Do you Remember These PESTY Games?

Most children asked for some type of electronic toy this holiday season.  A lot games are played through a video console.   The majority of children may not remember these old timers, but who out there received these toys and games for Christmas in the past?  Are there any other classics that Suburban forgot?  If you think of any, visit us on facebook or twitter to let us know! http://www.facebook.com/SuburbanExterminating or @SuburbanExterm at www.twitter.com.


Perhaps next year we can start a revival for these landmarks:
Mouse Trap

• Came to the market in 1963.
• Object: First build an elaborate mouse trap, and then try of capture your opponents’ mice in the trap.
• Winner is first to capture all the mice in the trap.

Ants in the Pants 

Games found at a local Target: They are still out there!

• Came to the market in 1969.
• Object: Fling plastic, color-coded ants into a giant pair of pants.  
• First player to get all their ants in the pants wins.

Cootie 

• Came to the market in 1949.
• Object: Build bugs named “cooties” one body part at a time.  
• Winner is the first to build a complete Cootie.  
• Herb Schaper was a Minnesotan postman who created, developed, and manufactured children's games, most with a bug theme.   He formed the H. W. Schaper Mfg. Co., Inc. to manufacture and publish the game Cootie. Schaper sold 5,000 Cootie games by 1950, and over 1.2 million games by 1952.

Bed Bugs

• Came to the market in 1958.
• A motorized game where a “bed” game board bounces colored bed bugs around.
• Object: Collect colored bed bugs with plastic tongs.
• Winner is the first player to collect all their bed bugs first.

Suburban hopes all our customers and neighbors had a very happy holiday season and continue on to a safe a healthy New Year!

Holiday Travelers can Avoid Bed Bugs

During the holidays, people traveling can bring bed bugs back home.  Online shopping also creates the possibility of the spread of bed bugs.  Bed bugs have become a national epidemic.  Suburban Exterminating is expertly trained to remove bed bugs from your home, but here are a few tips to avoid a bed bug infestation during the holidays.

When traveling, here are some tips to avoid bringing bed bugs home:

• Before you book a hotel, check any bed bug hotel registries to see if your hotel has been infested at any point within that last couple of weeks.  While many hotels do not get removed from these lists, you can see if there was a recent outbreak.
• Once in your hotel conduct a thorough inspection of area around the headboard.
• Keep all luggage and carry-on bags off the floors, beds and out of closets. The safest spots are a table or desk or the bathroom floor. If you have a garment bag, place it over the door and keep it zipped.  
• Don’t bring luggage inside your home.  Empty them outside.
• Wash all your clothes as soon as possible in hot water.

Online shopping has changed the way we shop for holiday gifts.  The convenience of not having to wait on long lines at malls while getting exactly what you need outweighs any shipping fees.  However, be careful when purchasing items from websites like eBay or Craigslist.  Non-retail sites or used goods could spread bed bugs.

• Pick an area in your home to inspect all delivered packages. Discard boxes and wrapping in a garbage bag.
• Avoid buying used clothes, bedding or furniture.  Wash these purchases as soon as possible if you do buy them online.
• Make sure you’re buying from a reputable source.

Because bed bugs are not a public health issue, most government agencies issue a “Buyer Beware” warning.  Be proactive in your bed bug protection, but be informed, as well.  There are many pesticides you can buy to get rid of bed bugs, but there are many dangers in self-application.  There is also no standardization in these pesticides, and the claims of the product do not have to be proven.

If your suspect that you have bed bugs, the best solution is to call Suburban Exterminating at (516) or (631) 864-6900.  The holidays can be stressful. Following these tips so hopefully you can avoid a bed bug infestation.  Happy Holidays from Suburban Exterminating!

Attending the Entomology Society of America Meeting

The Entomology Society of America meets annually to exchange information, products, and the latest information on insects. The Entomology Society of America meets annually to exchange information, products, and the latest information on insects. Suburban Exterminating’s Technical Director, Mr. Lynn Frank is attending this year’s Annual Meeting of the Entomology Society of America in Reno, NV.

Lynn Frank is a certified entomologist and member of Pi Chi Omega, the professional fraternity for pest control. He possesses a Vector Borne Disease Control Certificate from the Center for Disease Control; he is a certified indoor environmental consultant and a level III certified thermographer from the Infraspection Institute. He is also Green Shield Certified.Mr. Frank is a frequent speaker informing Long Island homeowners about green exterminating and bed bugs.

Lynn, we can’t wait to hear what you’ve learned from the important meeting! 

