Category Archives: Bed Bugs Florida

DALLAS, April 29 (UPI) -- In the past 12 months, 84 percent of America's homeowners experienced a pest problem -- nearly half were invaded by ants, a U.S. survey indicated.

The survey, for HomeTeam Pest Defense, of 1,319 U.S. adults also found in the past year 43 percent had to deal with spiders, 37 percent flies, 34 percent mosquitoes, 30 percent mice and 29 percent wasps.

"Pests have appeared earlier than usual this year due to warm winter, early spring and recent heavy rains," Russ Horton, national technical director for HomeTeam Pest Defense, said in a statement. "We have already seen termite swarms in Texas, Georgia and Florida, odorous house ants in the Mid-Atlantic and scorpions in Arizona."

Additionally, 80 percent of homeowners are concerned about pests termites, cockroaches, rats, bed bugs and mice in the home. Thirteen percent said they actually experienced termites in the last 12 months, 22 percent of homeowners experienced structural damage to their home from a pest problem.

To help prevent pest problems, Horton suggested:

-- Seal cracks and small openings around doors, windows, garage doors and utility entry points.

-- Get rid of standing water around the home.

-- Cut back tree branches and bushes, keeping them away from the side of the house and roof.

-- Install or repair screens on windows and doors.

-- Fix dripping taps and leaking pipes to remove the water and humidity that some pests need to survive.

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Pests appearing due to mild winter

New EarthSky en Espaol video segments featuring scientists from across the U.S. premiere April 30 through May 21, 2012 on Galavisin (USA), an American Spanish-language television channel owned by Univision Communications, Inc. These videos are made possible by a grant to EarthSky from the National Science Foundation (NSF).

The two- to three-minute EarthSky en Espaol videos are being broadcast on the popular programDetrs del Saberat 8:30 p.m. Central Standard Time, and with multiple broadcast times thereafter in 2012.

Galavision is a premium cable offering, and is also available on satellite: DirecTV channel 404 and Dish Network channel 273 and 833.

Visit EarthSky en Espaol online

If you want to see specific segments, their release dates are as follows:

April 30, 2012 Everything You Need to Know: Bed Bugs Be careful what you bring home in your suitcase. These days, you might unpack a tiny vampire. Bed bugs are back! And they feed on human blood. Features an interview with entomologist Rebecca Duncan of the University of Miami

May 1, 2012 Did the Maya Predict the End of the World in 2012? Often you hear people say that the Mayan calendar predicts the world will end on December 21, 2012. We investigate the source and science of this apocalyptic prophecy. Features an interview with archaeologist and Maya expert David Stuart of the University of Texas at Austin.

May 2, 2012 How are Chemistry and Art Linked? If youve ever seen the worlds most famous painting the Mona Lisa please thank a scientist! Chemistry helps us keep great works of arts intact. Whats more, chemistry is what got humans painting in the first place. Interview with chemist Piero Gardinali of Florida International University.

May 7, 2012 What are Ecosystem Services? Environmental conservation is good for nature, but it can also help the economy. Natural processes such as forests filtering water and bees pollinating crops have a monetary value that todays scientists call ecosystem services. Interview with Laura Lpez-Hoffman, Professor of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy at the University of Arizona.

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EarthSky video schedule on Galavision’s Détras del Saber spring 2012

Readmore: Local, News, Bed Bugs, Bead Bug Dogs, Dogs that Sniff out Bed Bugs, Not just Drugs or Bombs. Newest Sniffing Target for Dogs: Bed Bugs, Yarro, Bed Bug Dog, Yarro the Bed Bug Dog, Merrill's Detector Dogs Service

Dogs can be trained to do some amazing things, like track down lost children, detect bombs or find drugs. Now, there are canines in Georgetown County that can sniff out a nasty pest that is dogging the tourism industry: bed bugs.

Yarro, a two-year-old yellow Labrador retriever, has a favorite game. It involves sniffing out a jar full of bed bugs that's hidden in one of five large white containers set up in a row on the property atMerrill's Detector Dogs Service near Browns Ferry.

