Category Archives: Bed Bugs

Bed Bug Resources, Bed Bugs, News

Dont Let Bed Bugs Disrupt Your Spring Break Plans, Here’s What To Look Out For

Spring Break is Here! Make Sure Bed Bugs are Not!
Spring Break is Here! Make Sure Bed Bugs are Not!

Photos, t-shirts and suntans are great, but bed bugs are one souvenir you don’t want to bring home from spring break. Our NJ pest control experts fill you in on the telltale signs of bed bugs and how to avoid them.

Physical Features and Behavior

Bed bugs are small brown insects approximately the size of an apple seed. They feed on human and animal blood, so they take on a swollen, reddish appearance after feeding.

While bed bugs don’t generally carry diseases, their bites can become itchy and irritated. Bites are usually found around the ankles or other areas where skin is exposed during the night. Other common signs of bed bugs are blood or rust-colored stains on linens, pillows, pajamas and mattresses.

Tips to Avoid Bed Bugs

• Immediately examine the bed, including sheets, blankets, pillowcases, mattress and box springs. Pay close attention to seams and crevices.

• Bed bugs love to latch onto clothing, so check the closet and dresser drawers.

• Keep luggage on a stand or shelf instead of on the floor.

• If you suspect the presence of bed bugs, notify the front desk at once and request a different room.

Bed Bugs Are No Match for NJ Pest Control from Stern Environmental

Removing bed bugs on your own is difficult and frustrating. Contact us for effective and eco-friendly extermination of bed bugs and other pests.

Bed Bug Information, Bed Bug News, Bed Bugs, News

Governor Cuomo Orders Investigation Into Bronx Apartment After Bed Bug Horrors Uncovered

Learn to Recognize the Difference between Harmful and Harmless
Learn to Recognize the Difference between Harmful and Harmless

What happens when your apartment building is plagued with bed bugs requiring NJ pest control, but the government is your landlord? Residents of a government-subsidized apartment building in the Bronx are trying to make their voices heard about insects, rodents and drug dealers putting their health and safety at risk.

“House of Horrors”

In October 2019, residents of a building at 3677 White Plains Road told the New York Daily News they had been complaining for at least a year about critical problems. Apartments were infested with bed bugs, roaches and mice, while heat and hot water were sporadic and drugs were being sold and used in the hallways.

One woman displayed a picture of her 10-year-old daughter’s legs covered with bed bug bites, along with bags of the insects she collected as evidence for a lawsuit against building management. Another woman who lives with her five-year-old grandson said he had also received extensive bed bug bites and she was forced to throw away four large bags of his clothing and shoes.

Governor Demands Action

Upon hearing of the allegations, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo ordered state agencies to make a complete investigation. In addition, Cuomo promised accountability for any wrong-doing on the part of the management company and social services provider.

Stern Environmental: NJ Pest Control Experts

Contact Stern Environmental and let our experienced NJ pest control technicians solve your problem safely and effectively.

Bed Bug Information, Bed Bug News, Bed Bugs, News

Can Your Building Charge You For Bed Bug Treatments? What NYC Renters Should Know

Cities House Large Populations.... and Pests, Too.
Cities House Large Populations…. and Pests, Too.

As a responsible NYC renter, you notify management that your apartment has bed bugs. You’re then presented with a bill for thousands of dollars. Are you required to pay up? Here’s a look at who’s financially liable for NJ pest control.

Landlord vs. Renter: Who’s Responsible?

According to NYC real estate lawyer Bruce A. Cholst, management would have to prove negligence on your part in order to bill you for extermination costs. In the case of bed bugs, negligence would be a specific act such as hoarding or bringing in discarded furniture left outdoors.

Bed Bugs Are All Around

Bed bugs are highly opportunistic, hitching a ride indoors on clothing or in packages, so you could unwittingly be the source. But it’s equally likely that they’ve entered via another tenant, such as through the laundry room or in lobby furniture.

Louis N. Sorkin, an entomologist at the American Museum of Natural History, says it’s difficult for management to create a pre-infestation baseline to prove your actions caused a bed bug problem. Regardless of who’s at fault, it’s in management’s best interest to obtain effective NJ pest control to prevent the infestation from spreading.

Stern Environmental: Providing Effective NJ Pest Control for 17+ Years

Are you feeling helpless against an infestation of bed bugs or other insects? Contact us and let our experienced technicians safely and efficiently restore order to your home.

Bed Bug Information, Bed Bug News, Bed Bugs, News

How To Survive When Your NYC Apartment Has Been Infested By Bedbugs

What Do I Do When Bed Bugs Move In?
What Do I Do When Bed Bugs Move In?

The most effective method of NJ pest control is preventing infestations in the first place. With NYC ranking number two in the country for bed bug infestations, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) offers helpful suggestions for prevention.

Where Are Bed Bugs Found?

Many people hold the mistaken belief that bed bugs are found only in unsanitary homes. In fact, bed bugs make no distinction between clean and dirty conditions. These pests are transmitted by attaching themselves to clothing, packages and other items entering buildings.

While bed bugs aren’t known to transmit disease, they feed on blood, leaving red, itchy welts in their wake. A lesser-known but equally undesirable effect is the stress, anxiety and depression affecting victims of bed bugs.

Tips for Avoiding Bed Bugs

• Don’t furnish your apartment with items left out on the street or in lobbies. If you buy used furniture, check carefully for signs of bed bugs.

• When you travel, whether you stay in a hotel or a friend’s home, inspect the bed and keep your luggage up off the floor.

• Seal cracks and crevices where bed bugs can gain entrance.

• If you find bed bugs, contact a licensed pest control company.

Stern Environmental: 17+ Years of Providing NJ Pest Control

Don’t let bed bugs make you feel helpless. Contact us and let our NJ pest control experts solve the problem.

Bed Bug Detection Dogs, Bed Bug Information, Bed Bug Monitoring Device, Bed Bug News, Bed Bugs, News

NYC Housing Authority Logs 200,000 Bed Bug Complaints In Two Years

Bed Bugs Are a Real Problem in the NYC Metro Area
Bed Bugs Are a Real Problem in the NYC Metro Area

Ever wonder just how big an issue NJ pest control is? During the last two years, the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) has received an incredible 200,000 complaints about bed bugs and roaches in public housing.

Pest Complaints by the Numbers

Data was shared with the New York Daily News by Legal Aid Society, which recently filed a Freedom of Information request with NYCHA. Overall numbers are disturbing:

• Between January and September 2019, Harlem’s Grant Houses logged a total of 1,000 complaints. out of which 894 were for roaches.

• During the same period, the Pomonok Houses in Queens led the way with 156 work orders for bed bug removal. The Wagner and Grant Houses were next with 129 and 106 respectively.

Seeking a Solution

Legal Aid Society is heading up a group of advocates lobbying the state of New York for an additional $2 billion in funding for NYCHA. On the plus side, Legal Aid Society and NYCHA are citing a year-to-year decline in bed bug and roach complaints along with improved response times.

NYCHA spokesperson Rachel Goldblatt says treatment is now focusing on prevention as well as extermination. Bed bug complaints are considered an emergency and receive priority scheduling.

Experienced NJ Pest Control from Stern Environmental

Our trained NJ pest control technicians provide safe and effective extermination for all types of insects and wildlife. Contact Stern Environmental to learn more.