April is “National Pest Management Month” - Pest Controllers offer tips Disseminated by The Caruba Organization Alan Caruba April is National Pest Management Month and with the advent of spring, Leonard Douglen, the Executive Director of the New Jersey Pest Management Association, reminds homeowners that pest-proof one’s home protects against “threats to health and, importantly, damage to one’s greatest investment.” “Nationwide, termites will do $5 billion dollars of damage to homes and other structures this year,” says Douglen. “Here in New Jersey, as many as three out of every five homes are likely to have active termite colonies and all are subject to a termite infestation because the warm weather triggers the huge numbers of winged termites that will establish new colonies.”

Annual Inspections

“Without annual inspections, most homeowners are unaware they have an active colony of termites until it has been in place for three or four years,” says Douglen. “When they notice winged termites, usually around window sills, they call a pest management firm. An inspection of one’s home will not only identify the presence of termites, but initiate measures to both eliminate them and deter future infestations.”

Carpenter ant infestation

Inspections may also find colonies of carpenter ants. In addition to termite infestations, Douglen says that “Carpenter ant infestations can be just as devastating to a home or other structure, but they don’t get the same amount of publicity. An entire colony of Carpenter ants can emerge from winter hibernation and enter a home in the thousands in a single day.”

Rodent Control

In the late fall and winter rodent species, looking for a warm harborage, invade homes, “Once inside, they will chew on wires and pose a threat of fire. Since rodents urinate and defecate wherever they go, the potential for diseases increases, particularly when they invade food storage areas.” Do-it-yourself pest control efforts usually fail. “That’s when pest management professionals get the call and that’s when their expertise and the means to trap and control mice and rats demonstrate why their training is essential to controlling such problems.” As if rodents weren’t bad enough, many homes in New Jersey commonly suffer invasions by squirrels and bats. “Sealing cracks in the home’s foundation, storing firewood away from the home, cutting back tree limbs that provide access to the roof, and many other steps will be recommended by a professional pest management technician.”

Wasps and Yellow Jackets

A wide variety of insect pests can over-winter in a home. Wasps and Yellow Jackets will hibernate in void areas under the roof and emerge when the weather turns warm to begin new colonies and build nests.

Cockroaches

Cockroaches are nature’s greatest survivors and even a few can swiftly multiply into hundreds once the weather triggers their instinctual behavior New Jersey is home as well to a thriving population of raccoons and opossums who think that garbage cans are open-air cafeterias. “Taking care to ensure that trash containers are tightly sealed can go far in avoiding unwelcome visitors,” says Douglen. “Mother Nature never takes a vacation and affords insect and rodents pests, as well as other creatures many opportunities to reproduce in staggeringly high numbers. A home with its warmth, its ample supplies of food and water, and its wood components are magnets for pests of every description.” Founded in 1941, the New Jersey Pest Management Association’s member firms are all licensed and certified by the Department of Environmental Protection. It maintains an Internet site at www.njpestcontrol.com with information about firms throughout the State and about various pest species.

