Thursday, December 20, 2012
Monday, December 3, 2012
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Monday, November 19, 2012
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Friday, September 28, 2012
Five Things You Should Know About Home Inspections
| Five Things You Should Know About Home Inspections by Paul Rogoshewski of Harmony Home Inspection 12-11-2004 |
I could write a book about each of the subjects below. In the interest of giving the buyer some useful information before the home inspection, I have tried to summarize the most common things I tell my customers, friends, and business associates about home inspections in Massachusetts.
1.) Most real estate agents work for the Seller. Unless you have a signed contract that they are representing you as a Buyers agent, their fiduciary responsibility is to maximize the profit for the Seller. If they are a Sellers agent and recommending home inspectors to you, it may not be in your best interest to take their recommendation. In some states, Massachusetts for example, it is unlawful for Sellers agents to recommend home inspectors. Hire a home inspector you trust. If you're on your own, look for a home inspector that can demonstrate education, experience, and professional affiliation. If the state has licensing, check the State licensing board or the Better Business Bureau for a complaint history of the company. Don't go by the price of an inspection. You get what you pay for.
2.) Septic systems are usually not part of a home inspection but are a major cost component of the house and should be inspected prior to purchase. Some states like Massachusetts, for example, require that septic systems be inspected before the sale of the property. These inspections are for the protection of the environment and are on a pass/fail basis. They do not tell you that replacement time may be near. Depending on a number of factors, the average life of a septic system is around thirty years. If the septic system was not pumped regularly, if a garbage disposal was used, if fine grained soils exist in the area, life expectancy can be shortened. Septic system replacement can range from under ten to over thirty thousand dollars. It is a very good idea to visit the local board of health for further information about the house, the area, and the average life and replacement costs of neighboring systems.
3.) Radon is a radioactive gas that is a by-product from the decay of naturally occurring uranium deposits in certain underlying rock formations. It has been designated a cancer producing agent by the EPA and corrective action is recommended when radon levels exceed 4 PiC/Liter in indoor air. A 1998 Harvard University study still rated radon as the #1 health and safety risk in the home, causing a projected 15,000 deaths a year in the US due to lung cancer. I believe getting the house tested for radon levels is important to your health. Please note that any testing done before you actually move in will be preliminary in nature. Radon levels may vary according to season, barometric pressure, and other factors. It is always recommended that further testing be conducted once you occupy the house.
4.) If you are thinking of buying a house with a private well, your Lender may require a water quantity, or flow test. Also, if the well flow has not been checked within the last year or two, a pump test is recommended. The FHA performance standard is that the water supply provide a minimum of 5 gallons per minute of flow over a four hour period for a total of at least 1200 gallons pumped without any significant drop off in flow. The pump test can be done during the inspection if the inspector performs this. If you have no recent (within a year) water quality test data from the owner, I also recommend a comprehensive water analysis, which includes a variety of metals, inorganic substances, and about sixty toxic organic chemicals. If the home is located near a farm, apple orchard, or recreational lake, it is advisable to consider testing for pesticides as well. A standard water analysis is the bare minimum accepted by FHA/VA loan requirements, but I feel that this is inadequate in today's' environment. Your home inspector can take water samples at the time of the inspection.
5.) Getting a termite inspection is essential if you are buying a single or multi-family home, a townhouse, or a lower level garden style apartment. The eastern subterranean termite can do major damage to the structure of a home and can go undetected for years. Many home inspectors offer pest inspections in addition to the standard home inspection. Also included in the pest inspection would be an inspection for carpenter ants, powder post beetles, and carpenter bees, which are all wood destroying organisms.
Paul Rogoshewki is an ASHI certified and a Massachusetts Licensed Home Inspector #243. He is a graduate of the esteemed North Eastern University Home Inspection Program and has over fifteen years experience in home inspections, building analysis, energy conservation, and residential construction. Paul is a very active member and Director in the local New England chapter of the American Society of Home Inspectors. Mr. Rogoshewski performs home inspections in the Boston Suburban, MetroWest, and East Central Massachusetts area. Visit Paul’s website at www.harmonyhomeinspection.com, send him an E-mail, or call him at (978) 568-8100 for more information.
The Benefits of Carpet Maintenance
There is a widespread perception that carpet cannot be kept clean (sanitary) and that because of its inability to be kept clean, carpet contributes significantly to the deterioration of indoor environmental quality, especially indoor air quality. This unnecessary misconception often leads to policy decisions for removing carpet from many environments such as schools, health care facilities, and public agencies.
Decisions to remove carpet as a response to ineffective cleaning often deprive consumers and occupants of many desirable features provided by carpet, but simply transfers environmental problems related to cleaning breakdown to environments that do not have carpet.
Carpets that are not cleaned and properly maintained can cause many health problems inside the building environment. It is estimated that patients allergic to biopollutants (fungi, mites, cockroaches, bacteria) make 500,000 to 1,000,000 hospital visits each year. From a public health perspective, it is difficult to justify indoor carpet unless a routine and effective cleaning program can be assured. Such a program calls for properly trained personnel applying appropriate cleaning methods and using environmentally-sound cleaning technology.
