Monthly Archives: October 2012

News

New Ordinances On The Horizon For San Francisco Residents

Renters stood on the steps of City Hall in San Francisco to protest the fact that they are being attacked by bed bugs in their rental properties.  They are hoping that the Supervisors will understand that the bed bug problem is wide-spread and that help and clarification is required to combat the bloodsucking creatures.

The lack of bed bug legislature has created tension between renters and landlords as they struggle to address who is responsible for bed bug eradication services once an infestation occurs.  After two years of discussion, the San Francisco Bed Bug Working Group representatives may have finally hammered out a solution to the city’s bed bug problems.

The Examiner reported on October 19, 2012 that San Francisco may soon have new bed bug laws that will be set in place that will give specific guidelines that both renters and landlords must follow.  The new ordinance is not unlike many of the others that have been successfully set in place throughout various locations in the United States.

The highlights include:

• If the tenant makes the request, landlords would be required to disclose the bed bug history for a rental property location for the past two years.

• Landlords would be required to treat bed bug infestations and certify that treatment is complete within 30 days.

• Hotels that serve tourists would fall under the new guidelines and would require fast treatment.

• Violators would face a stiff penalty of $1,000 per day!

An interesting addition to the ordinance that has not typically been seen in other cities is the requirement that pest control companies provide monthly reports of their bed bug eradication efforts when services are provided at a housing unit.  It’s a great way of keeping track of what is happening in the bed bug arena within the city.

Bed Bug News

It’s Hard To Keep A Bed Bug Infestation A Secret

Reports of bed bugs in the office place have increased throughout the United States report NYC pest control professionals.  It is not surprising as bed bugs can easily hitch a ride in computer bags, gym bags, purses, or even on the clothing that people are wearing.

DNAinfo.com New York reported on October 16, 2012 that workers at the New York City Administration for Children’s Services offices in lower Manhattan have been battling bed bugs for the past month when a building maintenance worker was bitten by bed bugs while sitting in the client waiting room area.  Reports are that a spokesperson for the Administration for Children’s Services is denying that there is a bed bug infestation in the building.

Some employees believe that the agency is doing all they can to combat the bloodsucking creatures by fumigating the affected areas.  Other employees believe that not enough is being done because the problem still persists, despite the claims from administration that there is not an infestation present.

Because of their transient nature, it is important for companies to be forthright with information regarding bed bugs.  If employees were to accidentally take the pests home with them, it is very likely that they will transmit the bed bugs right back into the workplace.  If the public is not aware that the problem exists, they will not be proactive in protecting themselves against the pests while visiting the facility.  It is always better to be honest about having bed bugs so that pest control professionals have the best chance of combatting the pests in the early stages of the infestation.

In this particular case, hiring a bed bug sniffing dog so that Manhattan pest control professionals can pin-point the exact locations of the hidden bed bugs would be a wise choice.

News

What Can A Bed Bug Sniffing Dog Do For Me?

Some may appear to be high-strung and boisterous, some may appear to be low-key and laid back in their personalities, some are small like a Beagle, and some are larger breeds like a Labrador retriever.  Despite their different shapes and sizes, the extensive training they receive allows these working dogs to complete their job with amazing accuracy.  Watching a bed bug sniffing dog in action as it goes about its duty of finding live or dead bed bugs, their eggs, or fecal matter is nothing short of amazing.

It is estimated that bed bug sniffing dogs are about 98 percent accurate at finding their targets within a home, apartment, office building or hotel. Because of their ability to hide in many different types of locations, humans on the other hand are able to find bed bugs with accuracy about 35 percent of the time.  Additionally, bed bug sniffing dogs are able to find their hidden targets within minutes as opposed to their human counterparts which often take hours to complete an inspection for bed bugs.

A bed bug sniffing dog is more accurate than a human because a dog’s nose is up to 100 times more sensitive than that of a human.  On average a dog has 200 to 250 million scent receptors.  Humans only have 5 million scent detectors which is why dogs can be trained to find bed bugs quickly and efficiently.

Once a dog alerts to bed bugs, the handler will also provide a visual inspection to verify the source location. Hiring a NJ pest control specialist with bed bug sniffing dogs will save you money as the dog will be able to pin-point exactly where the bed bugs are hiding within a home or business.

Bed Bug Information

No Shame, No Blame…Just Bed Bugs!

Manhattan pest control professionals have seen thousands of bed bug infestation cases since the bloodsucking pests resurgence occurred.  New Yorker’s have had extensive experience with bed bugs as they have been hitching a ride from home to home, school to school, store to store, and office building to office building.  These pests are notoriously difficult to eradicate, and often times take more than one visit from a NYC bed bug specialist.  The most tenacious pest to deal with, bed bugs can leave a person feeling alone and isolated.  People who have a bed bug infestation in their home report feeling dirty and embarrassed by the pests, despite having the cleanest of homes.  Having bed bugs can make you angry.  It’s human nature to want to blame someone for causing the infestation, but in reality, bed bugs are hitchhikers that can be picked up anywhere that people frequent.

The Columbus Dispatch reported on October 11, 2012, that there was a study published in January of 2012 by The American Journal of Medicine which “chronicled nightmares, flashbacks, insomnia, anxiety and other symptoms suffered by bedbug victims, which the study likened to the impact of post-traumatic stress disorder.”  In addition, Susan Jones, and entomologist at Ohio State University said “the human toll is something people don’t understand, there’s a lingering psychological impact to having bedbugs.”

The internet is rife with home remedies to try to win the war against bed bug infestations.  In an effort to kill bed bugs, some people have tried holistic remedies, some have tried bug bombs and foggers, some have ordered strange (and sometimes illegal) products over the internet, and some have tried dangerous concoctions that NYC bed bug specialists would never recommend.  It is always best to hire a licensed pest control professional with experience in bed bug eradication instead.

News

Bed Bugs Are Already Biting College Students

College dorms and student apartments have had a difficult time controlling bed bug infestations since the resurgence of the pest’s years ago.  With students coming and going into each other’s living quarters, study dates, and parties, it is not surprising that bed bugs have easily spread like wild-fire throughout college campuses.  Bed bug infestations have also been notoriously bad at the beginning of the school year as students arrive from various parts of the country, and in some cases, the world. At times, some students may transport bed bugs from their home to the college not knowing that their home is infested with bed bugs.  A brief stay at a hotel along the way to college could also pick up the bloodsuckers as bed bugs will gladly climb into an unzipped suitcase.  Some students make the mistake of picking up furniture from the street that is discarded by previous students, not knowing that the furniture is infested with bed bugs.  All of these scenarios allow bed bugs to thrive in a college environment.

CBS Baltimore reported on October 5, 2012 that bed bugs have invaded an onsite apartment at the University of Maryland in College Park.  No matter how they arrived, or if they existed before they the students arrival, the students want the bed bugs in their on campus apartment building to stop biting!  College officials initially downplayed the bed bug infestation stating that the bloodsuckers were confined to one apartment.  The girls were given instructions on how to properly launder and bag their belongings and were advised that they must live out of the sealed trash bags for six weeks.

Recent news reports are that there are now eleven apartments that have the bloodsuckers attacking each night.  Students are afraid to sit on their furniture or sleep in their beds.

Hiring a licensed pest control professional with a bed bug sniffing dog would help to pin-point the exact locations of where the pests are hiding so that fast eradication can occur.