Everything you need to know about pests

Bed bugs are now definitely a great concern of both homeowners and business owners in the United States. They do not only feast on the people’s blood; they also cause havoc on the wallet of those who have bed bug infestation since treatments do not come cheap at all.

These annoying bugs are actually easy to kill - the only problem is their tiny size. Since bed bugs look like tiny apple seeds, they can hide in cracks and crevices that we usually don’t think twice as their potential hiding places. They are also smart enough to hitch rides from people who have just come from vacations or visits to places infested with bed bugs. They cling to almost everything - from luggage, clothing, furniture, and even books.

How Do Bed Bugs Multiply?
The bed bug reproduction process is a bizarre one. It is called traumatic insemination because the male bed bug injects sperm cell by creating a wound on the female’s abdomen. Since the process inflicts trauma to the female, it will try to move away from locations where there are males to avoid mating again.

This process pushes females to hitchhike on personal belongings like bags and clothes. Bringing a pregnant bed bug to your home or office is the surest way to start an infestation!

Female bed bugs lay white, spherical eggs in cracks and crevices. It can lay up to 250 eggs in its lifetime. The eggs usually hatch after 6 to 10 days. The newly emerged nymph then seek a blood meal by biting the head, neck, arms, hands, and legs of its host. They need to have at least one blood meal before each molting period.

Immature nymphs shed their exoskeleton five times before they reached adulthood. In general, bed bugs leave from two to four months under normal circumstances. Usually, there are three or more generations of bed bugs each year.

The Jersey City Exterminators is dedicated to protecting all living spaces from pests like bed bugs. If you found yourself being bugged by this annoying pest, contact us for our professional bed bug remediation service.

Cleaning your home is an act that means more than just getting rid of dirt and grime. It also means you have to keep your household free from pests for your family’s safety and convenience. Otherwise, it could signal a start of a lot of visits to the hospital and a huge amount of money for pest extermination services. One such residential pest to look out for is the dust mite.

One of the things you can do to eliminate dust mites is to take out all organic materials from your house. These include wool-made products, pillows with feathers in them, carpets, clothes, and silk sheets. Once they have been removed, dust mites will have no place to live and multiply.

After taking the aforementioned items, vacuum or wash them immediately and regularly. When it comes to dust mites, you can never be too sure. Plus, remember to use cleaning products that can eliminate these pests from your belongings.

Once you have accomplished the cleaning of these things, the next step would be to apply a protective cover made of allergen. This act will deter dust mites from infesting your things. At the same time, this product can prevent any allergies from forming on your skin.

Another suggestion you can do is to take control of the humidity inside your home. Dust mites thrive in humid environments and taking that benefit away from them reduces their numbers. A good example to reduce humidity is to use an air conditioner in your home.

Last, but definitely not the least, remember to bathe your pets from time to time. Leaving them unwashed is basically an invitation for dust mites to live in your dogs or cats. Plus, don’t forget to wash your pets’ belongings too when you give them a bath.

If you’ve done these suggestions and yet, you still suffer from dust mites, don’t be afraid to call the pest control professionals from Jersey City Exterminators. They possess the proper training and equipment to solve your dust mite-related problems with finality.

Ever wondered how you got a bed bug infestation months after you got home from a vacation? If you have, you might be asking how that happened, when you have been very diligent in cleaning your home as long as you can remember and even after your travel. This can really be a nightmare not only because you are scratching all night long, but more so because you have to think of the cost to have them eliminated by a reliable pest exterminator.

With accurate and practical steps, you can save yourself from a lot of stress by making sure you won’t bring those nasty pests home from a trip.

Spot the Bed Bugs
​First and foremost, you have to look for signs of bed bugs whether you will stay in a hotel, a guest house, or whatever type of temporary dwelling for your vacation. Don’t make the mistake of assuming that there can be no bed bug in a fresh and clean place. Remember that bed bugs are blood-sucking pests that do not make a distinction between a clean or a filthy area.
Inspect the closets, the mattresses, the furniture, and as many fabricated areas as you can check for any signs of bed bugs. You can spot them by looking closely for brown or red spots that can either be their excretions or their own blood. They leave these marks every time they excrete wastes or when someone accidentally squished them.

