The Winter Solstice, coming soon to a mattress near you. Oh, the weather outside may be frightful, but that doesn't hold a candle to what scary nightmares lurk inside your bedroom as you make ready for the long winter nap. I think many humans are secretly jealous of bears ability to put everything on hold and hibernate for an entire season. Just as the healthy and beneficial sunshine vitamin D grows short, our bodies prepare for the health benefits of longer nights and restful sleep that we need in the winter months.
But not if you have bedbugs.
The author of that famous Christmas poem with "not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse" was not thinking of the whirlwind maelstrom of you stirring, scratching and getting bit on a mattress loaded to the rafters with hundreds, maybe thousands of disgusting bedbugs seeking a warm dinner and some casual sex with others of their own kind. You're not just the four star restaurant to these blood suckers, your entire bed is an after hours entertainment club.
Trivia Note:
"The Night Before Christmas" poem's author, Clement Moore, lived in Elmhurst, Queens. There is a bronze plaque in the Broadway public park, where Moore's home once stood. Every year there's a Christmas tree lighting in his honor and the poem is read. The park is located very near Elmhurst Hospital.
With all the media talk about various flu bugs morphing and going around, the last thing any hard working New Yorker needs is to have bedbugs. Because what is the second thing all doctors tell their patients when a cold or flu threatens?
•1 is drink plenty of fluids and
•2 is get bed rest, meaning: a full nights sleep.
The stress of going to a job tired the next day, or worse, the stress of not having a job and going on interviews with blood shot eyes, won't help you to make that good first impression. It's the, not getting adequate sleep, that can really run down your immune system and make you vulnerable to all sorts of sickness. Fortunately, bedbugs, in and of themselves, do not spread disease but that is a small consolation when you are suffering from sleep deprivation.
Connex Environmental can solve your problem of the 'all night party bedbugs' so you can get some rest medicine. There is no reason why you can't be as the poem says "nestled all snug in your beds... and settled down for a long winter's nap" As for the problem of those loud noisy neighbors, you're on your own. But bedbugs, we make 'em gone. So before another quick sunset happens give Connex a call, we're here to help you.
Happy Christmas to all and to all a good night.
http://photobucket.com/nypestpro
Monday, December 7, 2009
Monday, November 30, 2009
Being Thankful for small favors
Recently I visited friends that moved just outside of Charlotte, NC. It was a nice warm autumn day, we were outside in their backyard. I thought it was safe to wear sandals. My friends were showing me a landscaping problem they had and how they hope to solve it, when all of a sudden my bare toes started to feel somewhat hot and tingly, and not in a good way. And I look down and I see three small ants locked onto my big toe.
Yikes!
" what the heck was that!?"
"Oh, those are fire ants." my friends tell me.
"You gotta be careful where you walk down here".
They were not kiddin'!!!
These nasty brown red ants sneak up onto you, then one of them gives a signal and they all chomp down on your skin, and much like a pit bull they hold on but then proceed in a circular motion, ripping a hole into your flesh. Real nasty buggers. And a huge problem down south. I was told I was lucky that only three ants grouped together to attach me. This was probably due to the fact it was past their active season, but still, if you disturb their mound, they will wake up and will swarm looking for the invader no matter the time of year.
So far, no reports of these "pain in the big toe" ants in the Big Apple area. For this I am thankful, because two weeks later and I'm still scratching the bite area. Our cold winters no doubt are protecting us from one nasty biting ant. New York has enough pest problems without these ants making the scene. But you can be sure, Connex Environmental has already been educated on them and we know how to deal with any kind of ants. 3HGEXWNTSA3P
Yikes!
" what the heck was that!?"
"Oh, those are fire ants." my friends tell me.
"You gotta be careful where you walk down here".
They were not kiddin'!!!
These nasty brown red ants sneak up onto you, then one of them gives a signal and they all chomp down on your skin, and much like a pit bull they hold on but then proceed in a circular motion, ripping a hole into your flesh. Real nasty buggers. And a huge problem down south. I was told I was lucky that only three ants grouped together to attach me. This was probably due to the fact it was past their active season, but still, if you disturb their mound, they will wake up and will swarm looking for the invader no matter the time of year.
So far, no reports of these "pain in the big toe" ants in the Big Apple area. For this I am thankful, because two weeks later and I'm still scratching the bite area. Our cold winters no doubt are protecting us from one nasty biting ant. New York has enough pest problems without these ants making the scene. But you can be sure, Connex Environmental has already been educated on them and we know how to deal with any kind of ants. 3HGEXWNTSA3P
Monday, November 16, 2009
Everybody was Feng Shui fighting
Two Important Pest Preventive Measures You Need to Know Right Now.
I won't tease you here with the answer. But I do want you to know I am speaking from my experience as a seasoned, battle harden, NYC exterminator. And my experiences has lead me to a wide range of various types of peoples and their living situations.
So without further fuss here are the two most important things you need to know to prevent future breakouts of New York City's major pests, which include mostly bedbugs and fleas and to some extent roaches and rodents such as mice and rats.
The answer is so simple it may make you feel somewhat disappointed with what you are about to read. But I can assure you, if you follow this simple advice you will cut the odds of getting infested, especially with bedbugs, by more than half in most cases.