Part of Lynn Frank's Bug Collection

More of Bug Collection

The Dangers of Do-It-Yourself Exterminating

Many people have taken it upon themselves to try “at home” extermination remedies, but the Center for Disease Control and Prevention found there was a rise in accidental poisonings. A national report detailed 111 toxic exposures between 2003 and 2011 when dealing with bed bugs. Eighty nine of these cases were in New York. In January, The Wall Street Journal reported that bed bugs are developing enzymes to protect themselves against pesticides.“In New York City, bedbugs now are 250 times more resistant to the standard pesticide than bedbugs in Florida, due to changes in a gene controlling the resilience of the nerve cells targeted by the insecticide, researchers at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst recently reported.” Lab tests show that bed bugs can survive 1,000 times the lethal dose of pesticides from 10 years ago.

The dangers of overdoing it in at-home extermination do not lie simply with bed bugs. There are many other pest controls that can cause toxic exposure if not handled by the professionals. Additionally, many pest’s waste will cause damage to your home and could be detrimental to you health. In June 2011, a Montauk man died from overexposure to toxic mice droppings. Hantavirus is a lung infection caused by materials found in rodent droppings, urine and saliva that are breathed in. While this recent case is very rare, avoid the risk of exposure by calling professional exterminators.

There are a few ways to avoid toxic exposure to at-home pesticides, but the safest bet is to call the professionals if you suspect an infestation.

• Don’t over apply insecticides.
• Always wash treated bedding/areas.
• Wear gloves and a mask when treating areas of suspected rodent infestation. Wash your hands thoroughly after using any “over the counter” pesticide.
• If you experience any nausea, vomiting, dizziness or respiratory irritation after applying insecticides, seek the advice of a professional.
• Call Suburban Exterminating for a free estimate if you suspect you have bed bugs. (631) or (516) 864-6900.

Call a professional to avoid all fears of do-it-yourself extermination!

Bed Bugs: A Rise in Population in College Dorms

One large area of the population dealing with bed bugs is college dorms. These insects are not a sign of uncleanliness. They do not pose any major medical dangers from their bites and aren’t known to transmit diseases, but their bites can be extremely itchy. Only about half of people dealing with bed bug issues report a reaction to the bites, but just because your roommate in nonreactive, does not mean that you don’t have bed bugs and that they won’t come after you next!

Bed bugs are best described as hitchhikers. They, and their eggs, stick to any surface to travel to new hosts and wreak new havoc. They can travel on clothes and can stick to small cracks and crevices.

Top Ways to Prevent the Spread of Bed Bugs:

1. Thoroughly check everything you bring into your room.
2. Picking up furniture left out for disposal is no bargain. Though it may look clean or near new, it could be teeming with bed bugs or their eggs!
3. Hang up clothes, back packs, purses and jackets on hooks or in the closet. Bed bugs cling to cloth best and can travel quickly from the pile of clothes on the floor/chair/bed.
4. Buy a zippered mattress encasement. If the mattress is infested they can’t get out and eventually die.
5. Look for them! Bed bugs are tiny, reddish-brown in color, flat, apple-seed-shaped bugs. You may not be able to notice them until you are bitten, which will cause itching, like mosquitoes. You may also notice small blood stains on your sheets, mattress or clothes. Their waste will also be visible around the edges of a mattress as a sticky red/brown paste.
6. Skip the sprays! In the case of dorm infestation, call an RA or those in charge. And, keep calling until you get the response you need!

Your best defense in dealing with bed bugs is to call professional help. Suburban Exterminating has been in business since 1960 and are experts in all phases of pest control. If you even have to question whether or not you have bed bugs, call for a free evaluation and estimate. (631) 864-6900 or (516) 864-6900.

Horrible Bed Bug Infestation on Long Island

This video was shot by Suburban Exterminating Technicians as an extreme example of a bedbug infestation. We would not wish this type of infestation on anyone!

To learn more about how to get rid of bed bugs, contact Suburban Exterminating

Some other great resources include: 

• EPA Environmental Protection Agency.     Bed Bug Information    http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/bedbugs/#treat
• New York State Integrated Pest Management Program (Cornell University).  Bed bugs are back! An IPM Answer http://nysipm.cornell.edu/publications/bed_bugs/files/bed_bug.pdf
• New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.  New York City Bed Bug Resources  http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/vector/vector-faq1.shtml

 

Moving? Our Customer explains Fumigation Options

“Hello, I have a fairly light bedbug infestation that has returned after 4 months of being bed-bug free. I am moving soon cross-country, and I want to make sure all my belongings are treated beforehand. I wanted to get a general sense of the price for treatment for a 16' moving truck packed to 70% capacity. I am considering either having the moving truck covered with a tarp and treated, or unloading into a vault, so I would love to get prices for both options, as well as recommendations.” Email from Ms. K (Kathleen) to Suburban Exterminating.