Given that neglected carpets pose a health hazard, some public health and medical authorities now take a strong position against it. They argue that carpet should not be installed in any building unless its owners plan to clean it frequently using an external extraction method. Some health authorities even advocate passing a law that would make it illegal to install carpet where there is high humidity, moisture, or other conditions that promote the growth of biopollutants – regardless of the owners’ intention to clean it. (Please note that this author does not agree with their position. We can manage carpet very well without another law.)
Decisions to remove carpet as a response to ineffective cleaning often deprive consumers and occupants of many desirable features provided by carpet, but simply transfers environmental problems related to cleaning breakdown to environments that do not have carpet.
Carpets that are not cleaned and properly maintained can cause many health problems inside the building environment. It is estimated that patients allergic to biopollutants (fungi, mites, cockroaches, bacteria) make 500,000 to 1,000,000 hospital visits each year. From a public health perspective, it is difficult to justify indoor carpet unless a routine and effective cleaning program can be assured. Such a program calls for properly trained personnel applying appropriate cleaning methods and using environmentally-sound cleaning technology.
Given that neglected carpets pose a health hazard, some public health and medical authorities now take a strong position against it. They argue that carpet should not be installed in any building unless its owners plan to clean it frequently using an external extraction method. Some health authorities even advocate passing a law that would make it illegal to install carpet where there is high humidity, moisture, or other conditions that promote the growth of biopollutants – regardless of the owners’ intention to clean it. (Please note that this author does not agree with their position. We can manage carpet very well without another law.)
Article is reprinted by permission of HealthyHumanHabitat.org 
- an online journal established to publish a broad range of science and management topics related to environmental conditions, human health, and economic well-being.
- an online journal established to publish a broad range of science and management topics related to environmental conditions, human health, and economic well-being.
Inevitably, however, the public health perspective has to be weighed against our aesthetic expectations and conventional practice. Aesthetically, carpeting is associated with luxury, with quiet and dignity – with lawyers’ offices, doctors’ waiting rooms, with small boutiques, expensive restaurants, and funeral parlors. Carpet does in fact help to reduce harsh noises produced by pedestrians and equipment. Conventionally, carpeting in many offices and businesses is a mark of success and an expression of style. It can provide thermal insulation, especially in winter. It is also kinder to the backs and feet of workers and customers who stand all day.
At the same time, it is wrong to assume that all carpet will ultimately get contaminated and adversely affect health. This is simply not the case. Most people who live and work on carpet are obviously healthy. Carpet retailers are not helpful when they sell their carpet on the basis it will never need cleaning.
Typically, manufacturers’ recommendations for cleaning provide adequate guidelines. They call for frequent vacuuming and periodic professional cleaning that emphasizes extracting foreign substances and minimizing residue. In the long run, these measures protect the carpet and promote environmental health.
Most people clean carpets because they look bad. Rarely does anyone acknowledge that their carpet needs to be cleaned to protect their health. In spite of this, every time we extract pollutants from carpets we enhance the quality of the indoor environment by reducing exposures and protecting health.
For some time, we have known that outside contamination levels, especially in soil, can reach the same concentrations indoors. Researchers have just begun to describe the chemical and biological contents of carpet dirt and house dust.
Studies also show that vacuuming with ineffective equipment does not reduce the level of fine particles indoors. Particles of less than one micron tend to pass through vacuum cleaning bags. They build up over time and can cause great harm as they penetrate deep into our lungs. Furthermore, studies show that soil gases such as the harmful decay products of radon and a variety of organic compounds including pesticides – enter the microenvironment and adhere to particles or the surfaces of carpet and fabric. Until those fibers are cleaned, the potential for human exposure and health risk remains high.
At the same time, it is wrong to assume that all carpet will ultimately get contaminated and adversely affect health. This is simply not the case. Most people who live and work on carpet are obviously healthy. Carpet retailers are not helpful when they sell their carpet on the basis it will never need cleaning.
Typically, manufacturers’ recommendations for cleaning provide adequate guidelines. They call for frequent vacuuming and periodic professional cleaning that emphasizes extracting foreign substances and minimizing residue. In the long run, these measures protect the carpet and promote environmental health.
Most people clean carpets because they look bad. Rarely does anyone acknowledge that their carpet needs to be cleaned to protect their health. In spite of this, every time we extract pollutants from carpets we enhance the quality of the indoor environment by reducing exposures and protecting health.
For some time, we have known that outside contamination levels, especially in soil, can reach the same concentrations indoors. Researchers have just begun to describe the chemical and biological contents of carpet dirt and house dust.
Studies also show that vacuuming with ineffective equipment does not reduce the level of fine particles indoors. Particles of less than one micron tend to pass through vacuum cleaning bags. They build up over time and can cause great harm as they penetrate deep into our lungs. Furthermore, studies show that soil gases such as the harmful decay products of radon and a variety of organic compounds including pesticides – enter the microenvironment and adhere to particles or the surfaces of carpet and fabric. Until those fibers are cleaned, the potential for human exposure and health risk remains high.
