Tag: Bed Bugs
Below are posts about information on the prevention, control and elimination of the recent bed bug resurgence. JP McHale has a Bed Bug Care Package to offer consumers way to monitor for bed bugs!
Posted on November 22, 2011 with No Comments
Yes you can pick up bed bugs on an airplane.
Forbes published this article about how to prevent picking up bed bugs while flying. But remember, there are ways to prevent bed bugs but there are no guarantees to preventing them.
Your best line of defense is to educate yourself on how to recognize the early signs and symptoms of bed bugs and if you suspect you have brought them home, early detection is key.
Posted on October 17, 2011 with No Comments
The resurgence of bed bugs in New York City and across the country has prompted many bed bug victims to file bed bug lawsuits and many bed bug cases have led to large settlements. The insurance industry has taken notice and PLIS, Inc. Underwriting Facilities is now offering aid with bed bug liability insurance to the hospitality and lodging industries.
If you are in the hospitality industry one of the most accurate ways of detecting bed bugs in the early stages is to employ the use of k9 bed bug inspections 
to find low level and early infestations in suspect and adjoining rooms. Please contact our office at 800-479-2284 for additional information on our early interception and bed bug detection programs.
Posted on October 13, 2011 with No Comments
Searching for bed bugs in a facility like a retail store, an office building or daycare setting can be like searching for a needle in a haystack. Despite the problems that bed bugs have the potential to cause, facility managers who haven’t been affected generally don’t seem very worried about the pests, according to a survey conducted by Building Operating Management. Of the 55 respondents, 72 percent said they are not doing anything to monitor for bed bugs and 43 percent are not at all concerned they will be affected.
The following is from Facilitiesnet: Early last year, a suspicious insect was spotted crawling up a wall in an area with eight workstations. It was trapped by an employee and confirmed as a bed bug by a pest management company. A canine unit inspected the entire facility and identified the main area of infestation. The employees in that area were asked to work from home until the space — and their homes — could be cleared by canine inspection.
In the facility, the affected area was steam cleaned and vacuumed, then resinspected by dogs. Any further hot spots were removed and heat-treated or recleaned with steam. Then the dogs came back to give a final all clear. All said, it took a week and $20,000, says Ian Norray, deputy director of facility operations at the Council.
Bed Bug Solution: In the future, Norray says, they are planning twice-yearly inspections with canine units and dealing with problem spots quickly and quietly, without unduly alarming staff. “
In this BOM study, office buildings had a 23% response rate for a bed bug infestation vs. 3% in retail stores. Is this because co-workers have bed bugs at home and are then sitting in there offices for prolonged periods of time? Regardless of the source, facility managers need to act now and have a bed bug protocol in place before the situation arises! And yes, it is only a matter of time!
Posted on September 15, 2011 with No Comments
Researchers at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst reported that in New York City alone bedbugs now are 250 times more resistant to the standard pesticide than bed bugs in Florida, due to changes in a gene controlling the resilience of the nerve cells targeted by the insecticide.
The article published by the Wall Street Journal also mentions that bed bugs appear to have nerve cells better able to withstand the chemical effects, higher levels of enzymes that detoxify the lethal substances, and thicker shells that can block insecticides. “These bugs have several back doors open to escape,” said evolutionary entomologist Klaus Reinhardt at the University of Tuebingen in Germany, who was familiar with the new research but wasn’t involved in the projects. “Simple spraying around of some pesticides may not [be enough] now or in the future.” In an era of antibiotic-resistant infections and herbicide-resistant weeds, the ability of bed bugs to survive once-lethal doses of insecticides is the newest evidence that efforts to eradicate pests that plague humankind may make some of them stronger. It is a key reason for the spread of bedbugs in the past decade.
As bed bug research has concluded, there is currently no silver bullet or pesticide that can be used alone for total bed bug elimination. JP McHale Pest Management has the proper protocol for bed bug eradication, including bed bug dog inspections. Schedule your bed bug service today by calling 800-479-2284 or you can email us here.
Posted on August 17, 2011 with 1 Comment
Do you have children that will be entering or returning to college in the next several weeks?
Be sure to educate them on the ways of bed bugs!
JP McHale Pest Management wants you and your children to be aware that several colleges and universities have had or are currently battling with bed bug infestations in their dorms and on-campus apartments. It is important to follow certain procedures when moving into a college living space to ensure that you do not acquire these pesky hitch-hiking bugs!
If you choose to rent a moving truck rather than using your personal vehicle to help move your child’s belongings, be sure to inspect the interior of the truck before you fill it up! You will never know if the last person to rent that truck was moving out due to a bed bug infestation, so just inspect to be safe.
Upon arrival, be sure to leave all belongings outside the room until you carry out a thorough inspection. If you place belongings on a bed or dresser which is infested with bed bugs, they may have already made their way through your bags before you get the chance to unpack!
Most dorm rooms will be vacant aside from the bed, but some may come equipped with other furniture. Inspection of the bed frame, mattress, closets, dresser drawers and electrical outlets are most important. Bed bugs travel from room to room through wall voids, making thorough inspection of electrical covers and outlets pertinent. Rummaging through the closets and dressers may show evidence of infestation that the previous student left behind.