Protect Your Belongings
As much as possible, when you travel, always bring resealable plastic pouches wherein you can put all your small items, from lotion to beauty products. Make sure your bags are always closed so no bed bugs can enter. These pests are so tiny that they can hide under pillows, blankets, and other fabric. To be safe, ensure that your clothes are sealed in a secured container, whether plastic or rubber before putting them in the hotel closet.

Dust All the Bugs Off
Lastly, when you arrive home from a vacation, don’t bring your bags or belongings inside your house immediately. Leave them somewhere safe until you’ve settled in from your journey. You can place your stuff where the sun can shine on them to make those bed bugs scatter. To be sure, wash yourself too by taking a warm bath to get rid of any unwanted pests.
For everything else, inspect them carefully and hand-wash them with soap and warm water. Scrub all your vacation items with a brush and make sure you won’t leave any area untouched. Again, inspect for the aforementioned signs to make sure there’s no single female bed bug lurking around any of your items.

Although these steps sound too nitty gritty, it’s better to take precautions because a single female bed bug can lay 200-500 eggs during her whole lifetime at an average of 2-5 eggs per day! You wouldn’t want those bed bugs to find a safe haven inside your home, multiply exponentially, and cause you a great deal of stress.

If all these methods fail, don’t worry because you can call on the reliable bed bug removal experts of Jersey City Exterminators to solve your bed bug problems.

Jackets, coats, scarves, and gloves are essential clothing during winter. They are usually made of woolen materials that keep us warm. Storing winter clothing can be a challenge because they are thick and are only used during winter. Because they are stored in closets for a long time, they easily become a haven and breeding place for moths and in some cases, moth infestation. 

Moths are dull, drab insects that thrive in dark places like closets, basements, and attics.  They specifically love to hang out inside closets during their larva or caterpillar stage because their diet includes animal-based fibers like wool, silk, cashmere, fur, and angora.

Myth or Not a Myth?

Some people have said that closets made of cedar wood can keep moths away from clothes. But has this been proven to be true?

To some extent, cedar closets have the power to ward off pests like moths because they contain cedar essential oil. Even during the ancient Egyptian times, the essential oil has been used for cosmetics, perfumes, and insecticides. The cedarwood essential oil that we are using now comes from the coniferous evergreen Eastern Redcedar (Juniperus virginiana). It is used as a repellent for moths, mosquitoes, bed bugs, flies, and other insects.

But cedar closets can only be effective moth repellents if fumes from the cedar boards or planks are in high concentration. To replenish the scent, light sanding is required. One can also apply cedar essential oil or add cedar balls inside the closet. But one can never be sure if enough has been applied or not.

Please take note, however, that only young moth larvae are only killed by this method. Eggs and adult moths are not deterred by the cedar essential oil. Common pesticides are not safe in solving moth infestation. Correct moth identification and breeding removal are still the most effective solutions in eliminating this pest inside homes.

If you need personal assistance in removing moths, contact the pest control professionals at Jersey City Exterminators.

Silverfish Infestation...

What are silverfish?
Silverfish are nocturnal insects up to a half inch long that can survive in most climates. They hide where it's dark and damp sucn as basements, attics, kitchens and bathrooms, frequently in stored boxes. They feed on carbohydrates, particularly sugars and starches. They also like cellulose, glue in books, linen and other dead insects. They have often been found in unopened food packages.

Reproduction
They reproduce by mating with females which, depending on the particular species, can lay from 2 to 20 eggs per day. Predators feeding on silverfish are spiders, centipedes and earwigs. They move very quickly and can go unnoticed for a long time since they like the dark. They can reproduce quickly, so an infestation can sometimes occur before you notice anything. They can sometimes be detected by the damage they do to clothes, paper in books, and wallpaper.