Carpet Maintenance Analysis
| Substances in Carpet | Mitigation guidance | Vacuuming Effect | Hot Water Extraction Effect |
| Soils | Walk-off Mat and Frequent Vacuuming | High | High |
| Atmospheric Dusts | Vacuuming, Cleaning and Ventilation | Moderate to High | High |
| Toxic PM | Walk-off Mat and Frequent Vacuuming | Moderate to High | High |
| Fibers | Containment | High | High |
| VOC | Ventilation | N/A | N/A |
| Chemical/Pesticide | Activity Management | Low | High |
| Allergens | |||
| Pollen | Walk-off Mat and Frequent Vacuuming | High | High |
| Fungi | Dry, Walk-off Mat and Frequent Vacuuming | High | High |
| Mycotoxin | Dry, Walk-off Mat and Frequent Vacuuming | Moderate to High | High |
| Mite | Dry, Frequent Vacuuming | Moderate to High | Moderate to High |
| Cockroach | Dry, Frequent Vacuuming | Moderate to High | Moderate to High |
| Cat and Dog | Activity Management | Moderate | Moderate to High |
| Infectious Agents | |||
| Bacteria | Frequent Cleaning | Low-Moderate | Moderate-High |
| Endotoxin | Frequent Cleaning | Moderate to High | High |
| Viruses | Frequent Cleaning | Low | High |
Sources
Annual Book of ASTM Standards, “Strand Laboratory Method for Evaluation of Carpet-Embedded Dirt Removal Effectiveness of Household Vacuum Cleaners, Vol 15.07, 376-390, 1986.
ASTM D 5438-94. Standard Practice for Collection of Dust from Carpeted Floors for Chemical Analyses. American Society of Testing and Materials.
Ayliffe GAJ, et. al, Cleaning and Disinfection of Hospital Floors, Brit Med Journal, 2:442-445, 1966.
Gschwandtner, Gerhard, Dennis Sanders, Michael A. Berry, Measurements of Indoor Particulate Pollution from Household Vacuum Cleaning, paper presented at the 82nd Annual Meeting of the Air and Waste Management Association, Anaheim California, June 25-30, 1989.
Lefcoe, N.M. I.I. Incult, Archieve Environmental Health Vol. 22, pages 230-238, 1971.
Lefcoe, N.M. I.I. Incult, Archieve Environmental Health Vol. 30, pages 565-570, 1975.
Annual Book of ASTM Standards, “Strand Laboratory Method for Evaluation of Carpet-Embedded Dirt Removal Effectiveness of Household Vacuum Cleaners, Vol 15.07, 376-390, 1986.
ASTM D 5438-94. Standard Practice for Collection of Dust from Carpeted Floors for Chemical Analyses. American Society of Testing and Materials.
Ayliffe GAJ, et. al, Cleaning and Disinfection of Hospital Floors, Brit Med Journal, 2:442-445, 1966.
Gschwandtner, Gerhard, Dennis Sanders, Michael A. Berry, Measurements of Indoor Particulate Pollution from Household Vacuum Cleaning, paper presented at the 82nd Annual Meeting of the Air and Waste Management Association, Anaheim California, June 25-30, 1989.
Lefcoe, N.M. I.I. Incult, Archieve Environmental Health Vol. 22, pages 230-238, 1971.
Lefcoe, N.M. I.I. Incult, Archieve Environmental Health Vol. 30, pages 565-570, 1975.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
A Guide to Identifying Common Ant Species
Ants 101
Missy Henriksen
Thursday, September 6, 2012
A Guide to Identifying Common Ant Species
With more than 700 species in the United States, it's not surprising that ants can quickly become a source of disgust, frustration and concern for homeowners. Unfortunately, most people don’t realize that this pest can also pose health and property risks – from food contamination to costly property damage.
Luckily, there are many ways to effectively reduce the potential development of a major ant infestation. To prevent these unwelcome visitors from invading your home, eliminate moisture or standing water near the home by repairing leaking hose bibs and other supply lines, downspouts, drain lines and air conditioner condensate lines. Also, keep tree branches and other plants cut back from the house, as ants often use these branches to get into your home.
Homeowners must pay close attention to signs of an infestation and take action if ants are found. The first step to eliminating an infestation is to identify the ant species, which will help determine the necessary course of treatment. However, this can be a challenge for someone without proper training. You should contact a pest control professional to assist with the pest problem, but you can also use this guide to help determine the ant species:
Argentine Ants
- Appearance: Argentine ants are dark brown and between 1/16-1/4 inch in size.
- Region: This species is found mainly throughout the southeastern United States.
- Habitat: Argentine ant colonies are located in wet environments near a food source.
- Threat: Argentine ants do not pose a health threat, but they can contaminate food and excrete a musty odor when crushed
Carpenter Ants
- Appearance: Carpenter ants are usually reddish black in color and 5/8 inch in size.