1) it is to remove household clutter and
2) to be aware when you are out in public traveling with your possessions.
Now the first bit of advise is obvious. Remove the clutter. Bugs, pests, insects or any type of vermin LOVE clutter. It is their Love Boat. They can hide in it and raise many generations of themselves.
N'est-ce Pas? (Or if you prefer freedom fries interpretation: "Isn't it so?")
So get rid of stuff you are not using. Clear out those corners that even you can't get into any more. Consider buying plastic tubs or bins with lids for storage.
And next up, we'll talk about why everybody will soon be Feng Shui fighting in NYC, if they aren't already doing this.
I won't tease you here with the answer. But I do want you to know I am speaking from my experience as a seasoned, battle harden, NYC exterminator. And my experiences has lead me to a wide range of various types of peoples and their living situations.
So without further fuss here are the two most important things you need to know to prevent future breakouts of New York City's major pests, which include mostly bedbugs and fleas and to some extent roaches and rodents such as mice and rats.
The answer is so simple it may make you feel somewhat disappointed with what you are about to read. But I can assure you, if you follow this simple advice you will cut the odds of getting infested, especially with bedbugs, by more than half in most cases.
1) it is to remove household clutter and
2) to be aware when you are out in public traveling with your possessions.
Now the first bit of advise is obvious. Remove the clutter. Bugs, pests, insects or any type of vermin LOVE clutter. It is their Love Boat. They can hide in it and raise many generations of themselves.
N'est-ce Pas? (Or if you prefer freedom fries interpretation: "Isn't it so?")
So get rid of stuff you are not using. Clear out those corners that even you can't get into any more. Consider buying plastic tubs or bins with lids for storage.
And next up, we'll talk about why everybody will soon be Feng Shui fighting in NYC, if they aren't already doing this.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Scary Holloweenie Spiders and other nonsense
One more word about spiders while it's still October. Well, a couple of words... spiders come in all sizes and shapes of small, medium and large, humongous OMG it has a fur skin, and a bulbous butt, hand me my shotgun, size.
I have come to realize that many people mistakenly believe that there is a benefit in letting spiders 'live and let live' in their domiciles. While it may be true that spiders do serve a purpose as a pest control agent for flies, cockroaches and other nasty creepy crawlies, it may not be the answer you want played out in your home. Spider "spit" is a sticky messy goo, it attracts dust, crumbs and can stick onto your pets fur or whiskers. Also some people are even allergic to the non-poisonous spider bites and to their spit or web silk as well.
Here is an old English nursery rhyme that exaggerates my point and also give you an idea of what life was like before you could simply pick up the phone and scream "HALP!" to a licensed qualified exterminator. It also demonstrates that many home remedies are complicated and don't always work out the way we think. :)
There was an old lady who swallowed a fly.
I don't know why she swallowed the fly,
I guess she'll die.
There was an old lady who swallowed a spider,
that wiggled and wiggled and tickled inside her.
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly.
I don't know why she swallowed the fly.
I guess she'll die.
There was an old lady who swallowed a bird.
How absurd to swallow a bird.
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider,
that wiggled and wiggled and tickled inside her.
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly.
I don't know why she swallowed the fly.
I guess she'll die.
There was an old lady who swallowed a cat.
Imagine that, she swallowed a cat.
She swallowed the cat to catch the bird.
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider,
that wiggled and wiggled and tickled inside her.
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly.
I don't know why she swallowed the fly.
I guess she'll die.
There was an old lady who swallowed a dog.
My what a hog, to swallow a dog.
She swallowed the dog to catch the cat.
She swallowed the cat, to catch the bird,
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider,
that wiggled and wiggled and tickled inside her.
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly.
I don't know why she swallowed the fly.
I guess she'll die.
There was an old lady who swallowed a cow.
I don't know how she swallowed a cow.
She swallowed the cow to catch the dog.
She swallowed the dog, to catch the cat.
She swallowed the cat to catch the bird.
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider,
that wiggled and wiggled and tickled inside her.
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly.
I don't know why she swallowed the fly
I guess she'll die.
I know an old lady who swallowed a horse...
She's dead of course!
So if you are seeing an abundance of spiderwebs around your home this fall, give us a call. Connex Environmental can get rid of the hunters and the hunted. You don't need to settle for this gruesome wild kingdom playing out in your home. Let spiders serve their purpose outside your home and scaring the trick or treat kids as they ring your door bell.
I have come to realize that many people mistakenly believe that there is a benefit in letting spiders 'live and let live' in their domiciles. While it may be true that spiders do serve a purpose as a pest control agent for flies, cockroaches and other nasty creepy crawlies, it may not be the answer you want played out in your home. Spider "spit" is a sticky messy goo, it attracts dust, crumbs and can stick onto your pets fur or whiskers. Also some people are even allergic to the non-poisonous spider bites and to their spit or web silk as well.
Here is an old English nursery rhyme that exaggerates my point and also give you an idea of what life was like before you could simply pick up the phone and scream "HALP!" to a licensed qualified exterminator. It also demonstrates that many home remedies are complicated and don't always work out the way we think. :)
There was an old lady who swallowed a fly.
I don't know why she swallowed the fly,
I guess she'll die.
