Fun Facts About Rats

* Rats have an excellent sense of smell, as a result they've been used to pioneer the fields of landmine and tuberculosis detection. It's also the reason they know when you've left the bread out of the pantry.
*A group of rats is called a mischief... I wonder why?
*The rat is the first animal on the Chinese Zodiac.
*Female rats can mate up to 500 times with different males during a six-hour phase of "receptivity"—a state of openness which she will experience about 15 times per year.
*A rat cannot perspire. Instead rats use their tails to control their body temperature by contracting and expanding blood vessels.
*Can a rat survive being flushed down the toilet? Yes! Rats can tread water for up to three days!
*Tired of trying to lure that mangy rat with gouda and brie? According to a study performed by founder of the Animal Behavior Society Martin Schein rats have a list of fave foods which include but are not limited to scrambled eggs, Mac and cheese, and cooked corn.
*Some cultures idolize rats. In Deshnoke, India, a Hindu temple dedicated to the rat goddess Karni Mata is home more than 20,000 rats which are believed to be reincarnations of the goddess and her clansmen.

Roaches And Bed Bugs A Serious Problem

Pests are a grave problem once in home they become a great problem. Of all the home pests, bed bug n roaches are most common. Getting rid of them is the most important and difficult task. Professional help is recommended to completely get rid of them.

Bed Bugs

Bed bug epidemic is not a recent problem but it has been disturbing people for thousands of years. During the day, bedbugs hide in the cracks and crevices of: Mattresses Box springs Beds, frames, Headboards, under peeling paint and loose wall paper under carpeting near baseboards. By feeding on infected people, bedbugs can be infected with some blood borne diseases. After World War II, they were eradicated from most developed nations with the use of DDT. This pesticide has since been banned because it's so toxic to the environment.

The risk of encountering bedbugs increases if you spend time in places with high turnovers of night-time guests — such as hotels, hospitals or homeless shelters.

Bedbugs are reddish brown, oval and flat, about the size of an apple seed. During the day, they hide in the cracks and crevices of beds, box springs, headboards and bed frames. It's an overwhelming task to eliminate bedbugs from your home. Professional help is recommended.

Differentiating between a bed dug and insect bite is difficult. In general, the areas of bedbug bites are: Red, often with a darker red spot in the middle Itchy, are arranged in a rough line or in a cluster located on the face, neck, arms and hands. Some people have no reaction at all to bedbug bites, while others experience an allergic reaction that can include severe itching, blisters or hives.

Cockroaches

Cockroaches or roaches in a home are health hazards. Unfortunately, the breeding rate of roaches breed is quick, so if one roach gets in a home, this quickly leads to more. Different types of roaches can be a source of various diseases. They can trigger allergic reactions and even asthma attacks. Bacteria on the bodies of roaches can cause vomiting, sneezing, diarrhea, reddened skin and salmonella.

Even if a homeowner does not see a roach, there are other signs of roaches in the home. Roaches lay small, brown kidney-shaped cases which contain eggs. Juvenile cockroaches, called nymphs, are miniature but wingless versions of their parents.

Roaches enter a home because food and water are easily available. Clean up food spills, even crumbs as soon as possible. Regularly remove trash. Soak up water spills and fix leaky faucets that could cause puddles for roaches to drink from. Trim bushes, long weeds and ivy where roaches can live.

About Author
Sophia Alexander is a chief editor since early 2007, and she currently works for Pets and their care. She is expert in writing about Transgenic mice and Knockout mice.

Some Quick bedbug facts

Bed bugs are crack and crevice creatures that reside in beds, dressers, night tables closets, couches, walls, clothing and moldings. They are sneaky creatures and will hide in almost anything. They are real headache and eliminating them can be difficult if not done right. Bed bugs are small, reddish insects, which are about 4-5mm long. Bed bugs are invasive insects that can be hard to detect.

Bed bugs are tiny insects that drink the blood of humans. They are not avoidable even if we take preventative measures. They Are like little vampires that take up residence in your home. They Are small, nocturnal parasites that call many places their homes. Bed bugs are more resilient and resistant than any other pest, including rats and cockroaches.

Bed bugs are a small wingless insect that feed upon the blood of animals including humans. They are small, brownish, flattened insects that feed solely on the blood of animals. They are small brown insects that feed on the blood of warm blooded mammals. They are tiny, blood-sucking insects. Bed bugs are fast moving insects that are nocturnal blood-feeders. Bed bugs are often mistaken for fleas, ticks and or baby cockroaches. They are elusive and usually nocturnal, which can make them hard to spot. They Are not known to transmit disease. Bed bugs can wander between adjoining apartments through voids in walls and holes though which wires and pipes pass


Bed bugs can live up to a year without feasting on blood. They are negatively affect our physical, mental, and social wellbeing. Bedbugs have a stigma that the person who got them is a dirty person which is far from true. They spread readily from infested units to surrounding units in multi-occupancy settings. They travel in your clothing and luggage easily. Bed bugs can attach themselves to you without you even knowing.

