Tag Archives: NJ Pest Control Services

Commercial Services, Green Pest Control, News, Pest Control, Pest Eradication, Pest Management

Asian Lady Beetles Proliferate in the Fall

Asian Lady Beetles

Colorful and harmless ladybugs serve a purpose in the food chain and many cultures consider them signs of good luck. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for their cousins, Asian lady beetles. Our NJ pest control technicians explain why you should be on the lookout for this fall invader.

Difference Between Lady Asian Beetles and Ladybugs

Ladybugs are more accurately known as lady beetles, and their colors and markings are similar to their Asian counterparts. The latter can be distinguished by a white spot behind the head along with a M-shaped black mark.

Why Asian Lady Beetles Are Not Welcome Visitors

As temperatures cool down in fall months, Asian lady beetles join other insects seeking shelter inside warm homes. Once inside, they’re not gracious house guests.

• Unlike the less aggressive native species, Asian lady beetles will bite. While not painful, their bite can result in allergic reactions such as hives, coughing and conjunctivitis, better known as pink eye.

• All lady beetles secrete a yellowish, foul-smelling fluid that can stain walls, furniture and carpeting.

• In rare instances, Asian lady beetles have been eaten by dogs who then developed ulcers in the mouth and esophagus.

Rely on Stern Environmental for Year-Round NJ Pest Control

Our NJ pest control technicians can safely and effectively handle unwanted insect and wildlife visitors from bed bugs and mice to raccoons and squirrels. Contact Stern Environmental to learn more.

Pest Management, Rodent Control

Incredible? Chocolate Being Tested as Rodent Control Bait

Incredible? Chocolate Being Tested as Rodent Control Bait
Incredible? Chocolate Being Tested as Rodent Control Bait

Who doesn’t love the luscious taste of chocolate? Apparently even rodents have a fondness for the sweet treat. Could chocolate become an effective tool in our NJ pest control treatments?

The Lure of Chocolate

In an effort to reduce use of poisons, the biosecurity team in Greater Wellington, NZ has been conducting a novel experiment using chocolate as bait in self-setting rodent traps. Testing is taking place at Te Ahumairangi Hill, a heavily wooded area running through the Town Belt of Wellington.

Results are being tracked by ink-covered cards placed in tunnels to capture footprints. So far the test has been a success, with the rodent population remaining at low levels.

Benefits of “Sweet” Traps

Senior Biosecurity Officer Paul Horton explains the benefits of using chocolate as a rodent lure:

– Birds aren’t attracted to the smell of chocolate, making them less likely to get caught in traps.

– Chocolate bait lasts for six months and traps can kill two dozen rodents before being replaced, reducing the need for staff to spend time checking them.

Urban Ecology Manager Daniela Biaggio adds that this innovative plan is a safe way to maintain diversity of wildlife in an urban environment.

State-of-the-Art NJ Pest Control 

Stern Environmental Group uses the most current and effective methods in our NJ pest control programs. Contact us today to get peace of mind with a pest-free home, office or business.

Pest Management, Rodent Control

Incredible? Canadian SPCA Matches Stray Cats with Farms for Rodent Control

Incredible? Canadian SPCA Matches Stray Cats with Farms for Rodent Control
Incredible? Canadian SPCA Matches Stray Cats with Farms for Rodent Control

A new rodent control program dubbed as ‘incredible’ seems common sense to NJ Pest control experts and the area’s residents.

Career Kitties

The SPCA of Ontario, Canada recently placed an ad looking for an employer for its latest four-legged job candidates. To manage cat overpopulation in the region, the organization is rehoming stray cats that are feral (wild) and incompatible with the in-house, laptop lifestyle of the typical housecat.

These furry felines are being relocated to warehouses, breweries, and farms where they can serve as rodent control. However, demand for the kitties is low at a time when the SPCA is experiencing an influx of felines: The long, cold winter weather that makes suitable shelter scarce.

Seeking Full-Time, Feline-Friendly Work

Though the program has been around since 2015, it has been expanding annually, and currently at about 50 cats per year. What the stray kitties lack in cuddles, they are said to more than make up for with their rodent maintenance capacities.

As many cat-lovers know, the idea of using cats for mouse monitoring is far from novel. However, the program is doing a wonderful job of meeting the increased need to humanely control cat overpopulation in a region where over twice as many cats are admitted to shelters as dogs.

Cat lying down on the job? Rid yourself of rodents now. Contact your NJ pest control team at Stern Environmental today.