- Region: This species is located throughout the United States, but is most common in cool, damp climates found in the northern part of the country.
- Habitat: Carpenter ants build their nests outdoors in various wood sources and frequently enter buildings through damaged wood, cracks around doors and windows, or holes in a structure meant for wires. They will also crawl along shrubs or tree limbs that touch a structure far above the ground.
- Threat: Carpenter ants can cause severe property damage as they tunnel through wood to build nests. However, the extent and cost the damage usually depends on the number of nests inside the structure and how long they've been active.
- Appearance: Caribbean crazy ants get their common name from the worker's habit of running in an erratic, jerky manner when searching for food. Crazy ants are dark brown to black in color with a gray sheen. They range from 1/16-1/8 inch in size.
- Region: Crazy ants are found throughout the United States as this species is highly adaptable to both dry and moist habitats.
- Habitat: Crazy ants tend to enter homes in the autumn or after rainfall because both conditions reduce the supply of honeydew – their main food source. Inside, these ants usually nest underneath floors or carpeting. Outdoors, the nests are shallow and commonly found in soil under objects or next to foundations.
- Threat: These ants do not pose a health threat, but if they gain entry to a structure, they can become a nuisance.
- Appearance: Odorous house ants are dark brown to black in color and range in size from 1/16-1/8 inch.
- Region: This species is found in all regions of the United States.
- Habitat: Typically living for several years, odorous house ants are known to make their homes in exposed soil. They also nest in walls cracks and under floors inside homes.
- Threat: These ants do not pose a public health risk or cause structural damage to buildings, but they can contaminate food and should be avoided. In addition, they give off a rotten coconut-like smell when crushed, which is why they are known as “odorous” ants.
- Appearance: Pavement ants are darkish brown to black in color and are about 1/8 inch long.
- Region: This species is found throughout the United States.
- Habitat: Pavement ants get their name because they make their nests in or under cracks in pavement. They can infest structures by entering through holes in the concrete.
- Threat: These black pavement ants do not pose a public health risk, but they can contaminate food and should be avoided.
- Appearance: Fire ants are dark reddish brown in color and range from 1/8-3/8 inch long.
- Region: This species is found in the southern United States from Maryland to Texas, California and New Mexico.
- Habitat: Red imported fire ants build their nest mounds outdoors in landscape areas or near a structural foundation. They can also gain entry to a building through holes or cracks in the exterior structure.
- Threat: Red imported fire antsattack with a painful sting when their nests are disturbed. The sting often results in a raised welt that becomes a white pustule. Anyone allergic to insect stings will react more severely.
Brought to you by the National Pest Management Association
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Monday, September 17, 2012
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Bed Bug Detection and Identification - What do bed bugs look like? How do I know if I have them?
Bed Bug Detection and Identification - What do bed bugs look like? How do I know if I have them?
Identifying Bed Bugs
You can detect bedbugs bug looking for black tracks on your bedding and mattress (look at the top of the matteress in the picture below). These tracks are actually fecal stains that bedbugs leave when they move. Because bedbugs feed on human blood, their feces is pretty much nothing more than dried blood.
Sometimes while a bedbug is feeding you will move or turn over. If the feeding bedbug is crushed when you move, it will leave small blood stains on whatever they are squished against. Obviously, bedbug fecal stains and blood stains show up best on lighter colored bedding.
You also may have bed bugs if you start showing bed bug bite symptoms.
Bedbugs tend to come out later at night as they feed closer to dawn. So if you find yourself awake late at night or early in the morning, you might be able to more easily find a bedbug. Make sure you have a flashlight. Gently check the sheets while you are still in bed. Then carefully pull back the bedding and mattress cover near the head of the bed and use the flashlight to check the seams and piping of the mattress. If you get up and move around, it might alert bedbugs that something is up and give them time to scurry away into their hiding places. If you're having trouble seeing an actual bedbug, read How to Trap Bed Bugs
. Chances are you won't see bedbugs during the day unless you have a very bad infestation. Bedbugs do move around during the day but are known to more around more at night. Between that and their tiny size, it could take some luck to see them out during the day.
Identifying Bed Bugs
Surefire signs to identify a bed bug infestation.
Sometimes while a bedbug is feeding you will move or turn over. If the feeding bedbug is crushed when you move, it will leave small blood stains on whatever they are squished against. Obviously, bedbug fecal stains and blood stains show up best on lighter colored bedding.
You also may have bed bugs if you start showing bed bug bite symptoms.
Bedbugs tend to come out later at night as they feed closer to dawn. So if you find yourself awake late at night or early in the morning, you might be able to more easily find a bedbug. Make sure you have a flashlight. Gently check the sheets while you are still in bed. Then carefully pull back the bedding and mattress cover near the head of the bed and use the flashlight to check the seams and piping of the mattress. If you get up and move around, it might alert bedbugs that something is up and give them time to scurry away into their hiding places. If you're having trouble seeing an actual bedbug, read How to Trap Bed Bugs
. Chances are you won't see bedbugs during the day unless you have a very bad infestation. Bedbugs do move around during the day but are known to more around more at night. Between that and their tiny size, it could take some luck to see them out during the day.