There was an old lady who swallowed a spider,
that wiggled and wiggled and tickled inside her.
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly.
I don't know why she swallowed the fly.
I guess she'll die.
There was an old lady who swallowed a bird.
How absurd to swallow a bird.
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider,
that wiggled and wiggled and tickled inside her.
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly.
I don't know why she swallowed the fly.
I guess she'll die.
There was an old lady who swallowed a cat.
Imagine that, she swallowed a cat.
She swallowed the cat to catch the bird.
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider,
that wiggled and wiggled and tickled inside her.
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly.
I don't know why she swallowed the fly.
I guess she'll die.
There was an old lady who swallowed a dog.
My what a hog, to swallow a dog.
She swallowed the dog to catch the cat.
She swallowed the cat, to catch the bird,
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider,
that wiggled and wiggled and tickled inside her.
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly.
I don't know why she swallowed the fly.
I guess she'll die.
There was an old lady who swallowed a cow.
I don't know how she swallowed a cow.
She swallowed the cow to catch the dog.
She swallowed the dog, to catch the cat.
She swallowed the cat to catch the bird.
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider,
that wiggled and wiggled and tickled inside her.
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly.
I don't know why she swallowed the fly
I guess she'll die.
I know an old lady who swallowed a horse...
She's dead of course!
So if you are seeing an abundance of spiderwebs around your home this fall, give us a call. Connex Environmental can get rid of the hunters and the hunted. You don't need to settle for this gruesome wild kingdom playing out in your home. Let spiders serve their purpose outside your home and scaring the trick or treat kids as they ring your door bell.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Mothra vs Godzilla
October is that scary time of year when many of you may be noticing more outdoor pests trying to gain entrance to your nice warm home. Knowing their time is short as the evenings become chillier earlier there are some clever last minute maneuvers made to make sure their lineage continues next spring.
Your home is the battle ground between two of these giants in the pest world that I will give special attention to today. Moths and Spiders. Now technically spiders are not insects even though many people do refer to them as that. They are arachnids. Many people consider them to be a beneficial bug in that they do their own messy but efficient pest control. Spiders are lonely, shy hunters. They look for a quiet corner or pick a spot near a light source or water source. Most arachnids are harmless to humans and mind their own business. Only two you need to beware of: the black widow and the brown recluse. (the lonely and the shy)
So for this drama -the clothing moth will play the part of Mothra and the grinning wolf spider, will play Godzilla. As scary and ugly as Godzilla is, he's usually considered the good guy monster. Mothra is the bad guy monster, clothing moth, looking for your expensive Armani wool suit to devour--- only the best for her eggs.
But not if Godzilla can lay down it's trap to save the day but in the meantime scaring the candy corn out of you as it swings down from it's ceiling lamp web just to see if you are letting in any more delicious Mothras. (hmmm, taste like mushrooms)
Just like there are small and large spiders, there are small and large moths. The tiny moths, called Indian meal moths, don't care where you hang your winter coat. In fact, they came into your house with you in that bag of peanuts (especially with the peanut shells) bird seed and any dried food, cereal or pet food. If you have tiny gray moths all over the house, driving you batty check your kitchen cupboards, garage or basement. Where ever it is that you store food. You'll know it when you find it.... the closer you get to Mothra ground zero, the more tiny grey moths you'll see. They somehow manage to always escape the container. If it's peanuts in a clear bag, the bag will no doubt be crawling on the inside. After you scream, carefully remove the source and vacuum the area thoroughly. Any strong liquid disinfectant spray cleaner will do. No need to set off bug bombs. You don't want to poison your own food supply.
If you've been having dreams that you are naked in public, you may have a clothing moth problem. Put any suspected garments into the dryer -- the heat will kill any moths and eggs. Dry clean will also work where delicate clothing label instructs.
And if sugar grinning spider-boy is making too many websites around your home looking for Moth-ra traffic, CONNEX Environmental can make that bad movie disappear from your October nightmares. So whether it's a dark cloud of tiny meal moths or extra large clothing moths we have the answer to your pest problem. Our pest pros are among the best you'll find in New York City. Quick, capable and knowledgeable. Give us a call today.
Your home is the battle ground between two of these giants in the pest world that I will give special attention to today. Moths and Spiders. Now technically spiders are not insects even though many people do refer to them as that. They are arachnids. Many people consider them to be a beneficial bug in that they do their own messy but efficient pest control. Spiders are lonely, shy hunters. They look for a quiet corner or pick a spot near a light source or water source. Most arachnids are harmless to humans and mind their own business. Only two you need to beware of: the black widow and the brown recluse. (the lonely and the shy)
So for this drama -the clothing moth will play the part of Mothra and the grinning wolf spider, will play Godzilla. As scary and ugly as Godzilla is, he's usually considered the good guy monster. Mothra is the bad guy monster, clothing moth, looking for your expensive Armani wool suit to devour--- only the best for her eggs.