When Yarro alerts on the right container, he'll sit right down and stare at it. To reward him, the trainer releases a tennis ball, Yarro's favorite toy.

When it comes to detecting bed bugs, Yarro and his buddies at Merrill's are amazing.

"The pillow today (that Yarro alerted on in an earlier test) just had a couple of bed bugs in it. We train from one to hundreds," said Yaro's handler, Kathy Heselton.

Merrill's Service has been in the detector dog business for many years, but recently added bed bugs to the things their dogs are trained to detect. The dogs will ignore dead bugs.

"It's the live bugs," Heselton explains. "They give off a pheromone that the dogs can smell and that's what they alert to."

Bed bugsare a growing problem in the U.S., especially for hotels. Merrill's has quickly expanded from one bed bug detecting dog to five.

"Right now, they're strong in Florida, Georgia. South Carolina is our focus with this Southern group. We have dogs in Maine and New England as well."

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Not just drugs or bombs. Newest sniffing target for dogs: bed bugs

Cincinnati, OH (PRWEB) March 22, 2012

A report from ABCNews.com said that Rollins, a pest-control company, has released a list of the top 50 cities infested by bed bugs in 2011. According to the report, Cincinnati topped the ranking. On the other hand, West Palm Beach and Fort Pierce were ranked the least infested.

The said ranking was based on the number of bed bug treatments performed by the company in the cities. The bed bug treatments counted were those implemented from January to December of 2011. Additionally, the report said that there was about 33.6 percent increase in the bed bug business last year compared to 2010.

Knowing that bed bugs are troublesome, BedBugControl911.com advised city residents to be always on the look out for the pests. As it said, it's not just bed bugs in Florida, Cincinnati or any other city that everybody must be wary of. People must be careful of the pests from everywhere as they are sneaky and fast to spread, it added.

Read below the excerpt of the report Top 50 Bed Bug Attacked Cities Revealed from BedBugControl911.com

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It's a big boost for a city to be named safe. However, it's a big blow to the gut if it's labeled unsafe. And small as bed bugs are, their presence can hurt badly a city's pride and image. And for the named top 50 favorite cities of bed bugs, surely, that is something that needs to be addressed immediately.

According to one pest control corporation that released a recent top 50 list of major US cities infested by the blood-sucking pests, bed bug business in 2011 is 33.6 percent higher than 2012. Basically, the company's listing was based on the number of bed bug treatments performed from January to December of last year.

Several cities dropped in ranking compared to last year. Examples of those cities are Dayton, Indianapolis and Minneapolis. However, many more moved up the ladder. Los Angeles is one those with a very significant rise in ranking jumping 20 spots higher. Cincinnati though remains the top bed bug infested city while West Palm Beach and Ft. Pierce are the least invaded.

Read more about the Top 50 Bed Bug Infested Cities Released

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Pest Control Company Releases Top 50 Bed Bug Infested US Cities, BedBugControl911.com Offers Residents Green Help

FORT MYERS -

Pest control professionals say insects are invading homes in Southwest Florida thanks to a warmer than usual winter.

Tempco Pest Control is seeing more and more requests for services than this time last year.

"Normally, insects go dormant and we aren't seeing it this year," says Tempco president Mike Ryan.

Ryan says it's because of the mild winter temperatures, instead of freezes killing the bugs off, the older bugs are sticking around and new ones are popping up.

The problem is especially prominent with fleas, ants, and ticks.

"It's one of the worst seasons we have seen in a long time," says Fort Myers Pest Control supervisor Ivan Starkey.

Fort Myers Pest Control says they're getting 60 to 70 calls per day for fleas and ticks. But what's more alarming is that calls for bed bugs have gone up 300 percent since 2011.

"We're going to experience it and until we get the rains and things settle down, we are going to have a serious bug situation," Starkey says.

But while we wait for temperatures to cool off, experts have suggestions to take at home.

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Warm winter leads to more bugs in SWFL homes