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
West Nile Virus Cases Increase; NPMA & CDC Urge Caution
West Nile Virus Cases Increase; NPMA & CDC Urge Caution
NPMA Staff
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Government Officials Warn of Public Health Threat
Mosquito season is in full swing and with it the increased threat of West Nile virus (WNV) infection. As of July 31, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 241 cases of WNV disease and four deaths have been reported. This is the highest number of cases reported through the end of July since 2004. These figures grow daily as more West Nile virus reports are confirmed. Government health officials and the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) experts are warning that this mosquito season may pose a severe public health threat. In fact, health officials have said that WNV cases in Texas are at epidemic levels.
“The CDC is closely monitoring West Nile virus reports from around the country,” said Roger Nasci, Chief of CDC’s Arboviral Diseases Branch. “Compared to this time last year, the number of reported human cases is much higher. People spending time outdoors, particularly in areas of the country where WNV activity is increasing, should take precautionary measures to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes.”
”In addition to protecting oneself, NPMA is asking the public to help by limiting the number of mosquito breeding grounds around their homes. Mosquitoes can breed in as little as half an inch of water, so it’s important to take stock of any items that may collect water after a rainfall such as flowerpots, children’s pools and toys, grill covers, and others,” advised Missy Henriksen, vice president of public affairs for NPMA.
WNV is a mosquito-borne virus transmitted through the bite of a mosquito that has fed on an infected bird. “In most cases West Nile virus is a mild infection with symptoms so slight they can go unnoticed, or feel like a summer flu,” said Dr. Jorge Parada, medical spokesperson for the NPMA. “In extreme cases, it can be a potentially life threatening infection with higher fever, head and body aches, worsening weakness, confusion and even coma. Anyone experiencing these symptoms should seek immediate medical attention.”
About NPMA
The NPMA, a non-profit organization with more than 7,000 members, was established in 1933 to support the pest management industry’s commitment to the protection of public health, food and property.
About CDC
CDC works 24/7 saving lives, protecting people from health threats, and saving money through prevention. Whether these threats are global or domestic, chronic or acute, curable or preventable, natural disaster or deliberate attack, CDC is the nation's health protection agency.
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Monday, July 23, 2012
Giant Jurassic Fleas sucked but couldn't jump
The shortest poem ever written is known as Lines on the Antiquity of Microbes or, more simply, as Fleas. It goes: Adam/ Had ‘em. It’s a cute verse, but we don’t need Blblical references to know what the first fleas fed upon. As with many questions about ancient life, we can turn to fossils.Among a horde of insect fossils recovered from China and Mongolia, Diying Huang from the Chinese Academy of Sciences has discovered several species of giant fleas. There are nine individuals from three different species, and they hail from the middle Jurassic and early Cretaceous periods. “These outcrops have given us thousands of exquisitely preserved insects, but fewer than ten fleas,” says Andre Nel, who led the study.
The fossilised insects had many features that identify them as fleas – ancient precursors to the ones we know and loathe. But they had many unusual traits too. For a start, they were much bigger. While modern fleas are just a few millimetres long, some of these ancient forms were ten times bigger. The males grew between 8 and 15 millimetres in length and the females reached between 14 and 20 millimetres.
They also hadn’t evolved many of the extreme specialisations that today’s fleas possess. They didn’t have the long hindlegs that allow modern fleas to leap great distances. Instead, their legs ended in long, curved claws, suggest that they were adapted to hang onto fur or feathers. They probably hung on to the coats of feathered dinosaurs and the earliest mammals.
And they would have certainly stabbed their hosts’ skin and sucked their hosts’ blood. Huang found that their mouthparts that were much longer and stouter than those of modern fleas – like drinking straws compared to hypodermic needles.
The stabbing siphons also provide a clue about the origins of fleas. They are very much like those of scorpionflies – a group of insects named after the males’ large genitals, which look like a scorpion’s sting. Many scorpionflies (like the one below) have long snouts that they use to probe the depths of flowers, and suck up nectar and pollen. At some point in their history, some of their members adapted to sucking a bloodier liquid.
“They probably began to reduce their antennae, eyes and wings, and to develop legs adapted for grasping on the bases of the feathers or fur,” says Nels. That takes us up to the earliest fleas at the start of the Cretaceous period. By the end of the Cretaceous, these insects had also evolved specialised legs that allowed them to jump from one host to another. They started to look like Tarwinia, another extinct species that, until now, was the earliest known flea.
Flies also evolved from another group of scorpionflies, which makes them a sister group to the fleas. But they made their debut during the Triassic period, some 50 or 60 million years before the fleas arrived. Nels thinks that fleas emerged much later because they couldn’t hang on to the naked skin of Triassic vertebrates. Only in the Jurassic, when animals started to evolve feathers and fur, could the early fleas anchor themselves while they sucked.
