Archive for the Westchester County Category
Posted on August 30, 2012 with No Comments
A total of 1,590 cases of West Nile virus, including 66 deaths, were reported through late August this year in the United States, the highest human toll by that point in the calendar since the mosquito-borne disease was first detected in the country in 1999, health officials said on Wednesday.
According to the CDC, “all 48 contiguous states have reported cases of West Nile virus in birds, which act as hosts; in mosquitoes, which transmit it by biting birds and then mammals including humans, or in people. Only Alaska and Hawaii have been spared. And 43 states have at least one human case.”
THE HOTTER THE WEATHER, THE FASTER THE VIRUS
A spokesperson from the CDC saids “There is no treatment for West Nile infection, and no vaccine. The disease is transmitted by Culex pipiens mosquitoes, also known as common house mosquitoes, and the only preventive measure is to avoid being bitten. People can reduce their risk by eliminating the small pools of standing water – in bird baths, outdoor flower pots and the like – where C. pipiens breed.”
Public health experts and entomologists are baffled about why 2012 is such a big year for West Nile but it is likely contributed to the heat wave or warmer temperatures that have been plaguing the United States.
J.P. McHale Pest Managmenet Inc. offers a Vector Intervention Program to residents of New York, New Jersey and portions of Connecticut.
If you have a pool, kids, love gardening or just enjoy spending time outdoors you need the VIP treatme
nt. This premier service will help protect you from diseases spread by ticks, mosquitoes, and rodents. We target these creatures where they breed and harbor. One of our more popular services, as it will protect your family from the many diseases these pests carry including:
- West Nile Virus
- Hantavirus
- Ehrlichiosis
- Babesiosis
- Lyme Disease
These pathogens are transmitted to people by insect bites, inhalation or by contact with surfaces that have been exposed to diseases. It is vital every family living in the tri-state area protect themselves. We can help!
Because these health risks emerge at specific times, treatments are performed at your home and property each month beginning in April and continuing through October.
Please contact us if you are interested in our Vector Intervention Program.
Posted on June 29, 2012 with No Comments
JP McHale Pest Management Inc. has technicians in White Plains every working day! Our highly trained and skilled technicians service residential and commercial properties throughout the City of White Plains and the surrounding areas. If you see one of our trucks in your White Plains neighborhood providing exterminator services, be sure to visit us online and tell us what you think. We value our customers and being #1 in customer service is our top priority.
Posted on April 20, 2012 with 1 Comment
A 33-year-old White Plains woman was attacked by a raccoon while getting into her car in the Valhalla train station parking lot Tuesday evening, as reported by The Daily Ossinning.
One of our facebook friends reports that every morning around 4am raccoons are fighting and screaming in her neighborhood. So what do you do if you encounter a raccoon? The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation website says that “Raccoon rabies reached New York in 1990 and has become widespread. Rabies is a viral disease with symptoms similar to distemper. Rabid raccoons may behave aggressively, salivate heavily, or have paralyzed hind legs. Rabies can be transmitted to humans and other animals by the bite of an infected animal. If you suspect a raccoon is rabid, avoid or destroy the animal and contact local health officials.”
Raccoons are highly intelligent and persistent. They are good problem solvers and will learn from repeated attempts to breach your security.
Also according to the NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation, there are some ways to prevent raccoons from becoming a nuisance:
- Do not leave pet food outside. Feed pets only as much as they will eat at once, and remove all leftovers. If necessary, place pet feeders in an enclosed area such as a porch, garage, or barn.
- Keep garbage bags in an entry-way or garage, and in a metal can. Run a rubber strap, rope or soft wire through the lid and attach to the can handles. To make it hard for raccoons to remove lids, hang the can one foot above the ground, or use a rack and secure the cans upright.
- Surround gardens with an electric fence made up of two wires attached to an insulated post, one wire four inches and the other eight inches above the ground. Install the fence before vegetables ripen.
- Block the openings raccoons are using to get into your attic, porch or other location. Place a temporary cover when the raccoons leave on their nightly search for food, and make a permanent seal later. To check if the raccoons have really left, sprinkle twigs, grass or flour in the opening and watch for tracks. Caution: do not permanently seal entrances without first verifying that all animals are out of the den. Especially in the spring, look and listen for animal noises.
- Nuisance wildlife control persons licensed by New York State can be hired to deal with problem raccoons. Injured and “orphaned” raccoons should be left alone. Animals actually in need of assistance may be cared for by licensed wildlife rehabilitators. The DEC regional office can refer you to these individuals.
Posted on April 18, 2012 with No Comments
The invasive ash beetle beetle that has destroyed tens of millions of ash trees over the past decade has been found east of the Hudson River for the first time, marking its closest known threat to New England, researchers in New York told The Associated Press Wednesday. But the discovery of an emerald ash borer infestation in the Dutchess County village of Rhinecliff last month may signal a victory in the battle to stem the pest’s spread: Foresters believe the colony was caught less than a year after it got established, a big step given that the beetle can go unnoticed for years.
