Monthly Archives: June 2007

Bed Bugs, Pest Control

Bed Bugs Are Pest #1

“Bed bugs are pest No. 1 in the Western world right now,” declared pest control expert Brett Johnson on Canadian television. Like their American counterparts, Canadian pest control companies are fighting bed bugs in apartments, hotels, homes, day care centers, even movie theaters!

“I was getting 12 to 20 bits a night. Yeah. Go to sleep with that thought. You just don’t sleep,” said Vancouver apartment dweller Melody Seiling. Her mattress is smeared with bloody spots where the tiny, blood-sucking insects have been crushed when she tosses and turns at night trying to sleep. “A day doesn’t go by where we don’t hear from somebody who has a bug infestation in their apartment,” said Chris Anderson of Vancouver’s Tenants Rights Action Coalition.

Increased incidents of bed bug infestations are a worldwide phenomenon, though perhaps more noticeable in western countries like the US and Canada where powerful pesticides all but wiped out the little buggers in the years following World War II. The ancient scourge has continuously plagued many European, Middle Eastern and Asian countries for centuries. Increased international travel and the discontinuation of power pesticides like DDT are blamed for the return of the obnoxious pests.

Bed bugs are tenacious buggers, easily spread and extremely difficult to eradicate. If bed bugs invade your home or business, call the bed bug specialists at Stern Environmental Group today. Our knowledgeable bed bug experts will get rid of them — guaranteed! Click the post title to find out more about bed bugs and our eradication program. Visit our website to learn about Stern’s full range of pest control and pest management services for both residential and commercial customers. You’ll sleep well tonight when you get “Stern” with your pests.
Insect Control

How to Tell If You Have Carpenter Ants

Summer is ant season and it’s not unusual to see the occasional stray wanderer crawling about inside your home. But if you start to see large ants creeping around, especially at night, you might want to have a professional check it out. You could have carpenter ants.

Carpenter ants can damage the structure of your home. They don’t eat wood; they tunnel into the wood, hollowing it out to create galleries and nests, which weaken the structure. Carpenter ants are larger than other ants — 1/4 to 1/2 inch long — with an extra node between the abdomen and thorax. (Get out your magnifying glass and look for an extra bump between the middle and rear segments.) While often black, they can be brown, red or reddish brown and have a circle of hair on the tips of their rear ends.

Don’t get ants and termites confused. Though they have similarly shaped bodies, termites are off-white in color and have thicker waists than ants. They have straight, not bent, antennae and may have four wings all the same length. If you think you have termites, call Stern immediately. Termites do millions of dollars in damage every year and can cause serious damage to your home.

To help protect your home from carpenter ants and termites:

  • Keep wood, earth and debris away from siding. Don’t allow deep piles of mulch to build up against posts, stairs or siding.
  • Seal all cracks, holes and other possible entrances into your home, including wire and pipe pass-throughs.
  • Don’t store firewood close to your house.
  • Prune back tree branches so they don’t touch your house.
  • Keep moisture away from the foundation as both pests prefer soft, rotted wood.
  • Remove standing water from around your house as ants and termites need water to live.

Ants and termites are difficult pests to control. Nests must be found and destroyed to effectively remove the problem. If you think you have carpenter ants or termites, call the pest control experts at Stern Environmental Group immediately before these voracious pests damage your home. Visit our website for more information on these nasty pests; just click the post title. You’ll sleep well tonight when you get “Stern” with your pests.

Mice, Pest Control

A Mouse in the House!

Gross! When I went into the kitchen to make breakfast, there was black “rice” on the counter — mouse turds. Disgusting! A trip to my in-laws’ cottage is supposed to be a relaxing weekend, not a scubfest. Nevertheless, out came the scrub brush and bucket. Before breakfast I scoured down every surface and checked every cupboard and closet. We definitely had a mouse, (at least, I was hoping there was only one).

Not native to North America, mice arrived with early European settlers and quickly spread throughout the country. Typically nocturnal, mice eat grains, fruits, vegetables and refuse. Only two to three inches long (with a tail nearly twice that length), they can squeeze through the tiniest holes to gain entrance to your home and the “gourmet buffet” waiting in your kitchen.

Mice are inexhaustible breeders which means that my single mouse will soon be joined by a growing family. Though mice only live about a year (rats up to 2 years), a single female mouse can produce more than 70 offspring in her lifetime! A typical mouse can produce 60 droppings in a day. You do the math; even a single mouse equals a big problem. Mice spread disease, E. coli, fleas, microbes, and other nasty things that you don’t want in your house or near your children.

Stern Environmental Group uses a revolutionary new Track & Trap system to eradicate mice. Using UV light, the system pinpoints where mice are entering your home so they can be trapped and all entry points sealed. (See our May 10, 2007 blog post for more info and pictures.) Visit our website to learn about Stern’s pest and wildlife control services; just click the post title. Call our experienced professionals to find out about the new Track & Trap solution to your mouse problem. You’ll sleep well tonight when you get “Stern” with your pests.