But not if Godzilla can lay down it's trap to save the day but in the meantime scaring the candy corn out of you as it swings down from it's ceiling lamp web just to see if you are letting in any more delicious Mothras. (hmmm, taste like mushrooms)
Just like there are small and large spiders, there are small and large moths. The tiny moths, called Indian meal moths, don't care where you hang your winter coat. In fact, they came into your house with you in that bag of peanuts (especially with the peanut shells) bird seed and any dried food, cereal or pet food. If you have tiny gray moths all over the house, driving you batty check your kitchen cupboards, garage or basement. Where ever it is that you store food. You'll know it when you find it.... the closer you get to Mothra ground zero, the more tiny grey moths you'll see. They somehow manage to always escape the container. If it's peanuts in a clear bag, the bag will no doubt be crawling on the inside. After you scream, carefully remove the source and vacuum the area thoroughly. Any strong liquid disinfectant spray cleaner will do. No need to set off bug bombs. You don't want to poison your own food supply.
If you've been having dreams that you are naked in public, you may have a clothing moth problem. Put any suspected garments into the dryer -- the heat will kill any moths and eggs. Dry clean will also work where delicate clothing label instructs.
And if sugar grinning spider-boy is making too many websites around your home looking for Moth-ra traffic, CONNEX Environmental can make that bad movie disappear from your October nightmares. So whether it's a dark cloud of tiny meal moths or extra large clothing moths we have the answer to your pest problem. Our pest pros are among the best you'll find in New York City. Quick, capable and knowledgeable. Give us a call today.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
FLEAS
Do you know what the shortest poem in the world is?
"Fleas - Adam had em"
No doubt Eve did too. And so did the bear where they got their winter skins from after ditching the fig leaves.
Insects have plagued us since time began. Just thank the Creator, of all that is good, that you are living now and not back then. All those generations of people down through history had to figure out through trial and error what worked and what didn't to live pest free in their caves and castles.
You, however, can simply pick up the phone and call us, CONNEX Environmental, and we can be there in most cases the same day, to stop whatever bug is plaguing you, be it fleas, roaches, bedbugs or rodents.
Autumn time is when many insects aggressively seek to extend their short lives by moving inside with you where it's nice an warm. Your home or apartment is their Florida vacation. Fleas are naturally attracted to Fido and will jump to hitch a ride on his or her's warm fur. Same thing will happen with purring little fluffy cat, if you allow your cat to roam around the neighborhood.
If your pet's immune system is strong, the flea will not like the taste of the bite it gets and will jump off usually into your rug or carpet. It may then try to bite you to see if you taste any better. Fleas will infest a pet with a slow or weaken immune system and the overflow of the flea population, eggs etc, will soon find its way into your household furnishings. This is why as you sit there watching TV at night, your legs get bitten. Those are not always mosquito bites.
"But I use flea collars!" Yeah, and where does the flea collar go? Around your pet's neck, right? Do you put a collar on it's tail end? Guess what? That's where the fleas go. Get a fine tooth flea comb and check the back end of your pet. If you see movement or the comb reveals dirt.... that's most probably flea dirt or poop. By the time you figure out your cat or dog has fleas doing a flea dip bath or buying flea collars is too little, too late. Are you gonna put a flea collar on your sofa or your carpet? Besides many of the chemicals in those products are extremely harsh and can potentially harm your cat or dog's immune system making the situation worse. Some pets even have sensitive skin allergies to flea collars.
A flea infestation is difficult to remove and is best left to a professional exterminator like CONNEX Environmental. So do yourself and your pet a favor and call us now to get rid of your flea problem.
"Fleas - Adam had em"
No doubt Eve did too. And so did the bear where they got their winter skins from after ditching the fig leaves.
Insects have plagued us since time began. Just thank the Creator, of all that is good, that you are living now and not back then. All those generations of people down through history had to figure out through trial and error what worked and what didn't to live pest free in their caves and castles.
You, however, can simply pick up the phone and call us, CONNEX Environmental, and we can be there in most cases the same day, to stop whatever bug is plaguing you, be it fleas, roaches, bedbugs or rodents.
Autumn time is when many insects aggressively seek to extend their short lives by moving inside with you where it's nice an warm. Your home or apartment is their Florida vacation. Fleas are naturally attracted to Fido and will jump to hitch a ride on his or her's warm fur. Same thing will happen with purring little fluffy cat, if you allow your cat to roam around the neighborhood.
If your pet's immune system is strong, the flea will not like the taste of the bite it gets and will jump off usually into your rug or carpet. It may then try to bite you to see if you taste any better. Fleas will infest a pet with a slow or weaken immune system and the overflow of the flea population, eggs etc, will soon find its way into your household furnishings. This is why as you sit there watching TV at night, your legs get bitten. Those are not always mosquito bites.
"But I use flea collars!" Yeah, and where does the flea collar go? Around your pet's neck, right? Do you put a collar on it's tail end? Guess what? That's where the fleas go. Get a fine tooth flea comb and check the back end of your pet. If you see movement or the comb reveals dirt.... that's most probably flea dirt or poop. By the time you figure out your cat or dog has fleas doing a flea dip bath or buying flea collars is too little, too late. Are you gonna put a flea collar on your sofa or your carpet? Besides many of the chemicals in those products are extremely harsh and can potentially harm your cat or dog's immune system making the situation worse. Some pets even have sensitive skin allergies to flea collars.