Bed bugs can survive for 9-12 months without eating. They Are most active when people are sleeping. They Are clearly a problem that is far more serious than people realize. Bed bugs were once nearly eliminated as a pest in civilized society.

Summit Targeting Bedbugs

The Federal Bedbug Workgroup is holding a second national summit that is set for Feb.1st and 2nd of 2011, in Washington, D.C. to help find solutions to the bedbug epidemic we seem to be in the middle of. They are focusing on ways the federal government and others can continue to toil collectively on management and control of these pests, the summit is open to the public.
The initial federal bedbug summit was held by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) back in April 2009. Since then, the EPA has aided in organizing the Federal Bedbug Workgroup, which consists of the following; the EPA, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Agriculture, Department of Defense, Department of Commerce, and National Institutes of Health.
The summit’s program will highlight talks on progression since the last summit from various perspectives, including federal, state, and local governments; research; housing industry; and pest management industry. The program also includes identifying information gaps and barriers for successful bedbug control, proposals for next steps in addressing information gaps and eliminating barriers, and developing a framework for addressing the highest priority needs.
There are a few steps people can take to prevent bedbugs:
• Remove all clutter in home, clutter provides good hiding spots for bed bugs
• You should seal all cracks and crevices around your home
• Try to vacuum your rugs and upholstered furniture thoroughly and frequently, as well as vacuuming under beds (take the vacuum bag outside immediately and dispose in a sealed trash bag)
• Dry clothing and bed sheets at high temperatures (heat will kill bedbugs)
• Stay on alert and check for bedbugs so they may be treated before a major infestation occurs
• READ THE LABEL FIRST, before using any pesticide product, then follow the directions
• Check the label on the product to make sure it is identified for use on bedbugs. If bed bugs are not listed on the label, the pesticide has not been tested for bedbugs and it may not be effective

Prior to the summit, the federal workgroup will congregate with researchers to evaluate and develop a re-search agenda related to bedbugs. The plan and information on attending the meeting via webinar will be available for everyone on the EPA’s website.

The Bed Bug Advisory board

There is a bed bug advisory board that was put in place by Mayor Bloomberg for the city of New York. This advisory board was created to address and control the spread of bed bugs in New York City. It produces reports that entail recommendations on how to deal with the bed bug issues in commercial and residential sites. The bed bug advisory board has many other great purposes besides that, it tracks infestations thru out the city, how to dispose of the items that are beyond repair due to an infestation. It also includes a list of rights and responsibilities for tenants, and landlords.
The bed bug problem we are facing is on such a large scale that even other cities have introduced a bed bug hot line, all landlords are required to release all information regarding bed bug issues in their unit, there’s also a soft ware to track all of the bed bug complaints, information sites in a several different languages, there is a mandatory protocol and inspection in regard to the sale of new and used furniture, also they established a centralized database for all exterminators. According to statistics there was a 34% increase in calls this year in comparison to last year. According to reports some of the Mayor’s friends also have bed bugs, all the more reason for the mayor to push such an advisory board. Ms. Renee Corea is the speaker appointee and public advocate of the Advisory board she says “the purpose of the board is to make specific recommendations to the mayor and city council for the prevention and treatment of bed bug infestations throughout the city.”

The importance of a Bed Bug inspection for home and business

New York is a congested place, especially the metropolitan city of New York. The city is filled with high rise buildings as many families prefer to live in these areas because of work reasons and that they cannot afford yet to go for a suburban area. Of course city life has its appeal. Being part of this amazing city is like a dream for many. Actually, New York is a paradise for some and strangely some are not human. These critters live in the darkest depths and corners of the city, just looking for the opportunity to get in and take advantage of what you have inside your home, including you. They are not foreign to us. It’s just that they are specifically very prominent in New York.

City pests and infestations come in a variety of forms. You will find ants, flies, mosquitoes, rodents and of course, the ever persistent bed bugs. City pests are notorious in the area. The reason is that the people are used to moving to places all the time. Apartment living makes it more convenient for them to move from one place to another. Cannot live with the rent costs? Move to another apartment! However, chances are there will be some little critters lurking in abandoned apartment spaces. At a cheap price, sometimes, you have to live with that fact. However, event decent homes and apartments can be victims of these bed bugs.