Reference: Huang, Engel, Cai & Nel. 2012. Diverse transitional giant fleas from the Mesozoic era of China. Nature http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nature10839Note: There are at least three species of the giant fleas but because of space restrictions, they haven’t been formally described yet – Huang will do so in another paper.
Monday, July 16, 2012
Learn How to Keep Bed Bugs From Ruining Your Vacation The Savvy Summer Traveler
Missy Henriksen Friday, July 13, 2012
Summer is officially here and millions of Americans have images of vacations dancing in their heads. Many things can and do go wrong on vacations, from lost luggage to a mean sunburn, most getaways are hardly ever foolproof. However, nothing can wipe out relaxation and pile on stress and anxiety more than bringing bed bugs home with you. Bed bugs feed on human blood and are best known for their uncanny hitchhiking abilities. So before any of these pests ride home in your suitcase, read on to learn what savvy travelers can do.
Before you hit the road, sky or rails, it’s important to be aware of ways to protect yourself and your family while traveling. Whether it’s during transit, your hotel stay or upon your return home, when it comes to bed bugs – prevention is the BEST cure. It may be one more thing to add to your vacation checklist, but it’s one that can make a difference. Are bed bugs really in hotels? Unfortunately, yes! These pests don’t differentiate between a 5-star hotel and cheap, low amenity motel. To them, a bed is a bed as long as a blood meal is sleeping in it (and yes, that means you!). A 2011 NPMA and University of Kentucky survey found that 80 percent of pest professionals have treated bed bugs in hotels and motels. Although bed bugs are found in numerous places other than hotels, most travelers will stay in a hotel at one point or another during their vacation, putting themselves at a higher risk of picking up these hitchhiking bugs. Once inside a hotel or home, bed bugs spread rapidly from room to room - through pipes, in vacuum cleaners, on clothing and luggage. In a hotel, bed bugs can even spread to neighboring rooms, since guests may end up moving to another room and because they can crawl through the walls between rooms.
What should I look for in a hotel?
•Upon entering the room, put your suitcase in the bathroom as that is the safest place for it. Bed bugs are least likely to hide in a bathroom.
•Pull back the sheets and inspect the mattress seams, particularly at the corners, for pepper-like stains or spots or even the bugs themselves. Adult bed bugs resemble a flat apple seed.
•Check behind the headboard, inside couch and chair cushions, behind picture frames and around electrical sockets.
•If you see anything suspect, notify management and change rooms or establishments immediately.
•If you do need to change rooms, be sure that you do not move to a room adjacent and/or directly above/below the suspected infestation. Bed bugs can easily hitchhike via housekeeping carts, luggage and even through wall sockets. If an infestation is spreading, it typically does so in the rooms closest to the origin. •Even if you determine your room is clear of any bed bugs, consider placing your suitcase in a plastic trash bag or protective cover during the duration of your trip to ensure that bed bugs cannot take up residence there prior to departure. What should I do when I return home?
•Inspect your suitcases before bringing them into the house. Your neighbors may give you strange looks, but better safe then sorry. Take the opportunity to educate them as to why you’re unpacking your suitcase on the front porch. You might save them from a bed bug infestation in the future.
•Vacuum your suitcase thoroughly before storing it. Consider using a garment hand steamer to steam your luggage, which can kill any bed bugs or eggs that may have hitched a ride home.
•Wash and dry all of your clothes - even those that have not been worn - in hot temperatures to ensure that any bed bugs that may have made it that far are not placed into your drawers/closet.
•Keep clothes that must be dry-cleaned in a plastic bag and take them to the drycleaner as soon as possible.
How will I know I have bed bugs? Maybe you didn’t check the hotel room as thoroughly as you thought or perhaps you were too tired to vacuum your suitcase. Perhaps you did everything right but a few days after you came home, you wake up with red itchy welts on your body and notice the telltale pepper-like stains on your sheets. A few bed bugs snuck by you and have made themselves at home. Don’t panic! Although bed bugs are a difficult pest to treat, pest professionals have many treatment options available to them and are successful in eliminating infestations. The key is to begin treatment as soon as infestation is suspected or discovered. Bed bugs are not a DIY pest, as evidenced recently by an Ohio State University study and treatments should be left to licensed and experienced pest professionals. If you suspect a bed bug infestation contact a pest professional.
Don’t let this happen to you!
For more information on bed bugs visit: http://www.pestworld.org/news-and-views/pest-articles/articles/the-savvy-summer-traveler/
Brought to you by the National Pest Management Association
Thursday, June 28, 2012
The term "hornet" is often used to refer to many of the wasps that build large papery nests. The most notable paper wasp is the baldfaced hornet, Dolichovespula maculata, and several species of yellowjackets (Vespula sp.), which are really wasps. In actuality the only true hornet found in the United States is the European hornet, Vespa crabro L.
Description:
Bald faced hornets are large, black and white, heavy-bodied wasps about 3Š4 inch (20 mm) long. They typically build exposed, mottled grey nests in trees or shrubs. Occasionally, the wasps will build nests under roof overhangs, in attics, crawlspaces and wall voids, or under decks or porches. The nests are constructed of a paper-like martial formed from chewed wood. The nests are often described as "football shaped", but they may exceed a basketball in diameter.