A flea infestation is difficult to remove and is best left to a professional exterminator like CONNEX Environmental. So do yourself and your pet a favor and call us now to get rid of your flea problem.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Saturday, September 19, 2009
The Chronicles of Riddex
Or how to save yourself 29.95 plus 17.95 shipping and handling.
Recently I was checking my personal email and the first step I usually do is to select what can easily be deleted and then delete it. I was about to send this one email gem permanently into the ether net when I changed my mind to explore it further. It was a promotional email from Riddex, an electronic plug-in device sold on TV to help me eliminate any and all roaches, mice or rats from my home.
I was naturally hooked. Maybe I could put myself out of business, selling these simple devices instead? I hoped what I found out would help my readers to save time and money and in the end get the results they need for their pest problem. But what I found may shock you, no pun intended.
The first thing that struck me about the website sales video was their claim that this simple electric plug-in device was not only much simpler to use but it was more effective and way better than having some stranger exterminator come into your home. Two of these plug in devices could put a protective barrier around the average size home. Some video special effects proved it to me with a pulsating grid around a cartoon house. I read their glowing but very short testimonials and
I was about to rip open my velcro wallet when I decide to just do a little google surfing on the subject.
I did some various search words from just "Riddex" to "does Riddex work"? The first result got me about 52,000 results, many on the first page were selling the product. However, the first organic link I clicked on had 9 complaints out of 15..... hmmm. So I dug some more...."does Riddex work?"
got me 207,000 results with the first page showing some very pissed off and angry consumers warning others not to waste their money. Velcro makes no sound when you close your wallet. It was somewhere on this Google search that I found out the shipping on a plastic device that weighs only a few ounces was 17.95. Yikes. Some people said they like the blinking lights on the thing. My dad referred to those type of things as idiot boxes.... they do nothing but look good doing it.
Some other consumers said they probably had the only deaf roaches and mice on the planet and that the only way to kill the vermin was to throw the device at them. There were complaints about noise and that the plug in did in fact interfere with their computer especially when using Skype. It hummed.
A university in South Carolina and a pet store in Hawaii both did the same experiment with the device and either or roaches or mice crawled comfortable around the thing in an enclosed environment.
Now as far as letting a stranger into your home to get rid of your roaches, mice or rats goes, I will tell you that our polite, professional, licensed and experienced pest pros are the best in New York City that you can find. You can feel safe, we will protect you and we are not a blinking light gimmick. And we are green-safe exterminators. Go to our website's Green page to find out more.
Since I quoted my dad earlier, let me give my mom some equal time too. She always said a lazy man works twice as hard.... in this case here with the Riddex device, a cheap man will pay twice as much on quick fixes that don't work.
Until the next time....
Recently I was checking my personal email and the first step I usually do is to select what can easily be deleted and then delete it. I was about to send this one email gem permanently into the ether net when I changed my mind to explore it further. It was a promotional email from Riddex, an electronic plug-in device sold on TV to help me eliminate any and all roaches, mice or rats from my home.
I was naturally hooked. Maybe I could put myself out of business, selling these simple devices instead? I hoped what I found out would help my readers to save time and money and in the end get the results they need for their pest problem. But what I found may shock you, no pun intended.
The first thing that struck me about the website sales video was their claim that this simple electric plug-in device was not only much simpler to use but it was more effective and way better than having some stranger exterminator come into your home. Two of these plug in devices could put a protective barrier around the average size home. Some video special effects proved it to me with a pulsating grid around a cartoon house. I read their glowing but very short testimonials and
I was about to rip open my velcro wallet when I decide to just do a little google surfing on the subject.
I did some various search words from just "Riddex" to "does Riddex work"? The first result got me about 52,000 results, many on the first page were selling the product. However, the first organic link I clicked on had 9 complaints out of 15..... hmmm. So I dug some more...."does Riddex work?"
got me 207,000 results with the first page showing some very pissed off and angry consumers warning others not to waste their money. Velcro makes no sound when you close your wallet. It was somewhere on this Google search that I found out the shipping on a plastic device that weighs only a few ounces was 17.95. Yikes. Some people said they like the blinking lights on the thing. My dad referred to those type of things as idiot boxes.... they do nothing but look good doing it.
Some other consumers said they probably had the only deaf roaches and mice on the planet and that the only way to kill the vermin was to throw the device at them. There were complaints about noise and that the plug in did in fact interfere with their computer especially when using Skype. It hummed.
A university in South Carolina and a pet store in Hawaii both did the same experiment with the device and either or roaches or mice crawled comfortable around the thing in an enclosed environment.
Now as far as letting a stranger into your home to get rid of your roaches, mice or rats goes, I will tell you that our polite, professional, licensed and experienced pest pros are the best in New York City that you can find. You can feel safe, we will protect you and we are not a blinking light gimmick. And we are green-safe exterminators. Go to our website's Green page to find out more.
Since I quoted my dad earlier, let me give my mom some equal time too. She always said a lazy man works twice as hard.... in this case here with the Riddex device, a cheap man will pay twice as much on quick fixes that don't work.
Until the next time....
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Bed, Bugs & Beyond
or
Linens & Things That Creep In the Night?
Didn't one of those retailers just go out of business? .... but bedbugs certainly haven't. In fact, just like the last major economic depression of the 1930's bedbug growth charts are up, up, and away unlike most 401K's.