Where are they and how do I get rid of them?
They prefer high humidity and the nymphs develop much faster in humid conditions. The best way to prevent an infestation is to control humidity with proper caulking and do stringent housekeeping in the kitchen and bathrooms to limit their potential feeding sites. However, it is recommended to call a Jersey City pest removal professional if you already have an infestation. Home repellants such as cinnamon can repel them but don't kill them or their eggs. Do it yourself treatments rarely work. They may eliminate them temporarily only to have them return. Silverfish traps can catch and kill one but they don't do anything to reduce the population. An infestation requires professional treatment, If you think you have an infestation, you should call a professional pest service for an evaluation.

Description
There is an enormous variety of cockroach species ranging in size from ¾ inch to well over two inches in tropical climates. They are a hardy breed and have been on the planet for hundreds of thousand years. The ones that invade human dwellings are considered pests. There are other species that are beneficial by recycling decaying organic material. The pest cockroaches can be carriers of disease because they are often found near kitchen waste where there is food. Cockroach infestation is a scourge of restaurants. They emit bad odors and often produce sounds like chirping or clicking noises The Madagascar hissing cockroach is the most famous vocal cockroach.

Here's what you have to know.
They reproduce quickly. For every one you see there may be many more hiding behind your walls. They're nocturnal so if you see one, you haven't seen them all. If you see them during the day, it could mean they were forced out by overcrowding meaning a severe infestation. The debris created by cockroaches can aggravate allergies., especially in children.

Home Remedies
If the infestation isn't too bad, an effective remedy is powdered boric acid. The powder adheres to the roach's legs and when they groom themselves, the ingest the boric acid. The problem if the infestation is large is that application of the boric acid has to be in places that are hard to reach. And if it's misapplied, it can leave a mess. There are cockroach foggers which can be effective but have to be used carefully. There are cockroach gels which can work to some extent. Again, the task it to apply it in places where roaches hide which are usually out of the way.


Professional Treatment
For a serious cockroach infestation, it's best to get professional help. Call a pro. They know what to do.

​What are these creatures called dust mites?
They are microscopic bugs related to ticks and spiders because they have eight legs not the six that insects have. They don't bite but they feed on dead skin that humans shed continuously. They are a problem because their droppings are very allergenic and have been known to be responsible for many medical problems such as asthma, rhinitis (a form of hay fever), and eczema. They have also been linked to a host of other diseases such as conjunctivitis and dermatitis and in extreme cases where the allergy to the dust mite enzyme is severe, anaphylaxis, certain types of pneumonia, angioedema and others. The severity varies from unaffected to some of the severe allergic reactions mentioned.

How do I get them in my bed?
They are clingers, clinging with hooks on their legs to material, fur or anything that gives them a place to hide like socks, soft toys, or pajamas can transport them to a bed.They can iive on top of covers and pillows.

Getting rid of them?
Dust mites like moisture. Use air conditioning to keep the humidity in the room low. Don't make your bed in the morning. Let it air out from the moisture it picks up from your body while sleeping. They cling toughly but a vacuum cleaner with a good HEPA filter is very effective in removing the dust that they feed on. Wash linens in hot water (about 130-140 degrees) weekly Mop floors around the bed with a damp mop. Don't use a dry one which only kicks up the dust and mites with them. You should also cover mattresses with mattress covers that are available in bedding stores or department stores. Generally if you have a dust mite problem and the mattress is old, a good solution if you can afford it is to replace the mattress. There are also dust mite sprays available in most supermarkets that can keep them under control.

Allergy testing
If you are not sure about your reaction, you can have tests done which your doctor can do which will tell you the extent of your allergy.  And please call us if we can help you, at Jersey City Exterminators. 

The shortest poem in the world.

