Great Info Tips » exterminators

Do it yourself bed bug control…why it’s not a good idea

Rosie — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 22:53:16 +0000

The Center for Disease Control recently published a report informing the public about misuse of pest control materials to get rid of bedbugs. The report states 1 person died and over 100 got ill from using pesticides on their own to kill bedbugs. This was between 2003 and 2010. This report is in the weekly report of the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality report.

The most common reason for these illnesses was overuse of the pesticides. Human toxicity can happen when consumers don’t read the labels and follow directions when applying the materials. Pyrethroids and Pyrethrins were used and implicated in 99 of 111 illnesses reported.

The CDC is urging consumers to have certified professional exterminators treat the bedbug situations. When choosing an exterminator make sure the company is licensed to treat bedbugs.

Don’t Let the Bed Bugs Bite Act of 2009

Rosie — Thu, 21 May 2009 01:37:42 +0000

That’s right. There is an act in Congress that would require public housing agencies to submit bedbug inspection plans to the federal government. This would add bedbugs to the rodent and cockroach program in the Department of Health and Human Services. Research would be required of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There is a valid need to research bedbugs’ impact on the public mental health. People have been having anxiety, insomnia, feeling shamed because bedbugs have invaded their homes even though they are “clean” freaks, and the incessant annoyance of itchy red welts on the skin should bedbugs come in contact with their bodies.

Democratic Representative G.K. Butterfield of North Carolina just introduced legislation that would authorize $50 million that’s already in the budget of the Department of Commerce to train health inspectors how to recognize the signs of these nasty pests. His co-sponsors include Reps. Don Young, Republican from Alaska, Ben Chandler, Democrat from Kentucky, Bobby L. Rush, Democrat from Illinois, Betty McCollum, Democrat from Minnesota, Corrine Brown, Democrat from Florida, Steven Cohen, Democrat from Tennessee, Brad Miller, Democrat from North Carolina, and Eddie Bernice Johnson, Democrat from Texas. Butterfield has also gotten support from the National Pest Management Association. The NPMA stated that bedbug calls to pest control companies are up 70% in the past 5 years. Pesticides from years ago were able to kill off the bedbugs, but the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) discontinued certain pesticides because they were felt to be too hazardous. Bedbugs have built up a tolerance to the pesticides used today by most exterminators. More research needs to be done to have a better plan of attack to keep the bedbugs from becoming a worldwide infestation.

Birds pecking at your windows?

Rosie — Sat, 16 May 2009 14:41:18 +0000

There’s a reason they do this. They see a reflection of another bird in your window and since they have already “claimed” this area as their own, they are trying to attack this bird. It doesn’t matter how often they fly into your window or peck at it, they will continue doing so until you do something about it. There are some options: put wet newspapers on the outside of the window so they can’t see a reflection. Tie helium balloons near your window to scare away the birds. You can pull down the shades or close the drapes. Some people put tin foil pie pans near the windows to chase away the birds. You can buy these pans at the local dollar store. Or you can use some tin foil strips and dangle them at the windows. While the birds are nesting they are protective of their area, so once the eggs have hatched this pecking should stop. It can be very annoying since the noise can give you a headache. Most species of birds are protected, so you do need to be careful what you do. One other thing: pest control exterminators do not have a spray to get rid of the birds. There is nothing they can do beyond tell you what I have mentioned above.

Bedbug Summit – More information on these pests

Rosie — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 23:25:14 +0000

Just this past week there was a National Bed Bug Summit held just outside of Washington, D.C. The EPA is looking into educating the public about the outbreak of a bed bug infestation not seen since W.W.II. Press coverage of this nasty pest escalated within the past few days. More will be reported by the end of April. There have been some discussions of perhaps having the EPA bring back some of the chemicals that have been banned for years. Those chemicals seemed to be able to annihilate bedbugs.

Bedbugs are hitchhikers, coming into your home from clothing, bedding, luggage or furniture. An infestation does not mean you have a filthy home. The fact is bedbugs like to hide and are seldom seen unless you know what you are looking for. Bedbugs are about 1/4 inch long, small, brown, oval, and flat. They feed on human and animal blood. Secretive, they will hide in mattresses, on frames, box springs, in electrical outlets, alarm clocks, phones, clothing, behind pictures, behind curtains and drapes, and other furniture. Check the linens on bed for telltale reddish or dark brown spots. You will also need to check your body as there will be some bite marks mostly on your waist, but also your arms and legs. Bedbugs do not fly, but they can quickly scurry around. They prefer to stay close to the host- YOU!

Prevention measures to take include inspecting of all furniture before it enters your home, especially anything bought second hand. Reduce clutter to minimize hiding spaces. Wash all clothing in hot soapy water immediately after traveling. Suitcases must be vacuumed and scrubbed after traveling. You can leave your suitcase in a closed up car on a hot summer day or wrap it in plastic in the freezer to kill any bedbugs. Shoes and other items that cannot be washed can also be treated this way.