If you even remotely suspect that you or a closely connected neighbor has bedbugs, my suggestion is to buy white linen. No, not the perfume, but white bed linen. Get rid of your fancy patterns and dark colors, just use white or off white bed sheets. Inspect them DAILY.
Bedbugs may not feed every night... but if you've been bitten, and then you see brown or reddish stains on the linen, that is not from a mosquito bite. Mosquitoes bite you and fly away. You have the start of a bedbug infestation. Call us, Connex Environmental, immediately. Do NOT try to do it yourself. This is one job that is best left to the pros, and we, at Connex Environmental, are those pros.
We answered the call, when other exterminators had no clue and were caught off guard by this scourge. Connex Environmental ran into buildings that were on fire with infestations when others were turning away bedbug customers for lack of fighting knowledge. In fact, don't be fooled by fancy gimmicks of bedbug sniffing dogs or freezing bedbugs. Dogs are sweet, trainable, obedient animals. But they can be trained to sit and you have no idea if that "sit" means you really have bedbugs or not, unless the human handler confirms the presence of bed bug with his own eyeballs.
And on some other city blogs it's been said that the handler takes the dog's sit for gospel and just begins treatment. You don't need a canine unit to know if you have bedbugs unless you feel like paying extra for the dog's prime rib dinner. Just a trained licensed human being. After all, when it's all paid and done, the dog won't do the extermination job, the person will. So, why pay for both? And the human gets is happy with a dirty water frank for dinner.
The ONLY place it would make ANY sense to use a bedbug canine unit would be in a hotel lobby or hospital where there's been a problem. Because of the high traffic of people coming and going daily, these places are in the path of the bedbug super highway. And if done wisely and discreetly, none of the guests would ever figure out that the cute little beagle was anything more than a mascot.
After you get your white bed linen, I strongly suggest you also contact us about a specially designed mattress protectors. These not only protect you and your family after a bug treatment. But these soft covers are also good for people, kids especially, with allergies.
Go here for more info:
http://www.nypestpro.com/safemattress.html
Linens & Things That Creep In the Night?
Didn't one of those retailers just go out of business? .... but bedbugs certainly haven't. In fact, just like the last major economic depression of the 1930's bedbug growth charts are up, up, and away unlike most 401K's.
If you even remotely suspect that you or a closely connected neighbor has bedbugs, my suggestion is to buy white linen. No, not the perfume, but white bed linen. Get rid of your fancy patterns and dark colors, just use white or off white bed sheets. Inspect them DAILY.
Bedbugs may not feed every night... but if you've been bitten, and then you see brown or reddish stains on the linen, that is not from a mosquito bite. Mosquitoes bite you and fly away. You have the start of a bedbug infestation. Call us, Connex Environmental, immediately. Do NOT try to do it yourself. This is one job that is best left to the pros, and we, at Connex Environmental, are those pros.
We answered the call, when other exterminators had no clue and were caught off guard by this scourge. Connex Environmental ran into buildings that were on fire with infestations when others were turning away bedbug customers for lack of fighting knowledge. In fact, don't be fooled by fancy gimmicks of bedbug sniffing dogs or freezing bedbugs. Dogs are sweet, trainable, obedient animals. But they can be trained to sit and you have no idea if that "sit" means you really have bedbugs or not, unless the human handler confirms the presence of bed bug with his own eyeballs.
And on some other city blogs it's been said that the handler takes the dog's sit for gospel and just begins treatment. You don't need a canine unit to know if you have bedbugs unless you feel like paying extra for the dog's prime rib dinner. Just a trained licensed human being. After all, when it's all paid and done, the dog won't do the extermination job, the person will. So, why pay for both? And the human gets is happy with a dirty water frank for dinner.
The ONLY place it would make ANY sense to use a bedbug canine unit would be in a hotel lobby or hospital where there's been a problem. Because of the high traffic of people coming and going daily, these places are in the path of the bedbug super highway. And if done wisely and discreetly, none of the guests would ever figure out that the cute little beagle was anything more than a mascot.
After you get your white bed linen, I strongly suggest you also contact us about a specially designed mattress protectors. These not only protect you and your family after a bug treatment. But these soft covers are also good for people, kids especially, with allergies.
Go here for more info:
http://www.nypestpro.com/safemattress.html
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Are you Practicing Safe Travel?
Everyone's no doubt heard of, and been educated on the subject of safe sex. Well now, we are in a new reality where travelers have to practice safe travel. And if you don't practice safe travel, you and yours will soon be suffering from a new social disorder called: Hemo-Sucking Nocturnal Nasties or more commonly known as HSNN. Don't try to google that, I just made it up. But remember you heard it hear first.
Instead, through some simple awareness measures on your part when you travel, you can greatly reduce the risk of picking up and spreading these nasty hitch hikers of the universe, these serial blood suckers.
Bedbugs don't travel very far on their own the way cockroaches and waterbugs do. Bedbugs hate day light, just like the tiny vampires they are. Bedbugs instinctively know how to attach, ride and hide. Even onto the finest designer luggage. The eggs have a stickiness that is their flight insurance. If you have bedbugs, guess what? You or a house guest brought them in to your home. In much the same way that a vampire can't enter a home without an invite, many people unknowingly bring home these unwanted pests especially after vacationing.
