Monthly Archives: May 2014

Bed Bug Monitoring Device, Bed Bug Monitors, Bed Bugs, Commercial Services, Insect Control, News, Pest Control

How Has Bed Bug Control Changed?

Bed bugs live up to their name … and then some. Though  they’re most associated with an infestation of bed sheets and mattresses, these tiny and irritating pests also show up on sofas and other furniture in the home, and may also frequent restaurants, schools, camps and other places people gather.

Beyond setting up shop and breeding in your environment, bed bugs have a specific goal – to feed on as much blood as they can get from the humans and pets in the home. It takes more than a can of bug spray to eradicate these predators. It takes the power of today’s solutions, such as Cryonite®, a carbon dioxide treatment that kills bed bugs by rapid freezing, yet is non-toxic to humans and pets in the home.

Even after Cryonite kills bed bugs already hatched, it goes on to destroy the insects in all life stages including eggs that other insecticide treatments do not kill. Other technology, like bed bug monitors, helps identify potential infestation before it can take hold.

Is bed bug control for you?
If you’ve noticed the signs of bed bugs in your home or business – the eggs are tiny organisms the size of a grain of rice, and hatched bed bugs are tiny, reddish creatures about a quarter-inch long – then it’s time to rely on the proven services of a leading bed bug control expert in NYC and NJ.

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

What Do Bed Bug Bites Look Like?

Bed bugs are nocturnal invaders, doing their feeding when it is dark and quiet, and they stay hidden within bedding, furniture, cracks and crevices during the day. Being very small, there is a good chance they could go unnoticed, if not for telltale signs such as rust-like stains and bug debris on bedding or bed bug bites on your skin.

Identifying the Bite

It’s not always easy to identify bed bug bites because they are similar to mosquito or flea bites. Additionally, the stealthy nuisance injects an anesthetic so you don’t even feel the attack. Bites appear in groups or clusters as small inflamed welts that are red and itch for several days. The irritation is caused by a salivary protein injected when bitten. People exposed to bites over a period of time might experience symptoms of nervousness and sleeplessness.

Bed Bug Control

The bites might not have come from bed bugs on your property. Instead, they could have been at a hotel or public area recently visited. They are prolific hitchhikers, so it’s likely that if you’ve come into contact with them, they have come into contact with your bag, suitcase or clothing. Don’t let a potential problem become an infestation. If you have reason to believe your property might have been exposed to bed bugs, call the professionals at Stern Environmental Group for fast, non-toxic bed bug control.

Bed Bug Information, Bed Bug Resources, Bed Bugs, Disease Carrying Pests, Insect Control, News, Pest Control, Pest Eradication

How Did People Treat Bed Bugs In The 1940’s

The common bed bug has been an extermination problem since ancient times. In the 1940’s, many of the methods being used for bed bug control were only temporary deterrents, while more effective measures were as dangerous to humans as bugs.

  • Spring cleaning – With colder months limiting bed bug production, spring was the time to scrub bed frames, furniture and walls with boiling water. Bed sheets were washed regularly in boiling water.
  • Bug proofing – Wooden bed frames where bed bugs could hide were replaced with metal frames. Porous flooring and wallpapers were removed, and even doors and window frames were changed to metal.
  • Insecticides – Some fumigation techniques used blends of hydrogen cyanide or arsenic and mercury, and exterminators needed to wear gas masks. During World War II, the U.S. began using a chemical spray called dichloro-diphenyl trichloroethane (DDT) to protect soldiers from lice, flies and mosquitoes that carried disease. It was found to be very effective in killing bed bugs directly, with the added advantage of causing residual damage anywhere the dry agent was carried. As is the case with most insecticides, however, over time bed bugs developed a resistance to the product.

Extreme temperatures are the best bed bug control agent, but unless you can maintain an area at -110 F or +110 F over a period of time, it’s best to call Stern Environmental Group for professional assistance.

Bed Bug Information, Bed Bug Monitoring Device, Bed Bug Resources, Bed Bugs, Insect Control, Pest Control

Make Sure Bed Bugs Don’t Return Home with Your College Student

An attorney for students at the University of Texas at Arlington, Keisha Ware has been complaining about unresponsive landlords who fail to protect her clients from bed bug infestations. In the past year, Ware’s bed bug-battling student clients have lived in both on-campus and off-campus apartments. While UT responds to bed bug complaints on its properties, the campus newspaper The Shorthorn indicates that it takes time to schedule pest control treatment. Response by off-campus landlords can be considerably less helpful.

Bed Bugs on Campus

Unless your child is a student at UTA, why is this news important? Because college students are on their way home for the summer and what is happening in Texas is happening in college communities across the U.S. Bed bugs have become a serious and repetitive problem on college campuses, infesting dormitories and on- and off-campus apartments. If bed bug activity has been reported on your child’s college campus (and even if it hasn’t been), he could be bringing bed bugs or bed bug eggs home with him when he returns home.

Protect Your Family

You can help prevent bed bugs from migrating from your child’s laundry and possessions into your home, but taking the precautions outlined in our article on bed bugs on campus. If you see any indication of bed bugs, call the bed bug extermination experts at Stern for professional identification and treatment.