RI, MA EHS Pest Control Blog

Bedbugs Found at Police Station

Police officers across the city are being warned of a frustratingly stubborn enemy that has infiltrated their workplace: bedbugs.

An infestation was discovered last week in the building in Mayfair that houses the Second and 15th Police Districts and the Northeast Detective Division.

The bedbugs came to light after inmates in several holding cells were bitten, said Roosevelt Poplar, vice president of the Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge No. 5.

An exterminator treated the infested areas twice, and the department's administration is closely monitoring the situation, said Lt. Raymond Evers of the Public Affairs Unit.

Joan Schlotterbeck, the city's public property commissioner, said that one inmate had brought the bugs to the building and that an exterminator believed the infestation was confined to three cells.

Those cells have wooden benches that are different from those in other units, she said. They will be removed.

The cell block has been evacuated. Cells will be power-washed, crevices will be sealed, and the walls will be repainted, Schlotterbeck said.

"At this point, we believe we're doing everything we can," Schlotterbeck said.

Poplar said the entire building at Harbison Avenue and Levick Street should have been treated for bedbugs. About 500 officers work out of the building, he said, and the bugs may have hitched rides with inmates who were transferred.

"These bugs, they can be carried on people," he said. "They can be carried in a car, to another district. The holding cells have people coming in and out all day long. We're talking about potentially thousands of people who could be affected by this."

Officers will be asked to report any signs of infestation. Employees who wish to take extra precautions can wash and dry their clothes as soon as they get home from work, Schlotterbeck said.

Poplar said several officers had told him that they might have unknowingly carried bugs home in their clothing. "These guys are under enough stress as it is without worrying about taking bugs home to their families," he said.

The bedbug resurgence began about 10 years ago in hotels and apartment buildings in large cities nationwide. The bloodsucking insects are known for resilience. Clothes and other belongings must be heated to extreme temperatures to kill them, and the bugs can hide in wooden furniture or baseboards for a year without food.

Though New York City has been seen as the center of the scourge, the problem is on the rise here. This year Philadelphia ranked fifth among U.S. cities for bedbugs, with New York still in first.

McClatchy-Tribune News Service

George Williams
General Manager - Staff Entomologist

Pest Control, RI, Pest Control, MA

Are Electric Cars Irresistible Beacons to Rats?

Next time you swing by your local electric car dealer, you may want to make sure your warranty covers damage by rodent. Cars.com's Joe Wiesenfelder didn't have that kind of coverage for his Chevy Volt (who would?), and it ended up costing him $600.

In the aptly named "A Rat Ate My Chevy Volt," Wiesenfelder tells of how he was alerted that his Volt, which was at a parking structure in downtown Chicago at the time, had disconnected from the grid and was no longer charging.

Turns out the culprit was a rat Wiesenfelder nicknamed "Chilly," as rats have been known to climb into the housing of cars or trucks to keep warm during these colder months.

Turns out, Chilly did a little more than just climb in:

This morning, Grossinger City Chevy of Chicago confirmed that Chilly the rat had indeed gnawed through a wiring harness in the engine compartment, causing, at minimum, the warning lights and rear defogger failure… Presumably, an electric car with a thermally managed battery will be a tempting nest long after an internal-combustion engine has cooled off.

Therein lies the problem. While electric vehicles charge, their batteries are kept at a specific temperature — not hot, but warm. That warmth makes a pretty alluring bed for rats. $600 worth of damage is nothing to shake a stick at, especially if it's something that could very well happen again

SOURCE = DVICE.COM

George Williams,
General Manager - Staff Entomologist

Pest Control, RI, Pest Control, MA

More Rodents Carrying Hantavirus Found

Six more rodents trapped by County Vector Control technicians last week have tested positive for the sometimes-deadly hantavirus, County officials said this week.

The rodents, four Harvest mice and two California Meadow Voles, were trapped in Fairbanks Ranch and northern Escondido near the San Luis Rey River bringing this year’s total to 16 rodents testing positive for hantavirus, a news release stated. In 2010, a total of 21 rodents tested positive for hantavirus.

“Recent rains have created an abundance of food for rodents, which can increase the rodent population,” said County Environmental Health Director Jack Miller. “More rodents can lead to more hantavirus.” People should never sweep up or vacuum rodent droppings and nesting materials. Instead, ventilate closed areas and use wet cleaning methods with a 10 percent bleach solution or other full strength disinfectant. The best way to prevent the disease is to keep mice out of houses, garages and sheds by sealing all holes larger than the size of a dime, the news release stated.

Wild rodents, primarily deer mice, carry hantavirus. People can contract it by inhaling dust particles from rodent droppings and nesting materials that contain the virus. The virus can cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), which begins with flu-like symptoms, but can graduate to severe breathing difficulties and even death, according to the news release. There is no vaccine or specific treatment for hantavirus and the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that HPS has killed 36 percent of all the people known to have contracted the disease.

How to Avoid Exposure:

• Eliminate rodent infestations immediately.
• Avoid rodent infested areas. Do not stir up dust or materials that may be contaminated with feces and urine.
• Clean up rodent droppings and urine using the wet cleaning method described below.

Use “wet-cleaning” methods to prevent inhaling the virus:

• DO NOT SWEEP OR VACUUM INFESTED AREAS.
• Ventilate affected area by opening doors and windows for at least 30 minutes.
• Use rubber gloves. Spray a 10 percent bleach solution (2 tablespoons bleach to 1 cup of water), or other full strength disinfectant onto dead rodents, rodent droppings, nests, contaminated traps, and surrounding areas and let the disinfectant stand for at least 15 minutes before cleaning. Clean with a sponge or a mop.
• Place disinfected rodents and debris into two plastic bags, seal them and discard in the trash.
• Wash gloves in a bleach solution, then soap and water, and dispose of them using the same double-bag method. Thoroughly wash your bare hands with soap and water.

