Archive for September, 2011

The Battle of the Bed Bug

Wednesday, September 28th, 2011

You’ve all heard about them—bed bugs—those sneaky, near-microscopic bugs that hitch a ride into your home uninvited and cause all kinds of mischief.

This past year, bed bugs have taken up residence in homes, hotels, and businesses across the United States. Los Angeles and other west-coast metropolitan areas are no exception.

While New York City remains the nation’s bed bug capital, cities along the west coast such as Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco are becoming breeding hotspots because of California’s alluring temperate climate, significant population in inner city areas, and dense residential communities. All places beg bugs love to live!

These resilient pests are excellent hitch hikers and easily ‘leap’ from one target to the next at hotels and/or public transit. These pests are often transferred from clothing to furniture, and once inside your home, these unwanted roommates begin venturing out to feed and multiply.

While they do not transmit disease, they leave evidence of their bites—large, itchy swellings on the skin similar to bites from mosquitoes, fleas, or spiders. In addition to welts, bed bugs may also leave bloodstains or droppings on linens where you sleep.

But don’t think you can easily spot bed bugs running rampant in your home. Bed bugs like to hide and because of their small size can do so just about anywhere—in clothing, furniture, electrical outlets, under wallpaper, mattresses, air conditioning vents, and in any crack or crevice.

As bed bugs become more pervasive, it’s almost impossible to know where they’ll show up next. Don’t let your home become their home too. Keep the pests at bay by staying vigilant and checking bedding, clothing, and material furniture.

Early detection is key. If you see signs of a problem, don’t waste time and money by trying to exterminate the bugs on your own. Hire a licensed and qualified pest professional to eradicate these pests. You can prevent infestations by:

  • Monitoring daily for pests.
  • Fully inspecting your suitcases prior to re-packing for a return home from traveling. Also, wash clothing and bedding at warm temperatures after returning from travel.
  • Purchasing mattress and pillow encasements. These bed bug proof enclosures are extremely affordable and provide a tight seal around your box spring, mattress and pillows.
  • Keeping children’s backpacks in plastic bags or closed storage bins. At minimum, do not leave backpacks in or near bedrooms.
  • College students should inspect dormitory mattress seams, particularly at the corners, for telltale stains or spots before putting sheets on the bed. Students should also thoroughly inspect the entire room before unpacking, including behind the headboard and in sofas/chairs. If anything suspect is found, immediately contact a university facility manager.

Inspect and Protect Week is just a week away! Be sure to check back each day next week for more tips on keeping your home pest-free.

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The Ants Go Marching In…By the Thousands

Monday, September 26th, 2011

Summer showers are not only bringing flowers this season but also a flurry of ants to the Southeastern region of the United States.

As Florida residents are baffled by the dramatic spikes in infestation, experts say the rain may be to blame.

“What’s happening is after it rains, they’re going to send out swarmers, kings and queens – starting a new colony,” said Craig Carlson, of All “U” Need Pest Control.

Frequent and heavy rain is forcing these creepy crawlers to search for higher ground, making your home a prime target.

Several types of ants have been reported invading homes and yards across the state, including Pyramid Ants and Florida Ants which can be classified into three groups: house infesting, yard infesting, and carpenter ants.

In search of dry shelter, food and water, these tiny creatures can be spotted emerging from cracks and crannies, swarming indoors and contaminating food. These few ants aren’t operating alone; armies of hundreds or possibly thousands of unseen ants may be marching in and around your home. They create an undesirable situation by colonizing in structures, causing costly and dangerous damage to homes and property.

Don’t leave your home untreated and vulnerable to these pests. Follow these tips for an ant-free home:

  • Seal cracks and crevices to avoid entry.
  • Treat pest problems with the appropriate pesticide or herbicide product to effectively remove the problem.
  • Have a professional pest control operator check your home every three months.
  • At the onset of an invasion, act immediately to control and eliminate pests.

Learning how to keep your home pest-free is important to maintaining a healthy home. Learn more about other steps you can take to ensure a pest-free home by visiting Debug the Myths.

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Lyme Disease is Taking a Toll

Wednesday, September 21st, 2011

As autumn approaches, many people are excited to spend time outdoors with family, friends, and pets, enjoying rays of sunshine and cool breezes.  However, before you run outside, spend some time to get educated about the risks of tick-borne illnesses, especially Lyme disease.  Residents of the Northeast should be on high-alert, due to high populations of deer that are prone to carry ticks with this potentially deadly disease.

