BED BUGS ON THE OFFICE

It is funny to see how bed bugs have made it back into pop culture. It was only 10 years ago when you would mention bed bugs and almost get laughed at, it was 6 years ago when you had to scramble to find product labeled for these pests and get your facility management and apartment and hotel managers to take the problem seriously, and here we are in 2012 and we are watching bed bug references on the popular television show, The Office.

I say the more media coverage the better, let's get the EPA to tune in and see the hysterics and maybe they will lessen their stance on reviving older chemistry or approving some new products a bit more fast tracked. The Bed Bug epidemic is spreading like wildfire and costing folks their savings and sanity.

Don't let the bed bugs bite..

Click on the fastest way to kill bedbugs for more info.

Termite Season

Once upon a time, there was a couple two, three weeks that was know in the industry as the "swarm season". We are not too far away from this time of year. It was a time of year that would make or break many pest control companies, a time of year when new hires were brought on board and overtime was the norm. The lovely sound of phones ringing off the hook and panic stricken customers wanted someone to come out to inspect "with in the hour"!
Then a product called Termidor was introduced to the market, a termiticide unlike any other. You could treat the termites over here, and get a great kill over there. In fact, entire colonies of termites were eliminated. The swarm season started to become more and more quiet. Soon, the swarm season disappeared. Don't get me wrong, there was still plenty of termite work out there, you just had to look for them in a different way.
Was this lull in swarm activity due to a product or just a glitch in the biological spectrum? Termites have been around for millions of years. Maybe over the centuries there is time when they go into a dormancy for a short time, and then bang, they are back.
We shall see in a month or two...termite season here we come!

Giant Roaches

Aren't roaches supposed to be small and brown? Why all of a sudden am I seeing large, super large, roaches around the house? Then, the unimaginable happens. One of these roaches fly at me.
That's the story I used to get from families as they call in a panic looking for help. Sounds like these families  are experiencing a problem with American Roaches. Aside from treating the home, I would ask if they have done any plumbing work inside or outside the home. Usually these roaches are introduced into a home via a broken sewer pipe or if there is any excavation work close to the home. The other possibility is if a neighbor in a row home or condo has a problem like the one described above, and the bugs are overflowing into your home.
So if you suddenly start to see these large roaches in the home, call your pest professional and check your plumbing.

Seal those holes for Mice

Walking the perimeter of your home can bring many things to your attention to add to your "to do" list. One thing that should be on that list is sealing of any holes around the home. Cables, pipes, and wires entering the home can all be super highways that allow mice to enter if there is the slightest of a gap around them. Also areas like under the entrance and garage doors are areas of concern. If there is too big a gap then your doors might as well be wide open as mice can get under and enter the home at will. Weather stips at the bottom of doors can help. Don't forget to look up as well. Siding or flashing pulling away from the home can be entrance points for rodents and should be closed up if possible. So to sum it all up. Tighten the home up and keep the mice out.

Bed Bugs in Hotels

Bed bugs are prevalent in hotels. They travel just like us, in fact, they travel with us. So what's an unsuspecting vacationer or business travel person to do when checking into their home away from home? First thing is first. Put your bags right into the bathtub, and if you are able to live out of your suit cases for the trip I would recommend just leaving your suit cases in the bathroom. Keep as much as you can in there. What is the reasoning behind this? Bed bugs are opportunistic. They usually hang out on the mattress, or on the foot and head boards in the hotel room . This is the area you want to inspect upon check in before you do anything. Pull the headboard carefully off the wall and look behind it. Any bugs? Pull the covers off and the sheets down to the bare mattress, look for bugs. If nothing is found, you are most likely safe. Now at bedtime, check your body to make sure you have no bite marks, do the same when you wake up. If there is anything new on your body then it is possible that you were bitten by bed bugs. Usually the bites will leave blood marks on your sheets. If you find this you should let the hotel know and get another room. Part two of this series will deal with packing up and going home without taking these creepy crawlers with you.

If You Give A Mouse A ...

The popular children's book, If You Give A Mouse A Cookie, demonstrates the popularity of mice. Mice are famous, pop icons like Jerry from Tom and Jerry and the top of the list, Mickey Mouse, dominate our culture and is a clear sign that people take kindly to the character of a mouse. But just how great are mice in the real world? Not so great. Mice are deadly. Major disease, gnawing on wires, and destruction of millions of dollars worth of food, are all examples of the darker side of the pop icons mentioned above. It is important to keep these rodents under control so that the darker side is kept under wraps and we can be allowed to enjoy the more popular figures like Mikey.