Monthly Archives: May 2007

Bed Bug News, Bed Bugs

Apartment Dwellers Must Insist Landlords Evict Bed Bugs

Apartment dwellers who fall prey to bed bugs feel like they’re caught between a rock and a hard place. Report bed bugs to the authorities and risk being blacklisted by other apartment owners. Don’t report the nasty buggers and risk being eaten alive!

Most cities have local laws that require landlords to ensure that residential property is habitable, meaning in good repair and free of pests, among other things. Under most local health and/or building codes, landlords must provide a home that is free of pests or exterminate them if they appear. This includes bed bugs, rates, mice, roaches and ants. In New York City, tenants can call 311 to report a bed bug infestation. (For more information on tenant rights in several states and cities, including NYC, click the post title.)

So if you’re being eaten alive every time you go to bed and your landlord isn’t doing anything about it, why wouldn’t you call 311 immediately or call and raise Cain with your local public health agency or building inspector? Fear of being blacklisted, say tenants. Some landlords won’t rent to tenants who have filed a complaint, court action or violation against a former landlord. Deciding these tenants are too difficult to deal with or present a future legal risk, some landlords won’t accept these “rabble rousers” as tenants. Unfair? Yes. Unethical? Yes. Illegal? Very probably. You’ll need to check with your local authorities to find out.

The thing is, once they settle in, bed bugs won’t go away by themselves. This isn’t something you can treat with a can of Raid or live with for very long. Unlike some bugs that proliferate in apartments, bed bugs don’t scurry out of sight when you turn out the lights. When you hit the sack, they creep out of tiny crevices near or in your bed and hold an all-night party — with you as the main course! You’ll wake up covered in red itchy welts from their blood-sucking bites. And this will go on every night until your landlord brings in a professional to get rid of the little vampires.

This isn’t a time to grin and bear it. If you have bed bugs, notify your landlord and the authorities. Make sure your landlord acts immediately. The problem will only spread throughout your building the longer it goes untreated. Tell your landlord to call Stern Environmental Group. We are the bed bug experts. For more information on bed bugs, visit our website. You’ll sleep well tonight when you get “Stern” with your pests.

Bed Bug Resources, Bed Bugs

Mattress/Box Springs Covers Can Salvage Your Bed from Bed Bugs

Stern Environmental Group has just added a new product line in our potent bed bug control arsenal. We now carry bed bug-proof covers for mattresses and box springs.

  • If you’ve never had bed bugs, these covers can make sure they never get into your mattress or box springs, protecting you from future infestations.
  • If you’re already the victim of a bed bug invasion, these covers will allow you to continue using your mattress and box springs.

Since a bed mattress and box springs set is a fairly large investment, particularly if you have a queen or king-sized bed, a small investment in a quality cover that’s impervious to bed bugs is a smart idea. Not to mention that when you’ve finally found a mattress set you like, one that guarantees you a good night’s sleep, it’s pretty hard to think of giving it up just because bed bugs might find it comfy too. For hotels, hostels and other lodging providers, which have a significant financial investment in bed mattresses and box springs, covers provide a reliable protection on your investment.

These new mattress/box springs covers are specifically designed to counter bed bugs. They can be used to encase your mattress and box springs. Features like gap-free stitching and enforced zippers trap bugs and eggs inside. A poly-urethane coating keeps bugs from biting through or escaping. The covers are made from materials that are comfortable, hygienic and allergy-free. They’re quiet and won’t crinkle when you roll over like typical vinyl or plastic mattress covers.

Many people who find themselves living with bed bugs want to throw out their bed, mattress and box springs. Unfortunately, your new bed is apt to become infected by unkilled bugs or future infestations and you’re back to square one. It just doesn’t make sense to throw away a perfectly comfortable bed when a bed-bug proof cover will do the job. Click the post title for more information on the new bed bug-impervious mattress/box springs covers available from Stern Environmental Group. Contact us for more information and prices. For more information on bed bugs, visit our website.

Mattress/box springs covers provide the perfect revenge for bed bug sufferers. They seal the nasty critters inside an airtight environment where they gasp their last and die, never to bite again. Like the guy says in the television commercial: “Payback. This time it’s for real!”

Residential Services

Bed Bugs Got You Down? Stop Scratching and Call Stern Today!

From our fan mail:

“Bedbug problem eliminated 100%, I can now sleep throughout the night. Wilson was very helpful and professional and after following direct instructions from Ella and Wilson, the infestations was fully eliminated. I strongly recommend Stern Environmental Group to eleviate all pest concerns and issues.”

We were happy to help this client get her life back to normal. We understand the panic, horror, even revulsion people feel when they find out they have bed bugs. For many people, the social stigma amplifies their distress to intolerable levels.

Despite public perception, bed bugs are not a sign of a dirty home or personal uncleanliness. Like fleas and tics, they’re insects of convenience. You can bring them into your home unwittingly on used furniture, cardboard boxes, infected clothing, used mattresses, etc. They’re tiny, they hide in minuscule cracks and crevices, they can survive in extreme weather conditions, they can go without food for months, they’re survivors just waiting to be transported to a comfy, cozy spot (your bedroom) where they can gorge themselves into a stupor (on you). Yep, unfortunately you’re their meal of choice. The little vampires feed on human blood, often sucking it up for 5 to 10 minutes at a time while you lie sleeping.

Bed bugs are extremely difficult to get rid of without professional help. We are the bed bug experts. Stern Environmental Group technicians are highly skilled and specifically trained to correctly identify, root out and kill bed bugs. The chemicals we use will zero in on the dastardly critters but are completely safe for you, your children and your pets. Click the post title to find out more about bed bugs on our website. You’ll find information on the safe chemicals we use under FAQs. If you think you might have bed bugs, don’t hesitate to call us today. We’ll get rid of your bed bugs before they take over your life — guaranteed! You’ll sleep better tonight when you get “Stern” with your pests.