Bedbugs “Attend” Princeton University

No Place is immune from infestation Say Pest Controllers

In early October, students in a Princeton University dormitory discovered a bedbug infestation in Rockefeller College’s Holder Hall and had to be relocated while a pest control firm was called in to eliminate it. Bed bugs were first reported in Holder Hall in September. “The infestation,” said Leonard Douglen, Executive Director of the New Jersey Pest Management Association, “reportedly was the result of a piece of personal furniture brought into the dorm by one of the students and is a good example of how bed bugs can migrate from place to place.” “There is no place where humans live or work that is immune to a bed bug infestation,” said Douglen, “and this problem has now spread to all fifty states since they became a significant pest problem as the new century began, invading homes, apartments, dormitories, hotels, and just about anywhere humans lay down to sleep. Bedbugs can detect a body in the room or in one nearby. Bed bugs get their name from their favorite place to hide out, a mattress, box spring, and bed frame. They can be found in any dark, warm place in a home, apartment, or workplace. “There has been a dramatic increase” in calls to pest management firms concerning bedbug problems in recent years, Douglen estimates that bedbug-related calls throughout New Jersey has increased 30% to 40% since 2000. “Bedbugs cannot be exterminated with off-the-shelf pesticides,” said Douglen. “Only a professional pest management firm has the knowledge and the EPA-approved pesticides to rid a home or other structure of bedbugs and it usually takes several trips to do it.” Douglen noted that pest management professionals frequently recommend purchasing plastic cases for mattresses that will trap any existing bedbug infestation and keep out a new one. “The plastic must be at least three millimeters thick.” “The good news is that bedbugs do not spread diseases in the same way as mosquitoes or other pest insects. This doesn’t mean, however, that being bitten by them doesn’t cause a lot of itching and discomfort.” “The problem is attributed to the increase in international travel. People coming into New Jersey and other States from foreign nations bring them in via their luggage. From there, they can spread to anywhere people stay for the night.” Not only do Americans travel abroad in large numbers, but millions of foreigners visit the United States every year. The quarter-inch long bugs feed primarily on humans at night when they are asleep. Some people have no reactions to the bites, but others experience swelling and redness where they are bitten. While bedbugs do not spread disease, they do leave behind tiny droppings of blood and give off a sickly sweet odor. Bedbugs can live for more than a year without eating and can withstand a wide range of temperatures from nearly freezing to almost 113 degrees Fahrenheit. This increases the difficulty of eliminating them. Female bedbugs lay from 200 to 500 eggs, attaching them with a glue-like substance. They hatch in about ten days. Though they do not grow larger than a small seed, they go through five nymph stages, each of which requires a single blood meal before molting. They can suck up to six times their weight and feeding takes from three to ten minutes. Bedbugs produce three to four generations within a year’s time. Founded in 1941, the association’s member firms are also members of the National Pest Management Association. The association maintains a website at www.njpma.com where consumers can find listings of member firms Leonard Douglen @ 800-524-9942 Disseminated by The Caruba Organization Alan Caruba @ (973) 763-6392

Event Sponsored by: New Jersey Pest Management Association Annual Clinic Brings Pest Controllers Together

New Brunswick, NJ (8/15/13) – A giant Madagascar Hissing Cockroach designated to represent Gov. Chris Christie handily sped past another designated as Barbara Buono who is contesting him in the November elections. The event was the 17th New Jersey Cockroach Derby. The race was held at noon on the Cook College Campus of Rutgers where the New Jersey Pest Management Association held its 66th annual clinic, tradeshow and clambake. “In the past two Cockroach Derby races,” said Len Douglen, the Association’s Executive Director, “the winning roaches represented John McCain and Mitt Romney respectively, so a win by the Christie cockroach may or may not reflect the outcome of the actual election in November.” In a series of trial races, the two cockroaches, both far larger than a typical German cockroach, demonstrated their speed as they sped down a six-foot-long Plexiglas “race track” as on-lookers cheered on their “candidate”. The men and women responsible for preventing and solving the many problems that pests represent, members of the New Jersey Pest Management Association, attend the annual Clinic in order to update their knowledge at a day-long series of seminars by some of the nation’s leading experts on aspects of pest control. Pest control professionals are certified annually by the State Department of Environmental Protection when they secure credits earned at events like the Clinic. “Pest control requires an extensive, science-based knowledge of a wide range of insect and rodent pests, among others,” said Douglen. “The New Jersey Association pioneered the concept of educating its members.” It was founded in 1941. The event was held in a vendors’ tent in the parking lot of Hickman Hall on the Cook College campus of Rutgers University in New Brunswick. The Clinic draws about six hundred members of the Association as well as some from out of state as well. The Association is also affiliated with the National Pest Management Association.

