Monthly Archives: September 2013

Commercial Services, Insect Control, Pest Control

‘Lady Bug’ Invasions Put NJ & NY Pest Control Pros on Alert

If a lady bug lands on you, it’s supposed to bring good luck. Step on one of the small red-shelled insects with the distinctive black polka dots and get ready for rain. Considered a beneficial insect because of its voracious appetite for crop-harming insects, native lady bugs are the stuff of folk legends — which is the only place you’re likely to find them in New York and New Jersey. Invasive Asian lady bird beetles have effectively overrun habitats once populated by native lady bugs, forcing out the native species.

Like lady bugs, Asian lady beetles are small with hard spotted shells; but they come in a rainbow of red, yellow and orange colors and their spots are more likely to be irregular and sometimes non-existent. In the fall, these insect pests can become a nuisance as they congregate in the thousands on light-colored walls, seeking a way into buildings to spend the cold winter months hiding until spring.

Asian lady beetle invasions can coat walls, decks, trees and plants with piles of insects. Their waste can stain walls and fabrics. To understand the extent of the problem, click here to see CNN film of a lady bug invasion.

The best way to keep these pests out of your commercial building is to have the building exterior treated by a licensed commercial pest control service before beetles start to congregate.

 

Stinging Insects, Wasps

Wasp Hive Removal Is a Job for Pest Control Pros

Their painful stings make wasps an insect to be treated with respect. While only female wasps sting, their straight stingers allow these stinging insects to sting repeatedly. Wasp stings are painful and may cause severe redness and swelling, as well as life-threatening allergic reactions. Even people who are not allergic to their sting can suffer life-threatening respiratory distress if swarmed and stung multiple times by angry wasps.

Wasps may build their hives in trees, between evergreen boughs, behind signs and shutters, under boards and other yard debris and even underground in abandoned animal burrows. The vibrations created by a lawn mower are enough to send any insects shooting out of an underground nest where they can attack home owners, children and pets. A hive behind a wall sign can pose a stinging risk to business employees or retail customers.

The danger these stinging insects present makes do-it-yourself wasp hive removal dangerous. If you discover a wasp hive on your property, do not attempt to spray and antagonize these pests. Call a licensed New Jersey pest control professional for prompt and safe wasp hive removal. For the safety of our residential and commercial customers, Stern Environmental provides 24-hour bee and wasp hive removal services. We also offer wasp control services to help keep your property wasp-free.

Bed Bug News, Bed Bugs, Cockroaches, Commercial Services, Cryonite

Plainfield, NJ Senior Complex Overrun by Bed Bugs, Cockroaches

On its website, the city of Plainfield, New Jersey in Union County bills itself as “a suburban treasure,” nothing that it attracts “people from many different lifestyles and backgrounds” who enjoy friendly, small town life. Unfortunately for residents of Richmond Towers, the city’s housing complex for low-income seniors, Plainfield also attracts bed bugs and cockroaches.

Operated by the Housing Authority of Plainfield, the 12-story senior housing complex is overrun by bed bugs and cockroaches, according to NJ.com. While admitting that some work orders may have been missed, building management said they have exterminated for bed bugs several times but can’t seem to get ahead of the infestation and speculated that residents may be bringing bed bugs into the building from senior centers.

The problems at Richmond Towers illustrate the difficult of exterminating bed bugs and cockroaches in apartment buildings. Building management typically relies on residents to prepare their apartments for treatment and clean their clothing and possessions to remove bed bugs and their eggs, an overwhelming task for many residents. If eggs or bugs are missed during cleaning and treatment, infestations can regrow quickly.

It takes persistence, a joint effort between management and residents and an expert licensed New Jersey bed bug exterminator to rid multi-family housing units of bed bugs. Cryonite offers a 2-for-1 punch, killing bed bugs and cockroaches instantly and safely. Visit our website to find out more.