Yellow jackets are house fly-sized wasps with distinct yellow and black markings and a few hairs. Yellow jacket nests are also constructed of paper, though they are tan in color, much smaller in size compared to the hornet nest and are usually found in an underground cavity. Common locations for nests are in lawns, particularly in sandy exposed areas, as well as at the base of trees or shrubs. Occasionally, yellow jackets will nest in attics or walls voids of houses or storage buildings.
Life History: An individual hornet or yellow jacket queen begins building a nest alone in the spring. Once a queen has produced enough workers to take over nest-building and foraging duties, she remains inside producing more offspring. The workers expand the nest, forage for food, feed the young and defend the nest. Like other predatory wasps, their diet consists mainly of other insects such as flies and bees. Bald-faced hornets will also feed on their yellow jacket relatives. They continue to enlarge the nest until fall when there may be 300-400 hornet, or 600-800 yellow jacket workers. Frequently, it is not until this time that the nest is noticed, although it has been there for many weeks, already. In the late summer, the colony produces reproductives--the insects that will mate. The mated female reproductives will serve as the next generation of queens in the following spring. The male's main purpose is mating and they cannot sting. Nests are abandoned by wintertime and the future queens seek shelter alone, in protected places under tree bark, in old stumps, or sometimes attics. The current year's nests are not reused the following spring.
Behavior: Yellow jackets, in particular, may be late season pests around picnics, trash cans and hummingbird feeders as they scavenge. The only way to control this presence is to locate and destroy the nest, which is rarely possible. As an alternative, keep all outdoor food and drinks covered when possible. Trash cans should be kept covered or have a flap over the opening. Defensive behavior occurs in response to nest defense. If the nest is not in the immediate vicinity the likelihood of stings is greatly reduced.
Control: The first decision to make is whether control is actually necessary. Two points to remember: • In spite of their reputations, hornets and yellow jackets are actually beneficial because they prey on many insects that we consider to be pests, such as cabbageworms. They also serve as food for bears, skunks, birds and other insects. They also are pollinators. • Unlike honey bees, hornet and yellow jacket colonies die out each year. If a hornet nest is built high in a tree, you may choose to simply wait until the colony dies out in late fall or early winter. The nest will slowly deteriorate from weather or from attack by hungry birds.
If a nest is located where people may be stung or if you (or others) are hypersensitive to bee/wasp stings, then colony destruction may be appropriate.
Here are some points to consider as you decide how to approach the problem: •Control is best achieved by applying a pesticide directly into the nest opening. This can be done at anytime of the day, but near dusk, most of the wasps are more likely to be inside the nest. You can use any of the aerosol "Wasp & Hornet" sprays that propel insecticide in a stream about 10-12 feet. Direct the spray into the nest opening and then move away from the area in case any of the wasps emerge from the nest. You may need to be repeat the treatment on the following evening.
• Long sleeved shirt and long pants may be worn when spraying to make the applicator feel more at ease. • Do not hold a lit flashlight or stand near car headlights or other lights. Emerging wasps may be attracted in that direction and sting anyone nearby. • Do not pour gasoline, petroleum or other hazardous chemical down a nest hole. This is extremely hazardous and environmentally unsound.
If the nest is in a wall void or other inaccessible area in your home, you may consider hiring a pest control company to do the work for you. If the nest is in a wall, it may be desirable to remove it if convenient after spraying to avoid attracting carpet beetles that can invade the home and attack garments made wool, silk or fur. Yellow jacket traps (commercial or otherwise) have not shown to be of any value in reducing a yellow jacket problem.
Adapted from Stephen B. Bambara and Michael Waldvogel, North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service, 2001
Life History: An individual hornet or yellow jacket queen begins building a nest alone in the spring. Once a queen has produced enough workers to take over nest-building and foraging duties, she remains inside producing more offspring. The workers expand the nest, forage for food, feed the young and defend the nest. Like other predatory wasps, their diet consists mainly of other insects such as flies and bees. Bald-faced hornets will also feed on their yellow jacket relatives. They continue to enlarge the nest until fall when there may be 300-400 hornet, or 600-800 yellow jacket workers. Frequently, it is not until this time that the nest is noticed, although it has been there for many weeks, already. In the late summer, the colony produces reproductives--the insects that will mate. The mated female reproductives will serve as the next generation of queens in the following spring. The male's main purpose is mating and they cannot sting. Nests are abandoned by wintertime and the future queens seek shelter alone, in protected places under tree bark, in old stumps, or sometimes attics. The current year's nests are not reused the following spring.
Behavior: Yellow jackets, in particular, may be late season pests around picnics, trash cans and hummingbird feeders as they scavenge. The only way to control this presence is to locate and destroy the nest, which is rarely possible. As an alternative, keep all outdoor food and drinks covered when possible. Trash cans should be kept covered or have a flap over the opening. Defensive behavior occurs in response to nest defense. If the nest is not in the immediate vicinity the likelihood of stings is greatly reduced.