The thing is living with these pests is not an option. Rats and cockroaches carry nasty diseases. If you ever have a great amount of these pests lurking around your home, chances are, they will go through your food and be dangerous to your health. Having them already in your home is like living in a messy house. It feels like you are not secure since there are critters ready to jump out on you. Rodent excretions can cause a lot of diseases. Cockroaches can also cause conjunctivitis. Imagine also the kinds of surfaces that rats and roaches go to. They could have been from sewage pipes, garbage dumps and city streets.

Another form of infestation is in the form of bed bugs. These are nasty little critters that in the middle of the nineties have reemerged as a nasty pest in massive numbers. They thought in the 1940s and 50s that bed bugs have been eradicated. Now, they are immune to old insecticides and chemicals. They are more rampant and they are ready to take a bite from any mammal blood again. Bed bugs are nasty because they not only suck your blood, they could also make you sick. Imagine the horror of hundreds of these small nasty insects sucking you at once. You could have anemia just from these nasty insects. You can also get other skin related problems.

The great thing is that here in New York as well as the neighboring New Jersey, pest control experts are there to give you the relief from such infestations. Pest control specialists have the tools of the trade for bed bug control. The good thing is that most experts use naturally occurring chemicals in various forms in order to eradicate them, but at the same time not cause any respiratory issues to the homeowners. In severe cases, heat is applied across the whole area since bed bugs can die in intense heat. Bed bug infestations are very rampant and each homeowner is responsible for their own space.

Of course even if you clean your home every day, there is still a possibility of having bed bugs most especially if you live in any areas in New York or New Jersey. Due to the fact that the homes are adjacent to each other, insects can crawl from one apartment level to the other and infest the building on a massive scale. As tenants who follow the rules and maintain the home safe and clean, it is your right to live in a pest free apartment. You should contact your landlord if you are suspecting a neighboring apartment from upstairs or downstairs if there are any infestations lurking out from their spaces. That is the danger of not taking care of the space, neighbors can and most likely will get affected. As a community, it is your duty to take care of you space and be conscientious about other people's welfare.

As for landlords and apartment building owners, you have a responsibility to inspect your tenants’ apartments and all the aspects of the apartment building. As an owner, you need to take advantage of the aspects to ensure that your building is safe from any infestations. You need to have an inspector or a pest control specialist to address the issues more effectively. Remember that tenants can file a law suit against a landlord if he or she does not do his or her part in keeping the apartment safe. Businesses can get shut down if the infestations are really big.

New York has some of the biggest infestations in the entire United States. It is not only in homes where the infestations can get affected, even in office spaces and commercial buildings, infestations can arise. From hotels to food businesses, infestations can cause massive problems to the quality of their services. A space that is unsanitary or is not maintained well, is thriving in humidity and with a lot of food items and organic materials left unattended or not stored well, infestations can damage the whole operation of the business.

Dealing with infestations is very difficult to do alone. Commercial products often do not work very well and they can lead to respiratory problems if not used properly. It is your duty to ask the help of pest control experts. They have training in a variety of pests and they know the best ways to handle the problem. Working with pests is their passion so it is best to have an expert handle the task of removing the pest for home. They also use professional tools to effectively eradicate the infestations in your home. Modern tools for pest eradication can leave you pest free for months. This is the kind of comfort that you need as a home or business space owner.

Aside from professional pest experts, you also need to be aware of your responsibilities. You need to make sure that your food items are always stored in secure places. Make sure to fill holes and any cracks inside your home to prevent ants and mice from entering and thriving. Clean the clutter under your bed and around your corners. Always clean your bed and do not clutter your bed with stuff, as that will give them more places to hide. Clean your carpets regularly or as instructed. Again, these things are pretty basic but you can benefit really well if you do them regularly. If you see that there are some pests in the halls of your apartment report the issue to the landlord. The same goes for hotels and commercial buildings. These pests can linger anywhere so it would be very possible to find one lurking in the most populous places as well.

Regular checkups for residential and commercial establishments are necessary and recommended. If you own a building, have a building administrator and a cleaning crew to handle the task of maintaining the cleanliness of the common areas. A clean space has little chance for insects to thrive since they do not have food for their needs. You need to make it a point to have routine checkups on your tenants and advise them to clean their homes regularly. Tenants can be evicted for being unsanitary since they can really affect the health of the people living in their area.

