Monthly Archives: February 2014

Bed Bug Information, Bed Bug News, Bed Bugs, Pest Control, Pest Management

Manhattan Workers ‘Getting Eaten Alive’ by Bed Bugs

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An employee’s itchy shoulder led to the discovery of a bed bug infestation at the New York Department of Financial Services in Lower Manhattan not long ago. As reported by the New York Daily News, when Verna Fulton took a look at her shoulder she found it covered in nasty red welts, the result of bed bug bites.

“I said, ‘What on Earth? We’re getting eaten alive in here!’” Fulton said.

Fulton wasn’t the only worker bitten. Even worse, employees found out this wasn’t the first time bed bugs had been reported in the building. DFS employees were understandably angry when they discovered that the government complex was known to have a bed bug problem before DFS started moving its employees into the building.

The incident illustrates one of the most frustrating problems building managers face in trying to control bed bugs. These tiny apple seed sized insects are able to slip through small cracks and hide where typical pest control products can’t reach them. An exterminator unfamiliar with treating bed bugs is likely to miss a few and fail to make the repeated return trips necessary to kill newly hatched nymphs.

Cryonite offers a faster, safer, more effective method of exterminating bed bugs. A state-of-the-art, non-toxic method bed bug and roach method popular in Europe, Cryonite instantly kills bed bugs and their eggs with penetrating carbon dioxide snow. Visit our website to find out how Cryonite works.

Cockroaches, Commercial Services, Disease Carrying Pests, Insect Control, Pest Control, Pest News

Cockroaches Shut Down Chicken Plant Linked to Salmonella Outbreak

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Discovery of a massive cockroach infestation prompted federal inspectors to shut down a Foster Farms chicken-processing plant in California last month. The plant was one of several Foster Farms plants linked to an outbreak of antibiotic-resistant salmonella that sickened more than 400 people last summer. According to a CBS News report, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said the plant would remain closed until the company identified the source of the cockroach infestation and exterminated the pests.

One of the most significant problem pests in the food and restaurant industries, cockroaches carry and transmit dozens of disease organisms harmful to humans, including salmonella. Bacteria and parasitic worms cling to the insect’s body and are found in its feces and saliva. As cockroaches scurry across counters, tables and floors, they transmit these pathogens through their saliva and feces.

Cockroaches live in large colonies, often hidden in wall voids or behind counters where infestations can be difficult to find and treat. Never spray cockroaches with household pesticides. This may kill a few roaches but merely causes the bulk of the insect colony to relocate; making them more difficult to kill. For complete extermination, the source of the infestation must be found and the entire cockroach population eliminated.

Don’t place your business at risk; call Stern and ask about our superior commercial cockroach control services in the greater New York City and northern New Jersey areas.

Insect Control, Pest Control, Residential Services, Termites

Schedule Termite Inspections Now

Termites damage hundreds of thousands of U.S. buildings, causing more than $1.5 billion in structural damage every year. In the greater New York City and northern New Jersey area, one in five buildings will be attacked by termites. Scheduling an annual termite inspection by a licensed commercial termite extermination expert is your best protection against termite damage. The time to schedule your commercial termite inspection is now before colonies begin to reproduce and spread.

Typically, Eastern subterranean termites, the only termites found in our region, start launching reproductives in March; but a lengthy unseasonable warm spell could trigger the process earlier. You want to make sure your property is inspected and protected well before colonies start expanding. Early treatment can both minimize damage to your building and prevent termite colonies from spreading to additional locations on your property.

Termites are continuously active throughout the year. Living deep underground below the frost line where the temperature is a balmy 55 degrees F. year-round, termite colonies are unaffected by the cold and snow. Social insects, termites live in huge colonies that can number in the millions. In one year, a mature colony of just 60,000 termites can devour more than two lineal feet of pine 2×4 — and termite colonies are typically much larger. Left untreated, a termite infestation can eventually cause structural collapse.

Don’t place your commercial property at risk, call Stern today to schedule your annual termite inspection.