George Williams,
General Manager - Staff Entomologist

Pest Control, RI, Pest Control, MA

Location = Weymouth, MA

You really can’t make this stuff up!!! Granted it is a London story but it had to do with squirrels which we deal with all year long plus it was too funny not to put on our blog.

The headline is “Crack-crazed squirrels terrorize South London” and it is a very true statement. In a desperate search for a fix, eschewing their traditional nuts and digging up residents' front gardens in what appears to be a credible zoological threat squirrels are hooked on crack. HOW???

Crack dealers and addicts have apparently taken to burying their stashes in people's gardens in the streets around the suburban towns after police crackdowns forced them from the concrete of cities.  Neighborhood residents are reporting “ill-looking squirrels with bloodshot eyes desperately digging. It was almost as if it was trying to find hidden crack rocks." Other residents have seen squirrels become unusually aggressive. Crack squirrels are a recognized problem in America. They are common in parks used by addicts in New York and Washington DC. They have been known to attack park visitors in their search for a fix.

Be careful you do not get mugged or car jacked by a crack addicted squirrel!!!

Maureen Radeos
Service Coordinator - EHS Pest Control

Location = Warwick, RI

What Every Homeowner Needs to Know About Subterranean Termites

What’s cream-colored, less than an inch long, and can be found chewing off your home’s foundation with an overall cost of $2 billion in damages each year? Definitely not your friendly neighborhood bug, that’s for sure. Subterranean termites, considered to be the most destructive pest in the United States, are found in every state except Alaska.

Where do they live and what do they eat?
These dehydration-prone termites are attracted to areas with lots of moisture and must live near the soil or other above ground source to survive. Underground colonies of subterranean termites can contain up to 2 million members and are organized within a caste system, ranging from the queen and king termites who are the “colony founders” to the lower classes. Soldier and reproductive termites fall in between and help support the entire system with the former fighting off predators such as ants. Worker termites, the last group, consume wood and provide food for the rest of the termite colony.

Subterranean termites feed on anything that contain wood fiber and cellulose such as paper, cardboard, and plant products. Their primary source of food include dead trees and brush, but when the land is cleared by human intervention and houses get built, termites will start to attack the building structures. Termites can penetrate buildings through wood that sits on soil and through building tunnels called mud tubes in foundations. They can also enter easily through cracks or openings in foundations.

What kind of damage can they do?
Homeowners are fearful of subterranean termites for good reason – these termites can collapse an entire building completely. A colony of termites can work diligently and chew through fragments of wood with their strong jaws.
Experts report that termites normally take three to eight years to cause any sort of tangible damage, based on feeding patterns. Other sources estimate that under humid and moisture-filled conditions, a termite colony composed of 60,000 workers could potentially consume a one foot of 2 x 4 inch pine in 100 to 150 days.

How can I tell if I have termites?
Since subterranean termites live underground, the best way to look for termites in your home is to watch out for mud tubes protruding from hidden areas, such as wall crevices, baseboards, and sub-flooring. Blistered wood, soil in cracks, and weak or broken structures can also be a sign of subterranean termites. If you see any appearance of termite entry into your home, call a licensed termite inspector to evaluate your termite situation and what can be done.

A pest control company can provide a proactive termite program for inspecting termites, termite damage, and mud tubes. Ask your pest control professional to install monitoring stations around the perimeter of structures to serve as an early warning system.

How do I get rid of termites?
Pest control professionals utilize three different types of treatment that include soil treatments, wood treatments, and baits.

Soil treatments work to decrease the population of termites and protect the structure long-term. This treatment contains liquid termiticide diluted with water to be injected into the soil around the foundation of the home. This treatment can also be used simultaneously with wood treatments and/or baits.

Wood treatments protect wood from termite infestation and reduces the infestation during treatment by painting unfinished wood with liquids like borate materials.

Baits are put into the ground where there are signs of termites. The bait is usually an insect growth regulator (IGR) or a slow release toxic agent. Once termites eat the bait and return to their colony, it becomes manifested in the colony and reduces the termite population there through weakening the entire colony.

PATRIOTIC SQUIRRELS, RATS, & MICE….. (East Providence, RI)

Just when we think we are running short on material and funny stories we get another doozy! We have reached the point that our stories and blogs have become a “can you top this one” competition within EHS. Fasten your seatbelt here comes another one…..It was getting near the end of a very long day and I was in the office turning in all my paperwork and getting supplies. Maureen in our scheduling department got a call from a frantic customer who needed service ASAP because she could “hear scratching in the walls.” Maureen tried to get as much information as possible but the best she could get was “sometimes it sounds like little scratching, like a mouse. Other times it is much louder, like a squirrel or god forbid, a rat.” This is what is called an add-on in the pest control business. My day got a bit longer with this new stop but we were responding to a customers need within an hour so that is good on so many levels.

The frazzled woman met me at the door and I proceeded to tell her that I would like to first inspect the exterior of the home for burrows or openings from nuisance wildlife. After finding no evidence I then went inside and inspected the basement then attic. Once again, no evidence of pests??? While in the attic the customer screamed “hurry, come quick, its scratching in the wall right now!!!” I hurry to the wall where she is hearing it. “Is that the sound you hear?” I say. “Yep, that’s it she responds. What do you think it is?” I politely open the side door and point to the American flag that is blowing in the wind and brushing up against the vinyl siding. “OH MY GOD!!! I AM SO EMBARRASSED, HOW COULD I BE SO STUPID?!” Don’t worry I told her, you would be amazed at what we deal with. Aint that the truth!

Tim Lynch
Service Specialist