Defense.  People were hopeful that a solution would be reached for those that suffer from bed bug infestations.  Sadly, federal officials offered little hope for the residents of Ohio…and therefore for the rest of the United States.   But the great news is that Fido and Fluffy won’t likely be bitten by bed bugs if they are wearing their flea collar!

On the inside of your home, carpet beetles can be found invading a variety of different substances.  In the kitchen you could find them inside of cake mixes, cereals, grain, seeds, flour, powdered milk, or dog and cat foods.  You can also find carpet beetles eating fur, wool, feathers, silk, velvet, hair, leather, book bindings, dead insects, cotton, linens, and rayon inside your house.  Linens that are stained with food particles are a particularly yummy treat for carpet beetles. You may also experience a carpet beetle explosion in your attic or eaves if you have any wasp nests as carpet beetles are attracted to the nests with or without the wasps inside. Bird and rodent nests that are abandoned, or those with dead and decaying animals remaining, will also attract these scavengers in droves.

Bed bugs will typically hang out where they can obtain an easy blood meal.  You will usually find them within about 10 feet of the bed, hiding in all sorts of locations, not just the bed, despite their name.  Being that they are hitchhikers, it is easy to take a bed bug or eggs with you from room to room, or furniture piece to furniture piece.

With carpet beetles, the larvae stage is when you will see serious damage to items in your home.  A female carpenter beetle can lay up to 100 eggs which takes approximately 8 to 15 days to hatch when the weather is warm.  The larvae goes through several life stages, is hard to detect, and eats constantly.  Depending on the temperature, the larval stage feeding can last from 60 days to up to a year.  Carpet beetle larvae are often found in the dust bunnies, hair, and lint that accumulate in the corners and edges within a room.

Like bed bugs, carpet beetles like to hide in dark, protected, and undisturbed areas in your home. Look for carpet beetle infestations under baseboards, in air ducts, under pianos, stored food items, wall voids, and under heavy furniture, and other places where they will be unnoticed.

As with any pest that is invading your home, you should always contact a pest control expert who is trained to provide safe and proper pesticide treatment.  Stern Environmental Group has been providing professional pest control services to Secaucus, New Jersey, the Greater New York City Metro and Connecticut Regions for over 10 years.  Give us a call today for all of your pest control needs.

Bed bugs are small, brownish colored insects that are oval shaped.  Adult bed bugs are about 3/16 of an inch when full grown.  The nymphs (baby bed bugs) resemble the adults, but are much smaller and lighter in color.  These bugs have flattened bodies until they receive a blood meal at which time they plumb up and become reddish brown.  Bed bugs do not fly and have six legs.

There are several different types of carpet beetles that vary in size and color to keep an eye out for, so it’s no wonder that people get confused when they see some of these creatures lurking around their house.  All adult carpet beetles can fly, and like the bed bug, they also have six legs.  The adult black carpet beetle is oval and can grow up to 3/16 of an inch.  The adult varied carpet beetle is gray, white, and brown with yellow scales with black crossbands.  The adult common carpet beetle can grow to about 1/8 of an inch.  It is gray to black in color and is almost round in shape.  Adult furniture carpet beetles can grow to 1/8 of an inch long.  They are almost round, and are whitish checkered with black spots, with yellowish orange scales.

Carpet beetles do not need blood in order to survive; but they are considered a damaging household pest that needs eradication regardless.  Carpet beetles are not discriminate feeders and will eat plant and animal substances.  When found outside, carpet beetles are known to eat flower pollen from dogwood, crepe myrtle, spirea, daisies, wild asters and buckwheat with white or cream-colored flowers.

Please check back on Friday for the conclusion.

Commissioner Thompson went on to say “I’ve been dealing with bed bugs all my life,” and then said. “All you have to do is clean your bedroom and clean your house.”  WOW!  Did he actually admit that HE has had bed bugs or was his answer just his opinion on how to deal with the creepy crawlers?

Commissioner Stanbery was right in her thoughts that a tracking system could help protect both landlords and potential tenants.  It’s in everyone’s best interest to make sure that a rental property is free of bed bugs prior to occupancy…no matter what state you live in!  Tenants would feel safer about where they were moving and landlords would be protected from potential bed bug related lawsuits.

It would be great to see a similar type of system put in place for hotels and motels as well.  That is unlikely to happen because when an infestation occurs, the stigma of having an infestation can, and usually does, cause a huge black eye for the hotel/motel in question.  The hospitality industry typically treats their bed bug infestations very quietly using a variety of treatment options.  Clearly, some do a far better job at treatment than others do.

The simple fact is that bed bugs are everyone’s problem.  Bed bugs are an equal opportunity offender.  They do not care your age, race, size, or socioeconomic status.  They only want to suck your blood…and they are relentless.  Regardless of where we live, if our government officials (county, state, and federal) continue to sweep the problem under the carpet, as they have been doing thus far, the problem will continue to worsen.  What will it take for people to realize that bed bugs will not go away until serious changes occur in the United States?

Bed bugs are a difficult pest to eradicate on your own.  If you are suffering from a bed bug infestation problem in New York or New Jersey, it is wise to contact a pest control specialist that is considered an expert in bed bug removal.