Pests are a massive problem in New York and New Jersey. You are not alone in this battle. Everyone needs to work on addressing pest issues in their homes and offices. Pests can live in the most inhospitable places. Imagine a house or an office these spaces could be paradise for them. Take care of your home as well as your family and your business. Having a home is an important investment. You do not need to live in a posh home just to live comfortably. Make it a goal to always maintain and inspect your house. They are ready to help you when you need it. If you have bed bugs and rodents, most pest control services are available 24/7. Most experts know that when you have bed bugs, you want them gone from your house as soon as you realize you have them. They can handle the task of removing the bed bugs, detecting them and ensuring you that these pests will be out of your home for months to come. There is a price to pay for pest control but for the comfort that it can provide, nothing can match that.

http://www.nypestpro.com

Periplaneta americana "American Cockroach"

Periplaneta americana, also known as the American cockroach, the largest widespread North American cockroach also the largest of the common peridomestic cockroaches, they reach 44 mm in length about 4 cm. The American Cockroach is a dark reddish-brown little thing with a whitish peripheral band around the pronotum. The adults possess large wings and are able to fly, even though they rarely do so. Nymphs are wingless. It is easily, although unintentionally and remorsefully, spread by human commerce, import/export and is worldwide in warm climates and, in heated buildings. It occurs in buildings throughout warm climates and during warm weather in colder climates especially in commercial buildings. In the northern United States the American Cockroach is primarily found in steam heat tunnels or large institutional buildings. The American cockroach falls second to the German cockroach in abundance.. Periplaneta is a creature of the night, negatively phototactic, and prefers dark warm, moist habitats. The American Cockroach is extremely sensitive to vibrations and it has come to be known as one of the world’s fastest running insects, I'm sure you may at one time have tried to stomp one in the kitchen late at night. Periplaneta americana is one of several cockroaches found living in and around human habitations.
The life cycle of an American Cockroach starts off as an egg, and then it turns in to an adult, or imago. The eggs are laid in a tough, hardened protein case, the case normally containing 16 eggs. Females average one egg case per month for most of the year but may exceed that average through periods of peak reproductive activity. Nymphs do not have functional wings, but wing pads begin to appear in the 4 th instar and slowly expand in size when they shed the hard, protective outer covering. The life span is 2-3 years with only the last year being spent as an adult. Adults live for about a year.
The American Cockroach, an omnivorous, opportunistic, scavenging species feeds on just about anything organic, plant or animal, but favors starches and sugars.
Cockroach population density is controlled naturally by several species of parasitoid wasps. These wasps are egg parasitoids in which the female wasp lays it's eggs in the roach egg casing where the wasp larvae hatch and feed on roach eggs. The female, with great struggle, inserts one egg in each cockroach egg casing. The larva hatches and consumes all 16 roach eggs before achieving a length of 8 mm, it undergoes transformation, and emerging from the now empty cockroach casing. Adults are tiny, about 2 mm long. Both species are stingless and are of no threat to us humans. Small wasps that are seen in roach-infested areas should by all means be protected and encouraged, not killed. Some attempts to contain cockroach populations with pesticide and/or chemical sprays may be counterproductive because they accidentally kill parasitoids in addition to the roaches. Roach pellets which are selective, are more effective.
All cockroaches are not biological vectors for human disease although they can serve as mechanical vectors simply by harboring infectious organisms such as Ascaris eggs, bacteria, or protozoan cysts on their body surfaces.
The American cockroach, Periplaneta americana , is an exotic roach that was introduced to us in North America from Africa in the early 1700's. It is the largest of the household species of roaches, reaching 44 mm in length. Both male and female have fully functional wings but occasionally fly. They can develop to massive numbers, more than 5,000 can sometimes be found in individual sewer manholes. The cockroaches live outdoors but will make their way indoors for food and water or during extremes in weather conditions. In areas where there are trees, woodpiles, garbage facilities, and accumulations of organic debris around homes provide adequate food, water. They move around by crawling or flying into structures often entering houses and apartments from sewers via the plumbing, by trees and shrubs located alongside buildings or trees with branches overhanging roofs facilitate the entry of cockroaches into the home. The American cockroach responds in a negative way to light, it rests in harborages close to water pipes, sinks, baths, and toilets, for example, where the microclimate is appropriate for survival. Ecological factors such as the humidity and temperature can increase or decrease the developmental time of this cockroach. When outdoors the female shows a preference for moist, concealed sites to lay it's eggs. It consumes rotting organic matter but since the cockroach is a scavenger it will eat most anything. It has a sweet tooth and prefers to eat sweets and has been observed eating paper, boots, hair, bread, fruit, book bindings, fish, peanuts, old rice, putrid sake, the soft part on the inside of animal hides, cloth and dead insects. American cockroaches may turn into a public health problem because of their involvement with human waste and disease, and their ability to make their way from sewers into homes and commercial establishments. During the summer months in the United States, alleyways and yards maybe flooded by the American cockroaches. To prevent these filthy creatures from entering your home you should seal all openings through ground level walls, remove rotting leaves from around your home. Other preventative measures are insecticides that are applied to basement walls, wood scraps, and other infested locations. Residual sprays is to be applied inside and around the perimeter of an infested structure. pellet baits which are loose and toxic, are extremely effective in controlling the population of the America cockroach.