The larval beetle tunnels under the bark, eventually destroying a tree without any sign until its foliage yellows and dies. The shiny green adults are only about half an inch long and tend to fly well above the ground, making them hard to spot.
“It’s rare that infestations are found this early,” said Nate Siegert, a U.S. Forest Service entomologist who has been working in Rhinecliff this month. He credited state Department of Environmental Conservation foresters for taking steps that led to the discovery.
New York became a leading edge for research and control efforts after a major infestation was discovered on the west shore of the Hudson in 2010, about 150 miles east of colonies discovered elsewhere in New York since 2009.
“This is a battle worth fighting,” said Chris Martin, the state forester in Connecticut. “The ash tree resources in New England are phenomenal.”
Posted on March 15, 2012 with 1 Comment
If you have acorns in your yard, you should read this article about acorns, mice and lyme disease. Dr. Richard S. Ostfeld of the Millbrook, New York, describes the situation in detail and says:
“The northeastern United States faces potentially “the worst year yet” for Lyme disease and other tickborne infections because of the periodic abundance of a little-noticed component of the disease’s complex ecology: acorns.
Dr. Richard S. Ostfeld of the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook, New York, explained during a presentation Tuesday at the International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases (ICEID) that a heavy crop of acorns in 2010 — a phenomenon known as a “mast year” — fueled a 2011 population bloom in white-footed mice, which stash acorns for winter food and begin breeding earlier in years when they are well-fed. That surge intersected with the two-year lifecycle of the ticks that transmit Lyme disease, for which mice are the key host, and this summer could produce a bumper crop of infected tick nymphs looking to bite large mammals — including humans.
“We’re already working with health departments” in Lyme-endemic areas to help craft messages to the public about the potential risk, Ostfeld said during his talk.
The prediction, which is based on earlier work by Ostfeld and colleagues (including these papers in 2006, 2005 and 2001) relies on the key role that white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus) play in perpetuating Lyme disease. That species, he said, appears to be the most competent reservoir for Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacterial cause of Lyme. Mice sustain the infection without cost to themselves, are frequently bitten by tick larvae, and groom off or otherwise kill the larvae at lesser rates than other small mammals that are bitten — allowing the larvae to drop off naturally and complete their transformation into tick nymphs that transmit infection in their second year of life.
Mice also can survive in much smaller areas than the larger animals, chiefly deer, that are usually blamed for perpetuating Lyme, Ostfeld pointed out. In sampling of “forest fragments” sliced up by development in three northeastern states, his team has not found a parcel in which mice did not thrive. Larger parcels with more balanced ecosystems, with natural mouse predators and larger mammals, actually tend to have lower Lyme density, he said.
Because of the yearlong gaps between bumper crops of acorns, mice, and then ticks, the reliable but irregular masting phenomenon could be used as an early-warning signal for Lyme exposure risks, Ostfeld pointed out. Oak trees mast roughly every three to five years, “and when you are in a mast year, you always know it,” he said.
Cite: Osterfeld R. “Ecological Drivers of Tickborne Diseases in North America.” 8th International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases, Atlanta, Ga. March 13, 2012.
Posted on November 29, 2011 with No Comments
House mice are so small and they can gain entry into homes and other buildings easier than rats. As a result, house mouse infestations are probably 10 to 20 times more common than rat infestations in homes. Effective control involves sanitation, exclusion, and population reduction. While sanitation and exclusion are preventive measures when a mouse infestation already exists, some form of population reduction such as trapping or baiting is often required.
A key to successful long-term mouse control is limiting shelter and food sources wherever possible. Trapping works well, especially when a sufficient number of traps are placed in strategic locations. Trapping also can be used as a follow-up measure after a baiting program. When considering a baiting program, decide if the presence of dead mice will cause an odor or sanitation problem. If so, trapping may be the best approach. After removing mice, take steps to exclude them so that the problem doesn’t recur.
If you reside in New York, New Jersey or Connecticut and mice have entered your residence, contact JP McHale Pest Management.
Posted on September 21, 2011 with No Comments
Here some information about a recent publication issued by U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) providing guidance on bed bug control and prevention. It reads:
“Attached is Housing Notice H 2011-20: Guidelines on Bed Bug Control and Prevention in HUD Insured and Assisted Multifamily Housing. This Notice provides information and references to best practices regarding the prevention and control of bed bug infestation. It also provides guidance on the rights and responsibilities of HUD, Owners and Management Agents, and tenants with regard to bed bug infestations. Some Hubs/Program Centers may have issued guidance regarding this subject prior to the issuance of this Notice. However, this Notice supersedes all policies issued by Multifamily Hubs/Program Centers concerning this subject. Please read and share this Notice with all Asset Management staff. If you have any questions, please contact your HUD Project Manager in the appropriate Field Office.”
