Monthly Archives: May 2012

Bed Bug News

Another Reason That Bed Bugs Can Drive A Person To Drink! Part 1 Of 2

It would not be surprising to know that enduring a bed bug infestation has driven victims to drink!  Who could blame them really?  Bed bug infestations make you feel dirty and isolated from family and friends.  There is a social stigma associated with the nasty pests.  Many people panic and throw away some if not all of their personal belongings.  People are often forced to leave their apartments out of desperation.  Bed bugs are expensive to eradicate and they can be the most frustrating pest to get rid of as most people require several return visits from a pest control professional in order to have a complete kill experience.  Some people have even lost their job because they have had a bed bug infestation in their home.  Yes, it is easy to understand how bed bugs can drive a person to drink!

A new study has been underway to determine what affect, if any, that alcohol (not the rubbing kind) has on live bed bugs.  Life’s Little Mysteries reported on May 29, 2012 that recent bed bug research conducted at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln had some interesting results which were presented at the National Conference on Urban Entomology in Atlanta last week.  Recognizing the bed bugs need blood (preferably from humans) to do what bed bugs do…i.e…grow, shed their skins, and make bed bug babies, a Ph.D. student at the college tested to see if booze affected bed bugs, and if it did, how did the bed bugs respond to being intoxicated.

Please check back on Friday for the conclusion.

Commercial Services

Is There A Safe Amount Of “Vermin” To Have In A Restaurant?

Vermin is described as mice, cockroaches, flies, rats, or other types of insects that will infest food products.  All types of food establishments and facilities within the United States must be maintained and operated free of vermin.  There are state and local laws in every jurisdiction that must be followed.

Besides being disgusting to look at, having vermin around food and the public is dangerous.  These laws are set in place to protect people from the dangers associated with disease ridden vermin which are known carriers of dangerous bacteria and pathogens.  Vermin will also contaminate food and food surfaces with their urine, saliva, and fecal matter.

Incidentally, years ago while living and working in downtown Los Angeles, I picked up lunch at a popular eatery that I had frequented hundreds of times.  After eating half of my meal, I was horrified to find a dead cockroach cooked alongside the rest of my meal.  I immediately called the Health Department which in turn came to my office, took possession of my “roach meal” and promptly headed to the restaurant to close its doors.  I was never informed as to what all was found, but the vermin infestation must have been horrific.  The restaurant remained closed for over 2 months.  Their reputation was never the same after the incident.  Where there was once a daily line out the door to eat their delicious food, the vermin shut down caused customers to stay away permanently. I passed the restaurant every day and never saw more than one customer inside.

A NJ pest control professional like Stern Environmental Group will be able to provide the help you need against all types of vermin.  Visit our website to see what services we offer.

Bed Bug Detection Dogs

The Trusted Nose Of A Dog

Dogs are known as “man’s best friend” for many reasons.  Besides providing protection and companionship, canines of all varieties have been helpful to humans in their hunt for food sources for thousands of years.

Modern day working dogs aid law enforcement as they hunt for fugitives, drugs, guns, and bombs.   They have also been trained to find mold, termites, and cancer in humans. Recognizing the benefits of using a nose that is far more sensitive than a mere human nose, in recent years canines have been tasked with learning how to root out bed bugs as well.  Their incredible sense of smell allows the extensively trained dog to find live or dead bed bugs and bed bug eggs in all types of environments.

A dog’s olfactory ability far exceeds that of a human.  Canines have over 300,000 million scent receptors, whereas humans have approximately 5 million.  Where humans smell nothing, a dogs intense sense of smell is forty times greater than a human.  Depending on the breed, it is estimated that a canine can identify smells that are 1,000 to 10,000 better than humans.

Bed bug sniffing dogs have been used with success in homes, businesses, hospitals, apartments, and most recently many were used to find the massive amount of bed bugs that had infested many college dorms at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Stop by our website to learn more about our bed bug sniffing dog service as well as our other bed bug services that are available.  We offer a variety of services and products to help combat your bed bug infestation quickly and accurately.

Bed Bug News

No Bed Bug Laws Will Likely Bring Lawsuits Later!

State officials, like those in NY, that have been in the trenches battling NY bed bugs for an extensive period of time have learned many things.  They have learned that these tenacious bloodsuckers require a pest control professional for full eradication.  They have learned that ignoring a bed bug infestation will cause them to spread like wildfire.  They have learned that in rental properties, both landlords and tenants alike must work together to achieve full elimination of the pests.  Ultimately, officials have learned that they needed to create rules and guidelines that everyone must follow when it comes to NY bed bug infestations.  These rules apply to tenants, landlords, businesses, and NY pest control professionals as well.

The Eastsider reported on May 21, 2012 that a couple in a Los Angeles area apartment was recently faced with a bed bug infestation.  The landlord did hire a pest control professional to exterminate the bugs, but the couple made the decision to throw out most of their possessions.  Eventually, the couple decided to move into a new apartment.

According to reports, their new landlord made them sign a statement that their apartment had “NO BUGS” and another statement that they too were “Bug Free”.  In most cases, it is impossible for people to know if bed bugs exist in a property immediately upon moving in, unless there is evidence of shed skins, dead bed bugs, or blood smears.  Landlords who force a tenant to sign such a statement are simply covering themselves for future claims for bed bugs.  Tenants should be wary about signing such agreements as you never know if bed bugs will come creeping in the dead of night from the apartment next door!

Bed Bugs

Do Bedbugs Transmit Disease?

A question that continues to arise for NJ pest control professionals is whether or not bed bugs transmit diseases to humans or pets.  This particular subject is one that has been, and continues to be, a matter of research for scientists around the globe.

The current findings from scientists are that bed bugs do not transmit diseases and that bed bugs are only considered to be a “nuisance pest”.  Anyone who has ever gone through the painstaking task of eliminating a bed bug infestation or is currently enduring one may have a differing opinion than the “experts” in the field do on the subject.

Bed bugs may not currently be known to transmit diseases, but they are known to cause a tremendous amount of trouble for people once they have moved into their homes.  Many people suffer from insomnia, anxiety, painful bites, scarring, and the humiliation from having the little vampires sharing a bed with them.  Bed bug victims are often isolated from friends and family members out of fear of transmitting the pests to other homes.  Relationships have been stressed, as the blood thirsty pests cause significant financial strains and emotional trouble for couples.  Children are affected as they are fearful of sleeping in their own beds and of having someone discover that they have transported the tiny bugs to school.

Scientists have been wrong in their findings of other issues before and it is possible they could eventually be wrong in their findings when it comes to bed bugs as well.  If you have bed bugs in your home or business, contact a NJ pest control expert.  Stop by our website to see the vast array of services that we have available for New York and New Jersey clients.