Defendants Must Have Appropriate Scientific Support for Pesticide and Drug Claims Two marketers of unproven cedar oil-based remedies for bed bugs and head lice have agreed to enter into settlements with the Federal Trade Commission that prohibit the allegedly deceptive claims, and require pre-approval from the Food and Drug Administration for any future treatment claims about head lice products. The settlements resolve deceptive advertising charges the FTC filed last year against Dave Glassel and the companies he controlled, including Chemical Free Solutions, LLC, alleging that they made overhyped claims that their BEST Yet! line of cedar-oil-based liquid products would treat and prevent bed bug and head lice infestations. According to the FTC, the defendants falsely claimed that their natural, BEST Yet! bed bug and head lice products were invented for the U.S. Army, that their bed bug product was acknowledged by the U.S.D.A. as the #1 choice of bio-based pesticides, and that the Environmental Protection Agency had warned consumers to avoid chemical solutions for treating bed bug infestations. Under the agreed-upon settlement orders, the defendants are prohibited from claiming that their BEST Yet! products by themselves can stop or prevent a bed bug infestation, or are more effective at doing so than other products, unless they have competent and scientific evidence to make the claims. The defendants also are barred from claiming that their products can effectively treat head lice infestations unless those claims are non-misleading and they obtain FDA approval prior to making those claims. The defendants are further prohibited from misrepresenting the results of scientific tests or studies, and from claiming that a product or service they sell is endorsed by a government agency or by any other third-party entity when it is not. The orders impose a $4.6 million judgment against Glassel who is facing bankruptcy, and a $185,206 judgment against Chemical Free Solutions, LLC, which will be suspended due to the company’s inability to pay. If it is later determined that the financial information the company provided the FTC was false, the full judgment amount will become due immediately. The FTC will continue to pursue its case against the remaining three defendants, Springtech 77376, LLC, Cedar Oil Technologies Corp., and Cedarcide Industries, Inc. Consumers concerned about bed bugs also should see the FTC publication, “Battling Bed Bugs,” which urges caution about advertisements that offer quick solutions, and provides other related advice to consumers. The Commission vote approving the proposed consent decrees with Dave Glassel and Chemical Free Solutions, LLC was 3-1. Chairwoman Ramirez and Commissioner Brill issued a joint statement. Commissioner Maureen K. Ohlhausen, who voted no, issued a dissenting statement. Commissioner Wright issued a separate statement. NOTE: The consent decrees are subject to court approval. Consent decrees have the force of law when signed by the District Court judge. The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, visit the FTC’s online Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). The FTC enters complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 2,000 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. The FTC’s website provides free information on a variety of consumer topics. Like the FTC on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and subscribe to press releases for the latest FTC news and resources. MEDIA CONTACT: Betsy Lordan Office of Public Affairs 202-326-3707 STAFF CONTACT: Kerry O’Brien and Linda K. Badger FTC Western Region, San Francisco 415-848-5100 See Original Article Here  

What You Should Know About Bed Bugs

Bed Bug Tips from Viking Pest Control

“The return of bed bugs, formerly a rare pest problem,” says Leonard Douglen, Executive Director of the New Jersey Pest Management Association, “has people asking all kinds of questions these days.” “The problem had pest control professionals asking the same questions,” says Douglen, “because many of the younger technicians had never even seen a bed bug and, to make matters worse, they are very difficult to spot and require a lot of effort to eliminate.” Industry experts such as Paul J. Bello set to work to answer those questions and among the advice he is dispensing these days are the following tips that homeowners, apartment dwellers, business and vacation travelers, and others should know in order to avoid or deal with a bed bug infestation.

1. Bedbugs are hitchhikers. Their reappearance in the U.S. is likely due to tourists from other nations, military personnel returning from the Middle East, and business travelers from less developed nations.
2. Nature has endowed bed bugs with the ability to live a long time, up to a year, between meals. Moreover, they are indifferent to cold weather, so they can easily over-winter just about anywhere. They are very tiny and their eggs are tinier, barely one millimeter long or 1/32nd of an inch.
3. Once discovered, it takes a lot of time to get rid of bed bugs. A bed bug problem does not lend itself to a one-stop, quick application of a pesticide, and total elimination. Moreover, pest management technicians are trained where to look and, even then, will use a flashlight and magnifying glass. There are now bed bug-sniffing dogs that have proven effective.
4. There are no proven bed bug repellent products currently available. And, yes, you can be bitten and not know it.
5. Bed bugs spend most of their time hiding and prefer undisturbed areas. The favorite place is the mattress, box spring, and bed frame; hence the name.
6. If you travel, pest management professionals recommend you bring large, white, draw-string plastic trash bags with you to prevent bed bugs from getting into your luggage. If you spot the tiny creatures, you can keep them in the bag to be destroyed and to avoid bringing them into your home. Staying in a five-star hotel is not a guarantee against bed bugs.
7. Bed bugs are “a people problem”, not a “building” problem so almost anyone returning home, such as a college student, can unwittingly cause an infestation. Experienced pest management professionals will tell you that people who unknowingly bring bed bugs home may not discover they have a problem for anywhere from weeks to months.
8. After professional treatment, it may take up to eight weeks before you can be absolutely sure no bed bugs are seen.
9. Following a treatment, the purchase of high quality mattress encasements to seal in unseen bed bugs or their eggs is an excellent investment.
10. A bed bug bite generally appears as a raised reddened bump on the skin and is often itchy. Bed bugs, however, are not known to transmit diseases.