The Northeast one of the most heavily tick-infested areas of the United States, along with mid-Atlantic and upper-Midwest, due to large presence of deer in close proximately to humans.  Outdoor recreation is one of the easiest ways to come in contact with ticks, especially when camping and hiking and heavily wooded areas. Lyme disease is passed to humans through a bite from an infected deer tick, and cannot be passed any other way.  During the past 15 years, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the incidence of Lyme disease has tripled to almost 40,000 cases per year.  That’s a lot of tick bites!

Dr. Harriet Kotsoris, a medical director at Time for Lyme, Inc. stresses the importance of early diagnosis and treatment to reduce the risk of spreading to other parts of the body. The good news is that acting fast in earlier stages leads to the disease being almost always readily cured.

If you are a resident of a state in the Northeast, you might be wondering how you can battle these tiny creatures this summer. Take the time to follow some of these simple steps from Medical News Today for the next time you head outdoors; it may make all the difference. To protect yourself from deer ticks:

  • Wear light-colored clothing. This allows you to spot ticks more easily.
  • Wear a hat and long-sleeved shirt. Tuck your clothes in, shirts into pants and pants into socks.
  • Use an insect repellant on exposed skin.
  • When hiking, stay in the middle of the trails, and try to avoid underbrush, fallen trees, and tall grass.
  • Always perform a tick check when returning in from outdoors or when outdoors for extended periods of time.

    Make sure to keep a close eye out for these sneaky little bugs. To learn more about Lyme disease and its treatments, visit the American Lyme Disease Foundation’s website.

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    Summertime: We seek to stay cool and hydrated, and so do pests

    Monday, September 19th, 2011

    It’s been one hot summer.  Months of record high temperatures have brought waves of intense heat, leaving much of the Southwestern United States in severe and extreme drought.

    Such hot and dry conditions often send pests on a mission to find water, which unfortunately sends them into our homes and living spaces. These conditions have caused ants in particular to be a major problem this year for homeowners, along with spiders, scorpions, and hornets.

    In Texas, where exceptional drought covers more than 75 percent of the state, the Rasberry Crazy Ant has been rapidly increasing its range throughout the southeast region with the intent on making our homes and yards an ant hill. This invasive species is seeking water and food sources and continues to multiply, spreading through everyday activities such as garbage disposal or the transfer of infested materials.

    These tiny pests have already wrecked havoc in cities like Houston, causing a greater problem than simply being an annoyance. While these creepy crawlers are not known to bite, they have a tendency to nest in air conditioning vents, washer and dryer outs and other electric equipment, potentially causing costly structural and electrical damage to homes and other buildings.

    To help keep a home free of these pesky critters, a good tip is to limit standing water inside and around the house—including sinks, flower pots, bird baths, and rain gutters.

    Protect your home by sealing cracks and repairing leaky lines. Watch out for the first signs of invasions, and treat the problem before it gets out of control.

    Don’t fall victim of pests. National Inspect and Protect Week is just a couple weeks away, so stay tuned to Debug the Myths, for more tips and information about controlling pests in your home environment.  Contact us if you have any questions about pest problems in your region.

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    2011 Inspect and Protect Week is October 3-7

    Monday, September 12th, 2011

    Debug the Myths and RISE announce the second annual National Inspect and Protect Week, October 3-7, a week dedicated to helping homeowners better understand how to protect their homes, lawns and communities from insects, rodents and weeds that cause health problems and property damage.

    Leading up to National Inspect and Protect Week, our blog will focus regionally, with weekly posts featuring hot-topic and common pest issues, such as Lyme disease watch outs in the Northeast, increasing ant problems in the Southeast, and the overpopulation of bedbugs in the West.  We’ll also introduce you to region-specific experts providing advice and insights on the pests particular to specific parts of the country.

    Knowledge is power when trying to maintain a pest-free home, lawn and community. We look forward to you joining our inspecting and protecting activities. You can do so in many ways, including:

    • Share your pest concerns with us. Then, share what you learned with your friends.
    • Follow us on Twitter and friend us on Facebook. You’ll get new updates regularly about Inspect and Protect Week activities.
    • Download our children’s book or activities to educate young pest detectives, too.
    • View videos about what to look for in and around your home.

    We look forward to inspecting and protecting with you this year!

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