The mattress will be the most likely place to show any evidence if bed bugs are present in the room. Look out for live or dead bugs, skins, or blood residue specks suggesting feeding has taken place on that mattress in the past.
Mattress encasements, especially for dorm rooms, are highly recommended to prevent bed bugs from having a chance to breed in the crevices and piping around the edges of your child’s mattress. JP McHale Pest Management knows how difficult it can be to shop for your child’s dorm room sheets if they need extra long bedding. Fortunately for you, we stock extra long twin and full mattress encasement sizes to protect your child from bed bugs while they are away from home!
Be sure to contact us today if you are interested in purchasing mattress encasements, or have any other concerns regarding bed bugs and your college student!
Photo Credit
Posted on July 22, 2011 with No Comments
Bed Bugs are expected to be entering public school classrooms at a rate of three times as many as the previous school year, the NY Daily News reports.
These hitch hiker bugs are expected to travel to schools with a child, and home with others as well as leaving classrooms infested.
NYC public schools are planning to store book bags and jackets in plastic bags and sealed containers as an attempt to limit the number of reportable cases.
Be sure to stay on the lookout for bed bugs!
Your children could be bringing them into their schools, or taking them home. Either way, they are pesky to deal with, and a bed bug infestation is nothing to take lightly!
Call JP McHale today if you suspect or know of any bed bug infestations…we’re here to help!
Posted on July 8, 2011 with No Comments
Bed bugs AND mosquitoes are up to no good on Staten Island.
SI Live reported sightings of bed bugs in Staten Island’s 120th precinct, forcing prisoners to be relocated to off-Island holding cells while their cells are treated. Bed bugs are a nuisance to begin with, and relocation of prisoners between precincts and cells may only make the situation worse. The 120th precinct has had no reported cases of bed bug bites, but procedures are being followed in order to prevent an explosive infestation.
Staten Island also holds the misfortune of coming across a batch of mosquitoes infected with West Nile
virus. CBS reported that human cases have yet to surface, but the virus is present among mosquitoes on the island. The virus was first reported in the US in 1999. Rest assured that not all humans that come in contact with the virus will fall ill, but for some the encounter can be fatal. Make sure you enjoy Mother Nature with bug repellent in hand to arm yourself against these pests.
Be on the lookout for bed bugs and mosquitoes! Call JP McHale today if you are having issues with these pests or any others.
Posted on June 17, 2011 with No Comments
As a follow up to our most recent bed bug blog, we wanted to share photos and information regarding our own K-9 team with you.
JP McHale Pest Management Inc. owns its very own bed bug sniffing canine squad, and one of our members, Emma, recently graced us with her presence for a personal photo shoot!
Emma is a 4 year old yellow lab, who is highly trained in scent detection. Bed bugs release pheromones which can be detected by canines, not humans.
Emma and her handler work hard together to detect bed bugs that may be infesting your residential or office building.
A canine sweep is the term used to describe a bed bug search with use of a dog to sniff out the pests. Emma’s handler uses certain terminology to prepare her for the beginning of a search. 
Check out the action shots of Emma sweeping out a couch for bed bugs!
When she has successfully detected bugs, she lets her handler know by sitting in front of the infested area.
Emma helps us in servicing both residential AND commercial real estate.
She’s a very busy girl, so if you need your home or commercial building serviced, be sure to call and make an appointment!
Posted on June 16, 2011 with No Comments
Are you a landlord, corporate business owner or other commercial customer? 
There is now a chance for relief in regards to those outrageous bed bug expenses!
The Professional Liability Insurance Services have announced an insurance plan against bed bug costs. The plan is not offered for residential purposes, but the bed bug epidemic could decrease substantially if greater treatment is carried out.
Increased treatment will be on the rise if commercial real estate owners know they will be alleviated of some of the costs associated with treating bed bugs in their buildings.
Prior to implementation of this insurance plan, many commercial real estate owners opt to not pay for treatment due to costs. The spread of these bugs come into play due to lack of treatment because they may be transferred from commercial to residential areas such as a vacation spot hotel back to a residential home.
If you are a commercial customer, be sure to look in to this insurance plan.
Don’t let your tenants or employees suffer…eliminate those bed bugs today!
Photo Credit
Posted on June 9, 2011 with No Comments
Bed Bugs: a hot topic amongst pest control companies and citizens in our local communities. We’ve all heard of the horror stories among the newspapers and television broadcasters, but have no fear. There is absolutely no reason to be embarrassed if bed bugs invade your home. We are now aware that having bed bugs does not imply lack of cleanliness, and we have CBS to thank for a video that reassures us of this fact.
Bed bugs are sneaky pests which most people will come in contact with at some point.
It is important to be aware that bed bugs present an issue, but you should not be overly concerned…the problem can be solved! If you detect a bed bug infestation, the best thing to do is call your pest control company to carry out an inspection.
The sooner you detect an issue, the easier and cheaper it will be to rid your home of these pests!