Fleas
Adam
had 'em
​
What are fleas?
Fleas are small and wingless insects about 1/10 inch long. They are covered with hair and are in a compressed condition so that they can move through animal fur. They are parasites that feed by drawing blood from the host. Fleas prefer to feed on hairy animals such as dogs, cats, squirrels, rats and mice. Although they don't have wings, they can jump long distances. The eggs do not hatch on the host. They hatch in rugs, carpet, bedding and upholstery. The eggs usually hatch within two days.

Fleas in the house
Fleas are brought into the house via a host, an animal. They need the host to survive. If the host, a pet dog for example, is removed from the house, the fleas need to feed on something else like people. The best way to control fleas is to keep them outside. Keeping the animals outside and destroying their habitats outside using flea control products. If there are fleas in the house and the residents and pets leave for a while, when they return you can see them frantically jumping to feed. Adult fleas are easy to see. Larvae on the other hand are more secretive. They are found in places like behind and under furniture, in pets bedding and in cracks and grooves in the floor. Flea eggs laid on a pet fall off and are carried around the house by the pet. Flea eggs make up half the flea population in a house.
What are the signs of fleas?
The most common indication is a scratching pet. People may experience bites leaving itchy bite marks/ Flea feces look like black pepper and may be seen in pet beds, carpets and any where the animal host hangs out. Fleas are not usually found in bedding unless an animal is allowed to sleep in the bed. Eggs and larvae are more likely to be living under the bed or in the bedding of the animal.

Treating them.
Using over the counter products usually does not eliminate the cause of any infestation. It's usually worthwhile to enlist a professional exterminator to do a flea inspection, after which a plan to eliminate the infestation can be made. It may involve eliminating the source animal(s). Bathing and grooming pets. Getting flea control products like collars or other applications to eliminate the fleas on the pet. Using a strong vacuum on rugs and under beds to eliminate the eggs. Flea infestations nee a multifaceted treatment plan. Effective flea control involves both flea control chemicals and physical methods.
Fleas disease.
There are many flea-borne diseases including the plague, flea-borne typhus, and some rare ones like Bartonellosis and Tungiasis.

Just thinking of fleas and bedbugs make most people start itching. Nobody wants them inside their homes and businesses. They are unpleasant and parasitic that we would rather live without.
​
It doesn’t matter whether you are dealing with some fleas or bugs - you have to banish them right away! You might be tempted to grab spray and start treating every nook and corners in your home. But are you really sure if those are fleas or bedbugs? 

The Difference Between Bedbugs and Fleas
Bedbugs and fleas may look similar but they still have a lot of physical and behavioral differences. It is important to know how to identify them so that the right treatment can be applied if an infestation happens in your home.

Bedbugs are flat, oval, and have reddish-brown bodies. They prefer to bite humans and live around beds, bed frames, under mattresses, behind loose wallpaper, second-hand clothing, and furniture. They are usually brought inside homes by clinging to clothes and bags from family members who came from vacations or those who visited homes where bedbug infestations occur. Bedbugs bites are red and raised. They are located in body areas that are exposed during sleep such as hands and feet.  They are not painful, but they can be itchy and will develop into rashes. 

 On the other hand, fleas have dark-colored flat bodies with long legs for jumping. They feed exclusively on dogs, cats, and other furry pets. Their bites can be felt right away which feel like that of a mosquito. Fleas are known to cause Murine typhus, cat scratch disease, Tularemia, and Tungiasis. They are also notorious for transmitting tapeworms to pets. 

 Bedbugs can be killed using over-the-counter bedbug treatment products. On the other hand, flea removal is not easy because of the cryptic nature of this pest. It requires multifaceted treatment plans that include both chemical and physical methods. Addressing flea problem in your pet alone will not stop the infestation. 

 Are you worried about bedbugs and fleas in your home or business? Call Jersey City Exterminators about your flea problem or bedbug problem at (201) 460-6068. We use effective products that will reduce these disease-causing pests in your property fast. Act now before these nasty biters take over your life!