Control: The first decision to make is whether control is actually necessary. Two points to remember: • In spite of their reputations, hornets and yellow jackets are actually beneficial because they prey on many insects that we consider to be pests, such as cabbageworms. They also serve as food for bears, skunks, birds and other insects. They also are pollinators. • Unlike honey bees, hornet and yellow jacket colonies die out each year. If a hornet nest is built high in a tree, you may choose to simply wait until the colony dies out in late fall or early winter. The nest will slowly deteriorate from weather or from attack by hungry birds.
If a nest is located where people may be stung or if you (or others) are hypersensitive to bee/wasp stings, then colony destruction may be appropriate.
Here are some points to consider as you decide how to approach the problem: •Control is best achieved by applying a pesticide directly into the nest opening. This can be done at anytime of the day, but near dusk, most of the wasps are more likely to be inside the nest. You can use any of the aerosol "Wasp & Hornet" sprays that propel insecticide in a stream about 10-12 feet. Direct the spray into the nest opening and then move away from the area in case any of the wasps emerge from the nest. You may need to be repeat the treatment on the following evening.
• Long sleeved shirt and long pants may be worn when spraying to make the applicator feel more at ease. • Do not hold a lit flashlight or stand near car headlights or other lights. Emerging wasps may be attracted in that direction and sting anyone nearby. • Do not pour gasoline, petroleum or other hazardous chemical down a nest hole. This is extremely hazardous and environmentally unsound.
If the nest is in a wall void or other inaccessible area in your home, you may consider hiring a pest control company to do the work for you. If the nest is in a wall, it may be desirable to remove it if convenient after spraying to avoid attracting carpet beetles that can invade the home and attack garments made wool, silk or fur. Yellow jacket traps (commercial or otherwise) have not shown to be of any value in reducing a yellow jacket problem.
Adapted from Stephen B. Bambara and Michael Waldvogel, North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service, 2001
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May Marks Worst Month for Termites in New England
May Marks Worst Month for Termites in New England
Termites can cause severe structural damage.
Flowers are beginning to bloom and warmer weather is upon us, two sure signs of spring. May also marks the worst month for termites in New England and pest experts are reminding residents living in Southern New Hampshire and Massachusetts, where termites are prevalent, to be aware of their potential harm.Termites and the damage they cause
“Termites can cause huge damage and they are probably the worst pests when it comes to structural damage,” said Ron Keeler, one of Modern® Pest Services’ General Managers. “In
Termites are difficult to find and treat
Termites live in large colonies where they continuously produce what are referred to as workers, soldiers, and reproductives. The winged reproductives (i.e. swarmers) have a pair of wings that break off after swarming. An average termite colony consists of 60,000 to over a million termites and most are white or light colored, although the swarmers that homeowners usually see are dark brown to black. If termites are found, they can be very difficult to treat because they reproduce so rapidly.
Because termites are sensitive to both light and air, they live underground in soil making them very difficult to notice. They feed on all types of wood, preferring wet, rotted or moldy wood, and are able to digest the cellulose found in the wooden structures that make up our homes. Workers build mud tubes that attach to the foundation of a building and then they work their way up to the wooden structure to begin feeding. Mud tubes mark the connection from a termite colony to their food source.
Termites thrive in moist, warm conditions, so springtime is when they become most harmful to our homes. Each fall the colonies move down in the soil to seek warmth. However, termites can be active year round in heated structures.
Signs that you may have termites:
- Swarmers – Swarming termites occur seasonally, often in the morning after a warm rain and are an obvious sign that a well-established colony is in the house or nearby.
- Wood damage—Sagging floors and doors and windows that don’t open or shut easily may indicate wood damage by termites.
- Mud tubes/dirt piles – Mud tubes near the base of a wood structure or dirt accumulation from mud tubes usually indicate a termite infestation. Cracks in the wood near these dirt piles can also be a sign of termites.
Modern® Pest Services has recently teamed up with Dow AgroSciences to offer consumers the Sentricon® Termite Colony Elimination System with Always Active™ technology. This revolutionary bait system, which is now part of Modern’s HomeCare Termite Protection Program, involves placing bait stations into the ground around the perimeter of a home during the initial installation and then our service professionals check the stations twice a year. Termites discover the bait inside the station, feed on it and then deliver its slow-acting chemistry to the colony. The active ingredient in the bait, noviflumuron, disrupts termite molting, which then eliminates the entire colony. Interestingly, studies have shown that termites prefer this bait over wood.
Adding to its appeal for consumers, the Sentricon System used by Modern was the first product registered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under its Reduced Risk Pesticide Initiative and was the recipient of the Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award.
Sentricon® Termite Colony Elimination System with Always Active™ technology benefits:
- Limited chemical requirements and less invasive
- Highly successful in eliminating entire colonies of termite
- First and only once-a-year treatment
- Environmentally responsible
- Backed by 30 independent university studies, 70 published scientific articles and more than 15 years of real-life success
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