Archive for December, 2009
Posted on December 23, 2009 with 3 Comments
The “Bronx Swamp” has finally been drained by multiple departments within New York City’s government. After nearly a decade of local residents pressuring the city to do something, they finally have. The cleanup efforts cost nearly $350,000 and required the Environmental Protection Agency to pump out about 650,000 gallons of waste water, and the city Sanitation Department removed about 60 tons of waste after the water was drained. The “Bronx Swamp” has been a breeding ground to mosquitoes, rats and diseases over the past decade. Residents are happy, and the city is trying to figure out who owns the land to get compensated for the cleanup efforts.
The Bronx Swamp is located on the abandoned railroad tracks in Mott Haven.
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The Gothamist and NY1 both reported this story.
Posted on December 23, 2009 with 3 Comments
An annual contest held at the Arizona State University Biology department, awarded the “Snakefly” Ugliest Bug of 2009 award. 2009 contestants included; Aphids, Carpenter Bees, Cockroaches, Coreidaes, Crane Flies, Honey Bees, Jumping Ants, Paper Wasps and Scorpions. The Snakefly won by a margin of about 1,000 votes, with a total of 2,514 votes. The Ugly Bug contest has been going on at ASU since 1997. This year’s voting ended December 15th. Stay tuned for next year! Check out the poster[pdf] ASU made for the contest!
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Posted on December 23, 2009 with No Comments
On Monday, A popular University of Toronto Pizzeria named “Cora Pizza” was shut down after an inspector showed up after complaints of rat droppings. The city inspectors found “more than one” dead rat and rat droppings. This pizzeria has been on Toronto’s watch list since March of 2009. Even though this violation occurred in Canada, the same health inspections are done here in the United States. Keeping a clean eatery should be on the top of the list for business owners and a pest management professional should be on call and on schedule to service the establishment more than once a month.
Rats and poor sanitation should not become the reason why a shop is forced to closed, and ruin the reputation of a business forever. If you are an owner of a restaurant or food plant, and do not currently have a pest management professional, please call JP McHale Pest Management. Our inspectors will walk through your entire establishment with you and create a custom pest management plan to prevent your establishment from ever running into an issue like this Canadian pizzeria ran into. We have an entire Commercial Pest Management Department to cater to your needs.
Canoe.ca reported this closure first.
Posted on December 23, 2009 with No Comments
As Christmas is only two days away, many Americas have live Christmas trees in their family room to celebrate the holiday. These trees smell and look amazing after they are all set up and decorated. One thing you need to understand, these trees are from the forest (duh). When these trees are cut down, there is a high chance a few insects call this tree home, most commonly Spiders and Aphids. Though you may have inspected the tree before buying it, “…it’s all about the eggs that the adult insects and arachnids laid on the stems of a tree in late summer or fall.” The presence of insects can actually be a good thing. You will ask..WHY? The presence of insects and their eggs will show the minimal use of pesticides used on these trees, which is the center piece of your home during the holiday season.
Many reports also mention that wildlife has been found in Christmas trees. Bird nests and snakes are among the most popular found in these trees. Wildlife can be a bit more scary then a spider or two…could you imagine a snake popping out of your tree while decorating it?
This is not to scare you, just to inform you. Take a good look at the Christmas tree before you buy it and ensure you don’t see a snake or bird’s nest in it. If an insect has laid eggs on this tree, most likely these eggs will die when the tree is placed inside your warm home.
JP McHale Pest Management Inc. would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year!
Penn Live.com first wrote about these Christmas tree horrors.
Posted on December 21, 2009 with No Comments
Could you imagine trying to overcome a drug addiction while bed bugs are flourishing in the patient’s beds? Nicole Gallo is one of these people. She was receiving treatment at Straight & Narrow, in Hudson County, New Jersey when she realized the beds were infested with bed bugs.
“I’m not sure we’ll ever have a month where we don’t see a bed bug, we’re doing the best we can. We always feel bad,” Mactas said. “If we get a report, the exterminator is out right away.”
-David Mactas, executive director of Straight & Narrow
This establishment should look into a K-9 Bed Bug Inspection dog to notify them exactly where these creatures are hiding. Just by reporting to the pest management professional where they see an infestation is just not enough.
NJ.com first reported this story.
Posted on December 21, 2009 with No Comments
In an effort to encourage “urban agriculture” New York City’s Board of Health may soon lift the ban on bee keeping in the city.
“Bees had been placed on a list of harmful “wild animals,” that includes lions, pit vipers, and crocodiles, under the city health code. Fines can range between $200-$2000 for maintaining a rooftop hive…”
-The Gothamist
Today, honey goes for around $10 a pound; each bee colony can make up to 150 pounds! New Yorkers have up until February 10th to submit complains against the proposed lift of the ban. The Heath Board will vote in March 2010 to finalize the bill.
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Posted on December 8, 2009 with 18 Comments
When authorities opened up a new $200 million dollar psychiatric hospital in New Jersey, they weren’t informed that an infestation of bed bugs came with the new territory.
The hospital opened last year in Parsippany in North Jersey. Recently nurses began receiving complaints from patients who claimed their beds were irritating their skin. Complaints like this, however, are frequent and usually go without a thorough investigation and just a change of the sheets to satisfy patients. However, when the bugs infested staff areas in the wards it became apparent something needed to be done. Exterminators invade the premises and were able to rid the center of its problem within days.
Human Services Department spokeswoman Ellen Lovejoy says the first bedbug sighting was on Nov. 11. When a more were found days later, Lovejoy says an extermination company that employs dogs to sniff out the bugs was brought in.
Luckily, due to the hospitals aggressive response their patients came away bite-free. This however, is just a reminder to keep a look out for these pesky little creatures.
Posted on December 5, 2009 with 1 Comment
Alberta, one of the ten provinces in Canada, is receiving $10 million from the federal government in order to help contain the outbreak of mountain pine beetles. The beetle’s carry a fungus that causes the pine trees to turn red and eventually kills them. The province has already committed $25 million on the problem in the past year and $200 million since 2006.
According to Conservative MP Rob Merrifield, the outbreak “came in on a thermal or in the jet streams in July, which infested our forests in a way in these last 90 days that was unexpected. It has thrown urgency into … the issue of the pine beetle in Alberta, and because of that, we have to accelerate what we do to be able to deal with it.” Merrifield also explained that the outbreak is threatening Alberta’s $9 billion forest industry and the 38,000 jobs in it.
The mountain pine beetles have already harmed thousands of acres of forest in British Columbia. According to Ted Morton, minister of sustainable resource development for Alberta, “British Columbia has lost half of its marketable pine.”
Posted on December 1, 2009 with No Comments
Credit: c.e.andersen
Students at Harvard University and residents in the surrounding neighborhoods will not have to worry about the ongoing rat problem infesting their area anymore. The Ivy League school announced this week that it would pay for 2,600 “anti-rat” trash bins to help the infestation problem.
Some residents of North Allston, a town bordering Cambridge (where Harvard is located), have blamed the prestigious school for creating the problem when it excavated a 5-acre hole for its new science complex. Although Harvard denies any wrongdoing, they are more than happy to supply the city with the bins that will cut off the source of food for the rodents.
Without the easy access to the trash, the rats will be forced to look elsewhere for their food source. The 64-gallon, wheeled bins – they cost $100 each – are made of heavy-grade plastic and have attached lids so the rodents cannot get inside. Apparently, the plan is already seeing results. Said Ted Gallagher, a once-upset North Allston resident, said of the rat problem; “It’s gotten a lot better. They’re still around, but not in the same capacity as before.”
