Monthly Archives: April 2007

Cockroaches, Pest Control

Cockroaches Linked to Rise in Children’s Asthma

Asthma is a growing problem in children and cockroaches have been proven to be a major factor. Several recent comprehensive studies by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the National Institute of Allergy and Infections Diseases have confirmed the dangerous connection between cockroaches and asthma in children.

They report that “one in five children in the United States have severe sensitivities to cockroach allergens, which can cause or increase the severity of asthma symptoms. These allergens are most commonly introduced into homes through cockroach saliva, droppings and the decomposing bodies of these pests,” reports the National Pest Management Association in a recent press release.

Homeowners must be vigilant in preventing infestations, which usually increase as temperatures rise in the summer. Cockroaches thrive in warm, dark, moist places and are most active when temperatures reach 70 degrees and above. For more information on these nasty pests, click the post title.

The National Pest Management Association offers homeowners some tips to protect their families against cockroach infestation:

  • Keep food tightly sealed and stored properly, particularly in kitchens.
  • Clean kitchens daily where crumbs and trash are more likely to build up.
  • Dispose of garbage daily or more often and store in sealed containers.
  • Seal cracks and holes in homes, including entry points for utilities and pipes.
  • Keep basements and crawl spaces well ventilated and dry.

If you see a cockroach in your home or suspect you may have a problem, contact Stern Environmental Group immediately. There is no such thing as a single cockroach. If you live in an apartment or other multi-family housing unit and your neighbors complain of roaches, chances are they’ll be invading your home next, if they haven’t already.

You need a qualified pest professional to treat infestations and protect your children and your family. Stern Environmental Group uses safe and effective pest control products that won’t harm your children or pets. Visit our website to find out about our pest control and pest management services. The only good roach is a dead roach! Call our roach control experts today to keep your family and your children safe. You’ll sleep well tonight when you get “Stern” with your pests.

Bed Bugs, Pest Control

Woe on the High Seas! Sharing a Cabin with Bed Bugs

“Bed bugs devour family on cruise!”
“Voracious bugs attack man in cabin!”
“Bed bugs send cruise passengers fleeing to doctor!”

The inflammatory headlines read like supermarket tabloids but the danger is real. It takes just one infected guest to spread bed bugs throughout a cruise ship or hotel and ruin your vacation. Tiny, prolific and easily transported, bed bugs can travel quickly from room to room, through ducts, on clothing, on linens, etc. Infestations can occur quickly where large numbers of people congregate and sleep under the same roof.

For bed bugs, a cruise ship is the penultimate life experience:

  • A captive audience. You can’t jump ship; there’s nowhere to go once the ship sets sail.
  • A wide and varied menu. That’s you and all your cruise-mates!
  • Plenty of cracks and crevices to hide in for a nice nap between meals.

Trip Advisor, Cruise Critic, Google Groups and other websites track comments and complaints about bed bugs on cruise lines, hotels and motels, hostels and campgrounds. Readers post their personal experiences and warnings to other travelers. Before you book a cruise or resort stay, you might want to see what fellow guests are saying.

If you own or manage a vacation destination, you’ll want to have your facility inspected on a regular basis to make sure you don’t put your guests at risk of a bed bug attack. There’s nothing like a bed bug scare to send guests packing in panic. Bed bugs can be a real business breaker.

Stern Environmental Group to the rescue! We can inspect your facility and let you know with certainty whether you have bed bugs or a look-alike pest. If your facility is infected, we can get rid of the problem — guaranteed! Don’t loose your shirt to bed bugs this summer. Take precautions to insure a successful tourist season. Call the pest control and pest management experts at Stern Environmental Group today. Visit our website for more information on bed bugs and our complete pest control services. You and your guests will sleep well tonight when you get “Stern” with your pests.

Bed Bugs

A Few Precautions Allow Bed Bug-Free Traveling

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Life doesn’t end if your home or apartment is invaded by bed bugs. You will still want to visit with friends and family. Or you may just need to take a vacation away from the problem.

There are a few simple precautions you can take to limit the possibility of spreading bed bugs when you travel. Bedbugger.com offers some traveling tips from people who have been there:

