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 December 20, 2010 with 3 Comments
SILive reports that in the 2009-2010, school year there have been over 1,019 bed bug infestations in United States public schools, up about 100% from previous years. Dongan Hills as well as Morris Intermediate School on Staten Island have confirmed that they in fact have contacted pest control operators and have had several classrooms treated. However, since schools are such large establishments, it is not cost effective for the school board to have the entire school inspected and treated. When a bed bug is found at a school it is sent for testing to confirm in fact it is a bed bug. Once confirmed, all parents are sent letters informing them that the school has bed bugs, and the infested classrooms will be treated. While this is nice and all, it is not ideal for the type of establishment that is infested. Students and materials travel room to room on a daily basis, creating a perfect environment for bed bugs to spread. However, school budgets prevent the entire school from being inspected and treated.
“Unfortunately, it’s enormously cost prohibitive because it is so expensive to treat these areas,” he said. “It costs thousands and thousands of dollars to take care of a school. We have the same issue that goes on in the healthcare industry, where they just treat that particular area.”
-Mark Loffredo, Pest Control Operator.
A more cost effective solution would be to have monthly K9 inspections to ensure that the infestation has not spread, as well as a double check for the treatments that have been done.
Picture source: visitingdc.com