In apartment buildings, attached townhomes, hotels or motels, it is possible that bedbugs can travel from room to room, apartment to apartment, through small cracks in the walls and the floor. Especially, if a nearby neighbor has a problem and sets off one of those ineffective insect fog bombs, the bedbugs will scatter. And then the bedbugs will come back with a hungry vengeance but now you too will have an infestation if you happen live next door. Bedbugs can live up to a year or more with out food. The almost clear eggs are hard to detect unless a trained eye is looking for them. (Traditional vampires can't be seen in a mirror.)
Here's a very simple step to protect yourself when you travel or you have a house guest.
No, not garlic.
Plastic bags. Yes, simple trash bags. Think of it as a really super huge condom to ensure safe travel. Someone visits your home, put their luggage into a large bag immediately. After all, you don't know where there luggage's been. If you feel uncomfortable asking them to do this, tell them your dog had fleas and you don't want their stuff to get infected. And you just had your house sprayed and you're protecting their belongings. Yada, yada. Remember what George from Seinfield said.... "it's not you, it's me" strategy works perfectly in this situation.
Julia Child had the right idea when she said: "the first thing you do is put the chicken in last" When you are staying at a hotel the first thing you do is to hang up all your clothes in the closet. Don't put your clothing on the bed or in the dresser drawers. Bedbugs live in any furniture so until you do an inspection of the room, keep your possessions on high ground. Hang 'em high. But BEFORE you even unpack, inspect the bed and bedding first. Pull back the bed covers and check the mattress binding seams carefully. If there are any brown or red stains. get the heck out of Dodge. You will be slaughtered before sunrise. If it's late and you're too tired to find another hotel/motel request a room far away from the infected site. Do this in every place you stay. Even the finest hotels/motels have bedbug problems because their previous guests did not practice safe travel protocol.
Bedbugs and their eggs are everywhere and anywhere that people travel and move. They are in moving trucks, airport luggage machines and vehicles, taxi cab trunks, mattress delivery trucks, etc. Plastic bags are light weight and easy to use as a protection shield against these HSNN's.
Don't leave home without them.
Instead, through some simple awareness measures on your part when you travel, you can greatly reduce the risk of picking up and spreading these nasty hitch hikers of the universe, these serial blood suckers.
Bedbugs don't travel very far on their own the way cockroaches and waterbugs do. Bedbugs hate day light, just like the tiny vampires they are. Bedbugs instinctively know how to attach, ride and hide. Even onto the finest designer luggage. The eggs have a stickiness that is their flight insurance. If you have bedbugs, guess what? You or a house guest brought them in to your home. In much the same way that a vampire can't enter a home without an invite, many people unknowingly bring home these unwanted pests especially after vacationing.
In apartment buildings, attached townhomes, hotels or motels, it is possible that bedbugs can travel from room to room, apartment to apartment, through small cracks in the walls and the floor. Especially, if a nearby neighbor has a problem and sets off one of those ineffective insect fog bombs, the bedbugs will scatter. And then the bedbugs will come back with a hungry vengeance but now you too will have an infestation if you happen live next door. Bedbugs can live up to a year or more with out food. The almost clear eggs are hard to detect unless a trained eye is looking for them. (Traditional vampires can't be seen in a mirror.)
Here's a very simple step to protect yourself when you travel or you have a house guest.
No, not garlic.
Plastic bags. Yes, simple trash bags. Think of it as a really super huge condom to ensure safe travel. Someone visits your home, put their luggage into a large bag immediately. After all, you don't know where there luggage's been. If you feel uncomfortable asking them to do this, tell them your dog had fleas and you don't want their stuff to get infected. And you just had your house sprayed and you're protecting their belongings. Yada, yada. Remember what George from Seinfield said.... "it's not you, it's me" strategy works perfectly in this situation.
Julia Child had the right idea when she said: "the first thing you do is put the chicken in last" When you are staying at a hotel the first thing you do is to hang up all your clothes in the closet. Don't put your clothing on the bed or in the dresser drawers. Bedbugs live in any furniture so until you do an inspection of the room, keep your possessions on high ground. Hang 'em high. But BEFORE you even unpack, inspect the bed and bedding first. Pull back the bed covers and check the mattress binding seams carefully. If there are any brown or red stains. get the heck out of Dodge. You will be slaughtered before sunrise. If it's late and you're too tired to find another hotel/motel request a room far away from the infected site. Do this in every place you stay. Even the finest hotels/motels have bedbug problems because their previous guests did not practice safe travel protocol.
Bedbugs and their eggs are everywhere and anywhere that people travel and move. They are in moving trucks, airport luggage machines and vehicles, taxi cab trunks, mattress delivery trucks, etc. Plastic bags are light weight and easy to use as a protection shield against these HSNN's.
Don't leave home without them.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
BedBug Wargames
Listen and listen good. There's a reason why I am a professional exterminator and you're not. We may both hate bugs and where you may get lucky and kill a few, me and my CONNEX crew kill tens of thousands. Daily.
Now just as much as I appreciate a good referral from a satisfied customer, I have to tell you there is one ignorant action that many people are doing that is bringing more customers my way than I can shake a stick at....
to know what I'm talking about, just continue reading.