  • Become a minimalist. Take the absolute least amount of stuff possible. Repeat outfits, mix and match, wear the same pair of shoes with everything. If you’re going on vacation, plan to visit a laundromat every few days. It’ll give you a change to read those guide books you picked up.
  • Travel light. Don’t take a suitcase unless you really have to. Pack your clothes into zip-lock bags hot from the dryer. Put all the zip-locks into a larger plastic bag and carry them that way. Zip-lock now sells huge storage bags with handles that make perfect “suitcases.”
  • Deep six the cosmetic bags and travel totes. Carry toiletries in zip-lock sandwich bags. Don’t take your hairdryer or curling iron, borrow from your friends.
  • Keep your stuff in your car while you’re visiting. Use your car trunk as a dresser, taking out of your car just what you need. Store your dirty clothes in a plastic bag in your car. Keep your coat in the car too. If it’s winter, you won’t die from exposure walking the 20 feet from your friend’s front door to your car. The point is, the less you take into someone else’s house, the less the chance of carrying in a hitchhiking bed bug or two.
  • Bake the bugs. If it’s summer, load your stuff into the back seat of your car a day or two before your trip, park in full sun with the windows rolled up tight, and let it bake. The heat will help destroy any stray bugs that might have sneaked into your stuff while you packed.
  • Buy fresh. Don’t take magazines, books, maps or guide books from home. Buy fresh after you leave home.
  • Say it with flowers. Don’t carry hostess gifts from your home to your destination. You may wind up giving your family or friends a little gift no one bargained for. Purchase gifts en route or shop ahead and arrange for them to be shipped directly from the retailer. Of course, you can always have flowers delivered.

By taking a few simple precautions, you and your friends will enjoy your visit — and remain bed bug free! For more information on bed bugs and how to get rid of them, click the post title. If you have bed bugs, Stern Environmental Group is the expert in bed bug eradication — guaranteed. You’ll sleep well tonight when you get “Stern” with your pests.

Bed Bugs, Pest Control, Pest Management, Residential Services, Wildlife Control

Another Satisfied Customer: Stern Got Rid of Bed Bug Problem!

We always like to hear from our customers and would like to share this wonderful note from a satisfied customer who had a serious bed bug problem:

I just wanted to relay the positive experience we had with Stern. Our Brooklyn apartment and NJ home had a bed bug problem. From the moment I called Stern, your staff was courteous and helpful. It’s a very disheartening and horrible ordeal to go through, and your staff was very kind to us and sensitive to our dilemma. I have to mention our exterminator, Wilson. He was amazing. He took the time to walk us through everything and reassure us the problem would be taken care of in a professional manner. I would highly recommend your company to anyone who is having a bed bug or other sort of bug and animal issue.
Thank you, Liz & Dan

At Stern Environmental Group, we understand the panic and revulsion our customers feel when their home is invaded by bed bugs or other unwanted pests. When you discover a problem, we know you want to get rid of it NOW! Stern Environmental Group’s highly skilled pest control specialists will quickly respond to your call for help. Our pest experts will correctly diagnose your problem, design an effective solution that meets your specific needs, and implement a plan to quickly control and eradicate whatever pest is making your life unbearable. We are the bed bug experts. If you have bed bugs, we guarantee we’ll get rid of them for you. We provide emergency 24-hour service 7 days a week for problem insects in New Jersey, New York City, Long Island, and parts of New York State and Connecticut.

Visit the Stern Environmental Group website to learn more about bed bugs (just click the post title) and other annoying insects and wildlife pests that may be bugging you. We use safe, effective pest control products that will not harm your family or pets. If you have a bed bug or other pest problem, don’t delay. Call Stern today for fast, responsive service to all your insect and wildlife pest control problems. You’ll sleep well tonight when you get “Stern” with your pests.

Bed Bugs, Commercial Services

Bed Bugs Invade New York City School System

As if lice weren’t enough, schools are now being invaded by bed bugs. The New York City school system seems to be fighting a losing battle against the ornery critters. Reports of bed bugs in city schools have doubled in the past two months.

“Reports of the nasty critters skyrocketed from 24 cases at 24 public school in October and November to 72 cases at 43 schools in January and February, according to the Department of Education,” reports the New York Post. Click the post title to read the article.

Perhaps it’s a case of embarrassment gone awry, but the school system hasn’t been forthcoming with distraught parents. Notifications have only been sent home to the parents of affected children, leaving the parents of classmates to find out only when bed bugs hitch a ride home on clothing or bookbags. Queens Assemblyman Mike Gianaris has introduced a bill calling for mandatory parent notification. “That’s a real problem,” he said. “We need to act on this before we have an all-out epidemic.”

An epidemic is not out of the question. Bed bugs spread easily and are prolific breeders. While they don’t spread disease, their incessant biting can make your life miserable. City schools aren’t doing the community any favors by keeping mum. Only community awareness, education and aggressive pest control measures can keep these annoying pests in check.

If you want to find out more about bed bugs, visit the Stern Environmental Group website. We are the experts in bed bug eradication. If bed bugs invade your child’s school or your child brings the little nasties home with his spelling words, call us today. You need professional help to get rid of bed bugs. Stern Environmental Group will get rid of bed bugs for you — guaranteed. You’ll sleep well tonight when you get “Stern” with your pests.