Some people think that opossums are interesting creatures, some think they are frightening horrible looking rat-like creatures.  Most people do classify opossums as pests regardless if they are walking through their backyard or inhabiting their attic.

Opossums are the only marsupials that are native to the United States.  They are transient creatures that usually only stay in one area for a period of 2 to 3 days, unless a mother has a litter of babies to take care of.  They are commonly found in agricultural areas, woodlands, and neighborhoods with suitable living environments and food sources.  They are usually attracted to neighborhoods by pet food that is left outdoors, over-ripe fruit that has dropped from trees, and dense shrubbery that they can hide under.

Like other rodents, opossums carry a variety of different vector pests which are dangerous to humans.  Fleas, which transmit Typhus and ticks, which transmit Lyme disease should be of particular concern to homeowners as these diseases can cause lifelong illnesses.

Having opossums around outdoors is not always a bad thing as they are scavengers that feed off of a variety of things.  Being scavengers, their natural diet includes eating plant matter, rotting fruit, insects, snails, slugs, and rodents and other small vertebrate animals, as well as dead animals.  They will not hesitate to invade trash cans and pet food bowls for a tasty meal.

Opossums are very adaptable to the environment surrounding them.  When looking for a suitable nesting site, it is not uncommon for a resourceful opossum to climb a tree or bush that is touching a roof to gain access to a home’s attic space.  Attics provide ample space and shelter from the elements for opossums.  Not being good house guests, these creatures will use the attic as their own personal toilet causing extensive damage to insulation and wood sources.

Stern Environmental Group will be able to humanely remove any opossum that has taken up residence in your NY or NJ home.  Call us today to learn about our opossum removal and exclusion services.

Squirrels are cute, but they are not the brightest critter in your backyard.  In fact, a squirrel’s brain is about the size of a walnut.  New Jersey pest control professionals find that squirrels are quite territorial.  They tend to distinctly mark their territory by urinating, chewing holes, and leaving chew marks for other squirrels to see.

Many New Jersey residents have found that do-it-yourself methods that attempt to keep squirrels out of their home was completely futile.  Adding additional boarding to locations where squirrels have already gained entry will not keep squirrels out.  Their strong teeth and nimble climbing ability allows them to be able to slip in and out of any type of location with the greatest of ease.

You don’t need to worry about squirrels that are rambling through your yard, but you do need to take notice of aggressive “marking” signs that occur on or near your home.  These signs are an indication that a squirrel will soon be calling your home…theirs!  Here’s what to look for…

• On the roof…look for roof shingles that are stained with urine.

• In trees near the home…Look for chew marks left on trees.

• Anywhere on the interior or exterior of the home:  Look for chew marks on electrical wiring.  This can be a very dangerous situation due to potential fire risks!

Like many other types of rodents, squirrels are always working to keep their front incisors in tip-top shape so they will not hesitate to chew on any substance to sharpen their ever- growing teeth.

A New Jersey pest control professional will be able to find the best solution to rid your home of pesky squirrels.  Call Stern Environmental Group for expert services in New Jersey and New York.  We specialize in humane squirrel removal services.

Rats living in New York City are as common as people are say NY pest control professionals.  Some experts even believe that for every New York resident, there is a rat living somewhere in a building, park, subway, restaurant, apartment, alley way, or burrow.  Walk the streets late at night and there’s no doubt that New York City rats continue to thrive as they scamper from trash can to trash can searching for a tasty meal.  Any morsel of food dropped on the street serves as a feast to the always hungry rat in the city.

Rats are a particular problem in areas where home and business owners are dumping plastic bags curbside instead of placing them into tightly covered trash cans.  Rats have strong teeth and claws which can easily rip open plastic bags enabling them to gain access to food waste products.  Once inside, it is a variable smorgasbord which attracts many rats in the area.  Even when trash receptacles are used, failing to properly seal them will result in an invasion of filthy disease ridden rats.

The New York Daily News reported on April 5, 2012 that the City New York City Health Department has released their new figures for rat hotspots in the city.  Although the numbers are a bit better than they were in 2010, clearly more work needs to be done to eradicate these vermin as they still pose a serious threat to New York City residents.  You may read the article here.

Don’t wait for the City Health Department to make a visit to your home requiring that you take action against pesky rats.  Hiring a licensed NYC pest control professional with experience in rat removal services will get rid of disease carrying vermin quickly.  Call Stern Environmental Group today for fast rat eradication services.

Continuing from Wednesday… The research showed that bed bugs will die on high temperature in the dryer.  Their experiment contained a 7.7 pound laundry load.  They found that the load must run for at least 30 minutes in order to kill all of the bugs.  Washing clothing on high heat for at least 30 minutes killed all stages of bed bugs and their eggs.  In contrast, washing on the warm cycle killed all adults and nymphs, but only 25% of the eggs met their demise.  The study also revealed that soaking clothing for 24 hours in cold water killed all adult and nymph bed bugs, but the eggs were unaffected by their time in the water.  Clearly, heat is a major factor in successfully killing bed bug infestations.

Preparing your house for bed bug treatment by a pest control professional is an arduous task. Laundering your bed bug infested items can be frustrating and time consuming.  In an effort to provide our customers with the best and most convenient alternatives, Stern Environmental Group offers the Mobile Bed Bug Heating Trailer.  No longer do you have to throw away expensive furniture or suffer though the frustration of laundering a houseful of clothing and bedding.  When you use the Mobile Bed Bug Heating Trailer, heat sensitive bed bugs are killed at one time using heat that reaches temperatures over 122 degrees Fahrenheit.  Our special temperature probes and computer monitoring ensures that all bed bugs and their eggs are dead, even ones that are hidden deep within the confines of furniture.

Having bed bugs invade your home is a difficult task to deal with.  Let Stern’s specially trained team safely pack up your belongings and move them into the Mobile Bed Bug Heating Trailer for fast and accurate thermal remediation.

Continuing from Monday… Search the internet and you will many different articles suggesting different ways to deal with bed bug infested laundry.  As many consumers have learned, not all information they read online is accurate.  Two scientists, R. A. Naylor and C. J. Boase, from the University of Sheffield in England performed tests to find out exactly what kills bed bugs in laundry.  Their interesting research is sure to help those who are suffering through a bed bug infestation.

Treating bed bugs on clothing and other fabric items should be handled carefully.  Consumers should take special care when moving things around and taking items out of infested rooms.  Items should be packed up or placed in a bin so that bed bugs cannot drop off and spread to other locations in the home.  Some pest control experts report that running bed bug infested items through the dryer only is sufficient in killing all stages of bed bugs.  It should be noted that some consumers have reported that they have found that some bed bugs have been able to survive this would-be cycle of death by slipping into, and lurking in the dryer vent area.  NYC pest control experts recommend washing AND drying all bed bug infested clothing on hot heat in order to obtain absolute kill of bed bugs.

According to the “Insects in the City” article authored by Dr. Mike Merchant at Texas A & M AgriLIFE Extension, the research performed will help in the disinfection process of laundry.

According to their findings, all stages of bed bugs are killed during the dry cleaning process.  Some consumers are finding that some dry cleaners will not provide treatment for bed bug infested clothing.  It is important to advise a dry cleaner of the infestation as they typically have special protocol that is followed so that they do not become infested.

Please check back on Friday for the conclusion.