             

Spiders! Eeeeeck! There’s Less to Fear than You Think

By Alan Caruba “If there is one genus—arachnids—of insect pests that people fear, it is spiders,” says Leonard Douglen, Executive Director of the New Jersey Pest Management Association. “With the exception of the Brown Recluse spider and the Black Widow spider, most do not pose a biting problem.” A quick way to know whether you are dealing with a spider or some other insect is to know something about them. All spiders have two body segments and eight legs. If your insect doesn’t have two body segments and eight legs, you don’t have a spider. Spiders also have two short appendages, one on each side of their face, that are called “pedipalps” or simply “palps.” They are basically modified legs that aid them in food manipulation, mating, and sensing their environment. They do not count as legs, but you will probably notice them while counting the real legs, if you are inclined to do so. Spiders will occasionally lose legs in battle, during mating, or during molting. “Unlike other insects famed for biting humans such as yellow jackets, mosquitoes, and bed bugs, spiders generally do not bite humans,” says Douglen. “Spiders have no interest in sucking our blood or deterring us from removing their nests. They only bite in defense and that only rarely occurs.” “In fact, most spiders couldn’t bite people even if they wanted to,” says Douglen. Of approximately 3,000 different spiders in the U.S., only a small number have fangs that are long enough and strong enough to break skin.” There are, however, four spiders that pose a threat of biting. They are Recluse spiders, Black Widow spiders, Hobo spiders, and the Yellow Sac spider. In New Jersey there are a variety of spiders common to the state. They include the Daddy Long Legs, the Black and Yellow Garden Spiders, the American House spider, the Brown Recluse and the Black Widow spiders. People most often encounter spiders if they have gardens and, with the exception of the Black Widow they do not bite. In a home or an apartment, anyplace dark is a likely habitat for the latter two spiders. “Venom from the Brown Recluse will cause local tissue damage,” said Douglen, “and symptoms of a bite can include burning, pain, itching, and redness at the site which can develop within hours or days of being bitten. Bites usually display a deep blue or purple area, surrounded by a whitish ring and a larger red outer ring. A bite can cause headaches, body aches, a rash, fever and nausea or vomiting.” Treatment should include washing the area well with soap and water, applying a cold or ice pack wrapped in a cloth, and especially for children, the application of an antibiotic lotion or cream. The symptoms of a bite from a Black Widow spider include immediate pain, burning, swelling and redness at the site. Usually the double fang marks are visible. After being bitten, the victim can experience cramping pain and muscle rigidity in the stomach, chest, shoulders and back, accompanied by headache, dizziness, sweating, salivation, and tearing of the eyes. “The Black Widow bite is a neurotoxin,” says Douglen. “People can experience weakness, tremors and even paralysis, especially in the legs.” Treatment is comparable to that of the Brown Recluse bite “and the victim is advised to seek immediate emergency care for further treatment, as one may require muscle relaxants, pain relievers, and other medications.” “Studies have shown that about eighty percent of spider bite diagnoses are wrong,” says Douglen. “It is common to misdiagnose insect bites because at least thirty different medical conditions can cause skin lesions.” “In New Jersey, the most common biting insect these days are Bed Bugs,” says Douglen. “A person with multiple bites has not been bitten by a spider because they only bite once.” “Homeowners should get regular inspections to determine whether there are any one of a variety of insect pests present,” says Douglen, “and this is particularly important with regard to termite and Carpenter Ant infestations.”

When Spring Arrives NJ Homeowners May Discover Termites. Don’t Panic. They’ve Been There for Years