Bedbugs can be treated, but you cannot take this lightly. A treatment must be very thorough. You should have a trained exterminator do the treatment. Call a reliable pest control company to do a free inspection if you do suspect bedbugs.

BEES AND WASPS

Rosie — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 23:16:29 +0000

There are precautions to take around bees and wasps. First of all, you must remain calm even it the situation gets tense. Avoid any perfumes, after shaves, colognes and scented soaps. Don’t dress like a flower! Bright colored or dark clothing is not good. White or light tan clothing is best. A bee suit is the best outfit to wear. You need to cover your entire body when you are ready to treat a nest. Coveralls are a second choice, along with gloves and a bee veil. Note the location of any overhead power lines if you are using a ladder or a bee pole. Make sure you plan an escape route if you have to make a quick getaway. Move quietly, slowly, avoid making noise, don’t vibrate the nest by walking heavily, and don’t use a flashlight or cast a shadow on the nest. Be extremely careful if you have to use a ladder since the only way to get away is straight down. If you do get stung, brush off the bee or wasp, and quickly but calmly get away from the area.

First Aid for stings: Wash the sting area to remove the attractant of pheromones that were left on you by the stinging bee or wasp. This attracts other bees or wasps to you. That’s why some people get stung many times at once. Honeybees leave the stinger behind with the venom sac attached. The stinger can then continue to pump venom into the wound. Get the stinger out by either pinching it or scraping the stinger off. The longer it stays in you the more venom is released, leaving a larger welt. Yellow jackets and other wasps don’t leave the stinger in your skin, so they can sting you again and again.

For all stings: Wash the area with soap and water to remove any venom on the skin surface. Put ice on the area to reduce the initial pain and minimize swelling. To reduce pain and itch you can use products such as an analgesic, antihistamine, Benadryl, or cortisone creams. If you notice any signs of allergic reactions consult a doctor. Allergic reactions could appear within 30 minutes of the stings depending on the number of stings a person gets. Reactions can inculde redness, hives, and loss of breath.

Caution around any bees nest is first and foremost. If you don’t feel you can handle bee or wasps nests, call a professional exterminator. As for nest inside walls of the home, it’s best to have a professional handle that since it may be a lot bigger than you think it is.

Stink Bugs

Rosie — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 23:22:02 +0000

Yes, that is their name. And they do smell if you squish them! Accidentally brought into the United States through the Eastern part of Pennsylvania in a shipment of products from overseas, these bugs are becoming very plentiful. They get into our homes, fly in our faces, and are just highly annoying. Yet, there isn’t much that can be done to eliminate them. Exterminators tell us they can “control” stink bugs from getting into your home, but the shells on the stink bugs will not permit any poisons from killing them quickly.

What can we do to keep them out of our homes? Cracks around windows, doors, siding, utility pipes, air conditioning units, behind chimneys (and inside them) and underneath the wooden fascia and other openings need to be sealed with silicone or caulk. Torn screens on doors and windows need to be replaced or repaired. An exterior treatment of pesticides might help keep some of the stink bugs from coming inside the home. However, this kind of treatment should be done by a licensed pest control exterminator. Once stink bugs do get inside the home you might find them crawling out from cracks in the walls, floors, baseboards, around windows, around fans and lights in the ceiling. Using a vacuum cleaner to “catch” the bugs is ok, but once you get a lot of them in the vacuum cleaner bag you will get a terrible odor emitting from the bag. Also, some bugs may find their way back out of the vacuum cleaner. If there aren’t too many stink bugs inside your home, catch each one in a tissue and then flush the bugs down the sink or the toilet. Using an insecticide inside the home for stink bugs is not advisable. If you have too many stink bugs around, call a professional exterminator.

BED BUGS

Rosie — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 00:32:10 +0000

Bed bugs are becoming an infestation in the United States. Recently there have been many occurrences in motels, hotels, and people’s homes. Traveling by plane from other countries, people are bringing these pests home with them. Staying in infested motels and hotels people can unknowingly bring home unwelcome “guests” in their suitcases.

Bedbugs can live for up to a year without a blood host. They prefer to cluster together in hiding spots. Beds are most popular with bedbugs, hence their name. This is where the host is for a long time during the dark of night when the bedbugs will come out and feast. They will remain as close to the host as possible.

Bedbugs don’t like extreme heat, so steaming the bed, mattress, drapes, around pictures on the walls, in the closet, in the suitcases, and around the entire room, concentrating on any cracks and crevices where the bugs may hide is best. Make sure to do the entire bed, tearing off the liner of the box spring to treat that area also. This steam cleaning is an integrated approach to pest control.

If you are intent on tossing out that infected mattress, you will need to cover it with plastic before taking it out of your home. Otherwise you will infect other areas of your home with the bedbugs that will drop off the mattress as you drag it from room to room. Bag all the linens in the room before removing them from the room to launder.

If you feel this is too much to handle on your own, consult a pest control specialist. Using a small pest control company may not be the answer. Try a nationally known company for best results.