Suburban Exterminating helped Ms. K to 

get rid of bed bugs.
Can we help you, too?

Don't worry - this is NOT Ms. K's stuff! These moving trucks were filled with bug infested carpets. Suburban Exterminating is preparing these trucks for fumigation, too!  To find out more....

Bedbugs Declared Biggest Pest in 2010

2010 news headlines say it all with “Dorm rooms at Hofstra treated for bedbugs”, “Bedbugs Strike Second Abercrombie Store in Manhattan” and “Guest Says She Was Bitten by Bedbugs at Waldorf ” . Do we need to vote on the worst pest of 2010 or can we just declare bed bugs as the winner? Yes, bed bugs are the worst pests of 2010.  

My Hopes for 2011  – OR - What will happen to bedbugs in 2011? 

·         I’ll stop itching at the mention of bed bugs.

·         Once again, I’ll feel that a hotel is a luxury, not a potential bed bug home.

·         Let global warming continue.  All stages of bed bugs are killed at temperatures over 120 degrees.

·         Bed bugs will be confined to a small area on this earth. Maybe, a large bug jar can hold them all.

·         Bed bugs will die when I wave a magic wand.  Does anyone have a magic wand?

Here are some basic bed bug facts.

How do you identify bed bugs?

Bedbugs are flat, reddish-brown, oval insects about the size of an apple seed (3/16-inch long). They become swollen and redder after eating. The bedbug cannot fly but crawls or hitchhikes from place to place. Bedbugs leave clusters of dark brown or black spots of dried excrement on infested surfaces. Bedbugs also exude a subtle, sweet, musty odor. Females can lay 200 to 500 eggs in a lifetime. Under the best conditions, they can live over 300 days.

Bedbugs hide in cracks and crevices between mattress and box springs, headboards, suitcases, sheets, baseboards, furniture, almost anywhere. Bedbugs love a messy room or a hospital room. People usually “discover” bedbugs after they have been bitten. Bedbugs like to feed around 4:00 am and are attracted to people by their breathing. The bedbug bite wound may be a raised bump with minor swelling followed by itching. Commonly, skin reactions to bedbug bites may not show up for 1-2 weeks after the bite. Bedbugs are not known to spread disease.

Suburban Exterminating can perform a free inspection to identify your pest.

How do you get rid of bed bugs?   

Bedbugs are very difficult to control.   Since they can hide in so many places, treatments must be complete. The best plan is to hire the services of a professional. Experienced pest control firms know where to look for bedbugs, and have an assortment of management tools at their disposal. Strategies of inspection, preparation and treatment can eliminate bedbugs from even the worst infestations. 

Owners and occupants have an important role and will need to assist the professional exterminator. Clutter and belongings hide bedbugs and prevent complete treatment. Since bedbugs can move throughout a building, it often will be necessary to inspect adjoining rooms and apartments.

Let Suburban Exterminating be your professional bed bug killer.

Bed Bugs Stopped!

Riverhead Free Library Trusts 

Suburban Exterminating 

to Get of Rid Bed Bugs

Learn how Suburban Exterminating technicians quickly prevented a bed bug infestation in library near the Hamptons:  Read entire article.

Fox News: How to Avoid Bedbugs on Vacation

Bedbugs are gifted hitchhikers. They don’t hop or fly but they sure can crawl, especially when motivated by the promise of a good hiding place, such as your checked baggage. While your bag is in the plane’s cargo hold bedbugs “may have hitchhiked on someone else's luggage on the plane and transferred to yours

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2010/11/17/avoid-bedbugs-vacation/#ixzz16D0efNZ8

Are Pesky Insects Driving you Indoors this Summer?

Are Pesky Insects Driving You Indoors This Summer?
by Bob Wiemer

Suburban Exterminating Co, Inc. offers some tips to avoid pesky bugs. (infovisual.info.com)Southampton - Are pesky insects driving you indoors this summer? Don't let bugs ruin your outdoor fun. As General Manager of Suburban Exterminating Co., Inc. I can recommend the tips below for homeowners to keep pesky insects and bugs away from their outdoor living spaces so they may gather without being eaten alive.

• Eliminate any standing water. Biting insects, particularly mosquitoes, breed primarily in stagnant water. If you notice swarms outside your home, look for sources that may have collected rainwater such as garbage cans, birdbaths, basketball hoops, tire swings, tree hollows, improperly drained gutters, picnic umbrellas, receptacles, fountains or ponds, and pool covers.

