Category Archives: Ticks

Bed Bug Information, Disease Carrying Pests, Pest Control, Spiders, Ticks, Yellow Jackets

“What’s Biting Me?” Tips to Diagnosing Bug Bites

It’s bug season on the east coast, so ask yourself what’s the nearest pest control service near me. Unfortunately, it’s also the time for bug bites. Most everyone at some time, is going to get bitten by a bug, and although we can’t cover every single bug that might bite you, here is what to look for to determine what’s biting you.

• Mosquito Bite — Generally a big red itchy welt. Probably the most common bite of all.

• Tick Bite — You’ll usually find a tick attached to your skin when they bite. After the bite, if you have a big red bulls-eye type of welt, it may be a sign of Lyme’s Disease.

• Wasp/Bee Sting — Swelling in the area with a tiny red dot in the middle.

• Flea Bites — Generally a cluster of little reddened bites.

• Bed Bug Bites — Itchy red bites that don’t usually swell, usually on the shoulders and arms.

• Chigger Bites — Itchy red welts near the feet or ankles. They stay attached for a day or two, so you may catch one in the act.

• Spider Bites — A brown recluse will leave a flattened red mark where it bit, while a black widow will leave fang marks. If bitten by either spider, seek medical assistance immediately.

When asking what’s the best pest control near me, the answer is Stern’s Environmental. For any questions about bug bites, bugs and how to get rid of them, contact Stern’s.

Disease Carrying Pests, Insect Control, News, Pest Control, Ticks

Anaplasmosis From Ticks Lands More in the Hospital than Lyme Disease

Tick
Tick Born Diseases

Anaplasmosis can be a “ticklish” disease that can result in a visit to the hospital. Its cause is ticks, which are very mobile as they use a variety of hosts, such as squirrels, wildlife and outdoor pets, to carry them in and around the home.

Anaplasmosis versus Lyme Disease

The black-legged tick is responsible for the spread of anaplasmosis, It’s also the carrier of Lyme disease, which causes illness but is less severe than anaplasmosis.

In current studies in Vermont, people contracting Lyme disease have about a 3 percent chance of being hospitalized. For those infected with anaplasmosis, the percentage rises to a significant 34 percent chance of being hospitalized.

Symptoms

Unlike Lyme disease that results in a visible rash similar to that of a bulls-eye, anaplasmosis symptoms are easily confused with other types of health issues. With anaplasmosis, you can expect to have muscle aches accompanied by joint pain, fever, and a headache.

As the number of anaplasmosis cases rise in Vermont, other state authorities and health agencies must also be on the lookout for an increase in the black-legged tick population as well as more cases involving hospitalization.

For help with tick infestations in your home or yard, you need the help of a qualified NYC pest control company. At Stern Environmental Group, we have the experience needed in a NYC pest control company to eliminate ticks. Contact our staff for an inspection.

News, Pest Control, Ticks

The Tick Primer: Common Ticks Found in New Jersey

NJ Ticks Carry Pathogens
NJ Ticks Carry Pathogens

Ticks have become one of the most feared biting pests — they are not insects, and are, in fact, related to spiders and scorpions — because of their ability to transmit Lyme Disease. But of the most common ticks in the New Jersey area, only one of them transmits the disease, and the others are relatively harmless when they bite.

Lone Star Tick

This tick is so named because adult females, the ones who bite, have a small white spot on their backs, which essentially looks like a little star. Males and nymphs have no star, and all of their bodies are rounded.

American Dog Tick

This is another harmless tick that has an oblong body shape. Adult females have a white collar across the top of their backs, while adult males have blotches of white on theirs. Nymphs are a uniform dark color.

Blacklegged Tick

Of the common ticks found around New Jersey, this is the tick that carries Lyme Disease. Only the females and nymphs feed and therefore, transmit the disease to a human host. They have a teardrop shape, and females have a dark red lower abdomen. Nymphs are uniformly reddish-brown in color

For more information on ticks in the New Jersey area, contact the  Stern Environmental Group. We have the latest on how to identify and protect yourself against these pests, and we can answer all of your tick related concerns.

Disease Carrying Pests, Insect Control, News, Pest Control, Ticks

Yikes – 10% of Those Infected with the Powassan Virus Carried by NJ Ticks Will Die

NJ Ticks
NJ Ticks

The newest tick-borne illness to watch for is called the Powassan Virus. The first signs of this infection are showing up in the New Jersey area, and it is proving to have a 10% mortality rate of those who are afflicted. Because it is a virus, just like a cold or flu, there is no immediate cure. You’ll have to weather the storm, with help from your local doctor or hospital, until the virus runs its course. Here is what to look for if you become infected.

Warning Signs

Much like Lyme disease, people infected with the Powassan Virus will exhibit signs of fever, a rash where the tick was attached and headaches. If antibiotics are given, but the symptoms do not go away, the chances are that the person has been infected with the Powassan Virus.

Prevention is the Only Cure

Not being bitten by a tick that harbors the virus is the only real cure. Always check your body after being outside, particularly in places like arm pits, navels and on your head. Spray your clothing with a 20% to 30% deet-based insect repellent before going outside, and avoid contact with bushy or woody areas where ticks might be lurking.

For more information on ticks, the Powassan Virus and the ways of prevention, please contact Stern Environmental Group. We have the answers to all of your tick and Powassan Virus related questions.

Ticks

New Tick Disease Threatens NYC and NJ

Beware. If you go for a hike in the woods, you could bring home a new tick disease that has hospitalized victims in Missouri. Discovered by researchers from Missouri Western State University and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the new disease is carried by lone star ticks.

Named the Heartland Virus, the new tick virus travels through the victim’s blood. Ticks become infected as larvae when they feed on virus-infected birds and animals. When larvae mature into adults they can transmit the virus to humans. The greatest risk of infection occurs in the spring and early summer. While New York and New Jersey are home to several tick species, lone star ticks are more likely to attack humans.

Distinguish by a single white dot, or “lone star,” on the female’s back, lone star ticks are reddish brown with flat, oval bodies. Small, just 1/6 to 1/4 inch long before feeding, they double in size when engorged. Previously relegated to southern states, the lone star tick has gradually expanded its territory. It is now found throughout the Midwest and in coastal regions along the Eastern Seaboard as far north as Maine. All of New Jersey and the southern half of New York State are affected by this new threat. Because these ticks are sensitive to sunlight they are typically found hiding in low-growing vegetation in shady, wooded areas.