Some key points from HUD’s attachment: Guidelines on Bed Bug Control and Prevention in HUD Insured and Assisted Multifamily Housing :
“The best approach to bed bug management is to prevent an infestation from occurring in the first place. Federal agencies, such as EPA and HUD, are working in tandem to develop and share recommendations to prevent bed bug infestations.
Following a report of bed bugs, the O/A or a qualified third party trained in bed bug detection should inspect the dwelling unit to determine if bed bugs are present. It is critical that inspections be conducted by trained staff or third party professionals. Low level inspections may escape visual detection. For this reason, multiple detection tools are recommended. Recent research indicates that “active” bed bug monitors containing attractants can be effective tools for detecting early infestations. Some licensed pest control applicators use canine detection to verify the presence of bed bugs. The inspection should cover the unit reporting the infestation and no less than surrounding apartments’ consisting of the units above, below, left and right, and should be completed within 3 calendar days of a tenant complaint if possible. If reputable, licensed pest control companies are unattainable within three calendar days, the O/A is required to retain documentation of the efforts to obtain qualified services. If an infestation is suspected but cannot be verified using the methods described above, the O/A should re-inspect the unit(s) periodically over the next several months.
When an infestation is identified, the unit and surrounding units should be treated for bed bugs according to the IPM Plan. Chemical treatments may be necessary, but are not reliable. Therefore, encasement, interception devices, vacuuming, steaming, freezing and commodity or building heat treatments may be utilized as part of the bed bug control effort. Infestations are rarely controlled in one visit. Effective treatment may require two to three visits, and possibly more. The length, method and extent of the treatment will depend on the severity and complexity of the infestation, and the level of cooperation of the residents.”
If you are a commercial property owner, real estate investor, homeowner or resident of New York, Connecticut or New Jersey and require bed bug assistance, contact our office today at 800-479-2284. With a proven track- record in bed bug detection and eradication, JP McHale’s Pest Management has the solutions for all of your bed bug pest control needs.
Posted on September 9, 2011 with 1 Comment
Bedbugs have infested PS 70, an elementary school in Astoria, according to reports published last week, which said the school has the worst bedbug problem in the city.
Queens Times Ledger wrote about Senator Gianaris’ demand that DOE investigation the bed bug incident at P.S. 70. Elected officials from Astoria were furious after the news broke that PS 70 on 42nd Street had the worst bedbug problems in the city and did not inform administrators or students.
“This type of negligence puts students and teachers at risk, and prevents families from taking necessary steps to protect their children,” state Assemblywoman Aravella Simotas (D-Astoria) said in a statement.
School districts throughout NYC and neighboring counties in Westchester County and Rockland County can be potential targets for bed bug problems. Does your school have a bed bug policy? Would you be notified if bed bugs were found? It may be a good idea to ask the school staff about their bed bug procedures the next time you visit your child’s school, attend a back to school meet the teacher night or attend or a PTA meeting.
Posted on September 7, 2011 with No Comments
FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Agency) is setting up a help station at Westchester County Center in White Plains from 8AM-8PM seven days a week. They are available to discuss financial assistance with home and business owners affected by the recent weather patterns. Our subsidiary, EnviroCare Air Quality Restoration, has partnered with FEMA to restore many properties in the county. Contact Richard McHale to learn more about what is available to you and your property.
Please call us at (800) 479-2284 for immediate attention, live chat with us, tweet us, email us
Posted on January 21, 2011 with 5 Comments
Here in Westchester County, New York home to over one million people, there are many homes from Yonkers to Peekskill. At our offices in Buchanan, we service thousands of homes, apartments and commercial properties on a daily basis. While our services range from pest control to lawn care and environmental care, other local businesses in our area cover other services required to maintain a home in Westchester. Services such as home cleaning, carpet cleaning, plumbing, appliance servicing, home heating oil, tree maintenance, home improvements, security systems and landscaping are some to name a few. Just like ourselves, JP McHale, these are local service related companies. Here are some companies that may come to mind when thinking of hiring a local, service related business.
Home Cleaning
-Molly Maids
Carpet Cleaning
-Schmukler’s Carpet Cleaning
-Flat Rate Carpet
Home Heating Oil
-Robinson Oil
Fencing
-Precision Built Fence
HVAC
-Taconic Heating
-Clover Comfort
Tree Maintenance
-Garrison Tree
-Rayal Tree Care Co.
Plumbing
-T. Weber Plumbing
Landscaping
-Michael’s Lawns
-Clean Cut Lawns
Home Improvements
- Franzoso Contracting
-Miracle Home Improvements
-Honey Do Men (Gutters & Roofing)
Appliance Repair
- Kelleher Appliance Service
These are just a few to name. Please email us if you want to get up on this list!
Tags: carpet cleaning, fencing, home cleaning, home heating oil, home improvementes, hvac, landscaping, plumbing, Westchester
Category: Off Topic, orange county, Pest Control Industry, Westchester County