• For special occasions outdoors, have a party spray done 24 hours prior to the event. Botanical products can be employed and this method is effective at lowering the populations for a short time period.

• Insect Zapper or electrocutors can offer relief for evenings on the patio when directions are followed. Lights should be placed about eye level and away from sitting areas to give the most protection.

• Consult a professional about mosquito magnet CO2 devices, which can be strategically placed on the property and set on a timing device to control mosquitoes.

• Inform the local Board of Health if neighboring properties (sumps, parks, ponds, marshland, etc.) are causing mosquito infestations.

• Surround the deck or patio with citronella candles or torches. The scent is a deterrent and provides additional illumination

• Yellow jacket and flying insect traps are ideal for control at picnics, camping, and cookouts. Hang these around the perimeter of your yard and empty once a day and they will help reduce the population if they continue to be maintained.

• Put mosquito netting around porches.

• Avoid using scented soaps, lotions and shampoos and wear lightweight clothing that covers most of your body, as temperatures permit.

• The use of natural repellent materials available at most stores will further reduce the chances of being bitten.

Suburban Exterminating can also thoroughly inspect properties for breeding sites and provide a written report with recommendations for remedies. For any assistance with your insect problems, don't hesitate to contact our Residential Long Island Exterminators

Established in 1960, Suburban Exterminating Co., Inc. is Long Island leading full-service pest management company providing services in all phases of pest control to homes and businesses and is dedicated to exemplifying quality, professionalism and respect during the execution of a multitude of extermination services. A recent recipient of the International Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Excellence Award, it was the first New York company to be certified as “Green Shield” making the company a leader in environmental stewardship. For more information go to www.suburbanexterminating.com.

DON’T LET THE BEDBUGS BITE – SOME TIPS TO KEEP THE BEDBUGS AWAY

Bedbugs are rapidly developing into an epidemic and as many experts have stated, the situation will get worse before it gets better. The Harvard School of Public Health says, "bedbugs are increasingly becoming a problem within residences of all kinds, including homes, apartments, hotels, cruise ships, dormitories and shelters."

Long Island Bedbugs may be found anywhere, anytime covering all social and economic groups. The best resorts and hospitals, even movie theatres and modes of transportation, can have infestations. “Simply put, you can never predict where they will turn up,” says. Lynn Frank BCE, Entomologist and technical director of Suburban Exterminating Co., Inc. If you are taking up residence in a college dorm and are concerned about bedbugs, there are things you can do to minimize the risk of an infestation.

Frank urges college students to arm themselves with facts about bedbugs and become aware of what they can do to protect themselves and their belongings.

What is a bedbug?
A bedbug is a small insect that feeds on the blood of humans and animals. They live in the folds and crevices of mattresses, bedding, clothing, and carpets, and can also be found inside backpacks, purses, box springs, furniture, electronic equipment, and other hidden, dark crevices.

How do I know if I have bedbugs?
Bedbugs usually leave red, itchy bite marks on the skin and may become severely inflamed. The pests can sometimes be spotted hiding in cracks and crevices during the day and may leave molted skins, feces and old eggshells in harborage areas. There may be a sweet, sticky smell.

TIPS TO KEEP THE BUGS AWAY
Wiemer has compiled tips on what to look out for and what to do in case you encounter these pests:

1. Determine if the University performs regular inspections of rooms.
2. Locate and properly identify the insect - Do not assume that “bites” are caused by bedbugs. Even medical professionals cannot positively identify bedbug bites.
3. DO NOT TAKE ACTION ON YOUR OWN if there is a confirmed identification of bedbugs - Do not panic and seek help immediately. The dorm and university should be informed and fully involved.
4. The university should have a professional pest control company respond immediately and begin bedbug treatment.
5. Do not throw items away or move out all belongings - This may spread bedbugs and transport them to a new location.
6. Encase the mattress and box springs - A properly designed encasement will prevent bedbugs from nesting inside and will make control measures (if they become necessary) easier and more effective. Encasements may be purchased at stores such as Bed Bath & Beyond.
7. Stay clean - The less “clutter” in the room, the less harborage sites for bedbugs.
8. Heat control – Wash and dry any items you think may be infested for at least five minutes on a hot cycle.
9. Store items in sealed plastic bags to contain or prevent items from infestation.
10. Inspect new items being brought into the room. Examine seams, zippers, corners for signs of bedbugs or live insects. Do not accept any item you think might be infested.

Go to www.suburbanexterminating.com for more information