“It’s an annual ritual of spring,” says Leonard Douglen, the Executive Director of the New Jersey Pest Management Association. “Along with the warm weather, thousands of homeowners will discover that they have been playing host to colonies of termites.” “In the springtime the most visible evidence of a termite infestation are the winged “elates”, those termites whose job it is to start new colonies. This mating flight of hundreds and, in some cases, thousands, usually lasts from three to five days.” The presence inside a home of winged swarmers, usually gathering around windows as sunlight streams in, is a guaranteed sign that the structure has a termite colony. Estimates of the nationwide cost of the damage termites do every year range between five and six billion dollars. Several species of termites are native to New Jersey and the tri-state area. “By far the Subterranean termite species pose the greatest problem,” says Douglen, “because they are the most difficult to control and their nest may be below ground.” The most visible sign of an infestation are the mud tunnels termites build to access a structure, often against a foundation or pier post, and frequently visible in basement void areas under porches and other parts of the home. The Eastern Subterranean Termite is among the most common in the tri-state area. Homeowners are advised to eliminate any water leaks in the roof and other areas, and inspect the system of gutters that keep water away from wooden surfaces. Crawl spaces in attics or basements should be kept dry through ventilation or vapor barriers. “It is essential to eliminate all wood-to-soil contact,” says Douglen, “and to avoid having mulch against the structure.” Based on normal feeding activity, it can take from three to eight years for a termite colony to do serious damage to any structure. Experts believe that, under ideal conditions, a termite colony of 60,000 workers will consume one foot of a 2-inch by 4-inch pine word in 118 to 157 days. Termites eat wood, flooring, sheetrock, wallpaper, plastics, paper products, and fabric made of plant fibers. “One of the best investments homeowners can make,” says Douglen, “is an annual termite inspection by a certified, trained pest management technician to identify such potential points of infestation.” The bad news is that a colony of hundreds of thousands of termites may operate in different locations throughout a structure. Choose Termite Inspectors Carefully “Homeowners need to be aware that New Jersey allows anyone, even someone without any previous knowledge or training of any kind, to perform a wood destroying insect inspection,” said Douglen. “It is essential to know that the person hired to inspect has the proper credentials and training to insure that, if a termite colony exists and that he can find it.” The New Jersey Pest Management Association has, for many years, a training course for its members and others who wish to become inspectors. On successful completion of the course, the Association issues a certificate granting the status of Credentialed Wood Destroying Insect Inspector. An untrained inspector or one lacking sufficient training can easily miss the signs of an infestation. Termite infestations go unnoticed because, though eating wood throughout a structure, termites rarely break through the surface areas of the wood, leaving it intact. Douglen notes that people sometimes think the swarming termite alates, the winged reproductive class, are winged ants because “ants and termite swarmers not only look similar, but they come out at the same time, either to expand their colonies or to start a new satellite one.” The termite swarmer is drawn to any light source such as a window or where the sun is shining on a wall. The usually drop their wings. “A termite has a straight body compared to an ant which has a pinched waist. The termite’s antennae are straight while ants have an elbowed antennae.” Douglen recommends gathering a few samples of the winged insects and seal them in a plastic envelope such as a sandwich bag. Then call a pest control firm. “They will send a technician who has been trained to identify various insect species.” Pest control professionals recommend that you vacuum the uninvited winged invaders, but expect to have to repeat the process for several days. Mother Nature always deals in massive numbers. “Pest management professionals have the licensing and certification, and the training to provide the best protection and to eliminate an existing termite infestation,” says Douglen. “This is definitely not a do-it-yourself project.” Founded in 1941, the New Jersey Pest Management Association is affiliated with the National Pest Control Association. The NJPMA maintains a website at www.njpestcontrol.com/nj. The website provides a library of information for visitors seeking information on pest species and a directory of member firms. Read More on Viking Pest Control's Termite Services. Click Here      

Why Choose Viking’s Overwintering Pest Protection Over “Store Bought” Stink Bug Traps?

Effectiveness  Most traps by manufacturers label only have an attractant that spreads out approximately 20 feet. It would take many traps to properly protect your home and you may never reach the roofline area. Viking protects the entire home with a residual from the roofline down that lasts on average 60 days and VOPP plans are backed by our service agreement. Costs  Most homes would require 6 – 10 traps for minimum protection and require the purchase of costly pheromone refills… not to mention your valuable time spent installing and refilling- all with no service agreement. Viking has a fixed cost with a 365 day service agreement backed by a professional licensed staff. Track record  There is no proven track record for these traps in fact early reviews of the stink bug traps have been disappointing. In our experience with other pests such Japanese beetles we have witnessed negative effects caused by the attractant of the pheromones. Some studies show attractants can bring more pests to your home and cause more harm than good. Currently there are no traps being sold to professional pest control companies. Viking is a leader in stink bug control and has a large base of satisfied customers.