Some people resist the idea of spending the money to hire a professional because they think that they can do it themselves on the cheap. Well they got the cheap part right, for short term. But if anyone out there reading this thinks that one of those insecticide bombs is gonna save them from nightly bedbug feasting on their flesh, I can guarantee you they will cutting their finger nails very short so as to not scratch the skin off their limbs within a week of them setting off that fog bomb.
THEY DON'T WORK! This is what happens.... the bedbugs retreat, temporarily, and mostly to laugh at you.... maybe they go to your neighbors apartment if you live in a building.... only to feast on them....to grow strong.... but be assured: they'll be back. Even if you live in a private unattached home... they can quite down and wait for up to a year with out food (you). So what are you gonna do? Poison yourself, your family, and pets, weekly, for a year, setting off "cheap" fog bombs? At this point in time, method has become expensive not to mention ineffective. That which does not kill them, will only make them stronger.
You don't have the weapons to fight this plague. CONNEX has the big guns. We have the experience, we have the knowledge. We know what we are doing. We attack with a three level program...... steam, a proprietary blend of FDA approved chemicals.
Plus, if requested we can cover, zip and seal your mattress in a special protective case that not only protects against bedbugs finding that safe nook or cranny to hide in..... but this cover is removable, washable protects against dust mites allergies. Your mattress will actually be a safer, cleaner, better place to sleep for having us
visit your place.
Call and ask our CONNEX representative for more details.
Now just as much as I appreciate a good referral from a satisfied customer, I have to tell you there is one ignorant action that many people are doing that is bringing more customers my way than I can shake a stick at....
to know what I'm talking about, just continue reading.
Some people resist the idea of spending the money to hire a professional because they think that they can do it themselves on the cheap. Well they got the cheap part right, for short term. But if anyone out there reading this thinks that one of those insecticide bombs is gonna save them from nightly bedbug feasting on their flesh, I can guarantee you they will cutting their finger nails very short so as to not scratch the skin off their limbs within a week of them setting off that fog bomb.
THEY DON'T WORK! This is what happens.... the bedbugs retreat, temporarily, and mostly to laugh at you.... maybe they go to your neighbors apartment if you live in a building.... only to feast on them....to grow strong.... but be assured: they'll be back. Even if you live in a private unattached home... they can quite down and wait for up to a year with out food (you). So what are you gonna do? Poison yourself, your family, and pets, weekly, for a year, setting off "cheap" fog bombs? At this point in time, method has become expensive not to mention ineffective. That which does not kill them, will only make them stronger.
You don't have the weapons to fight this plague. CONNEX has the big guns. We have the experience, we have the knowledge. We know what we are doing. We attack with a three level program...... steam, a proprietary blend of FDA approved chemicals.
Plus, if requested we can cover, zip and seal your mattress in a special protective case that not only protects against bedbugs finding that safe nook or cranny to hide in..... but this cover is removable, washable protects against dust mites allergies. Your mattress will actually be a safer, cleaner, better place to sleep for having us
visit your place.
Call and ask our CONNEX representative for more details.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Tips on protecting your home castle from home invasion of bedbugs Part I
New York City has been invaded. And as goes New York, so goes the nation. These ugly blood suckers are not only here in the Big Apple but they have hitched free rides by unsuspecting and unaware travelers spreading their generations out across the nation to many of the finest apartments, homes and hotels.
Major cities are affected the most but small towns, USA, are not spared either.
In fact, it has finally gotten so bad that the major news media outlets, such as Fox News, NBC, and even weekly local papers, such as the Queens Chronicle, are finally shouting it from the roof tops what has already become a living nightmare to many thousands of New Yorkers on a nightly basis.
There can be no doubt that these disgusting tiny vampires gained a huge beach head in their invasion because of two responses of ours as a society.... the first one is embarrassment, to admit the problem, to get help. The second is the "help" wasn't much help. DDT, the best chemical weapon we humans had to beat bedbug population down was outlawed awhile ago and many of the professional exterminators wouldn't even touch a bedbug problem up until a few short years ago. CONNEX Environmental was among the first to answer the call.
So, you may be wondering just how long can you escape from the clutches of such a nasty curse when they seem to be everywhere and closing in?
Well, I have some news that should have you sleeping better at night. If you follow these safety tips you should be able to reduce the odds immensely of your home or apartment ever getting invaded by this sleep destroying army of insects.
And if through no fault of your own, should you become one of the Big Apple bedbug statistics - you know you have a seasoned professional exterminator to come to your rescue: CONNEX Environmental. We are available 24/7. You can sleep safely at night knowing that CONNEX Environmental is on guard to defend your home from invasion whenever you need us. We have the solution to your bedbug problem. Call and ask us about our green solutions and people with allergies.
Since bedbug extermination is not a do-it yourself job -- here are some things you can do to protect yourself and your home:
#1 Never, never and I repeat never, bring home a mattress you found in the street. Or a chair. Or a bookcase. Or a (fill in the blank). You get the idea, no? Now to most people this sounds like common sense and you are saying to yourself that you would never do such a thing.... but there are hundreds, and thousands of people who think they just won the dumpster diving lottery when they see that almost brand new Sealy posture pedic kicked to the curb. It doesn't occur to them that it was thrown out for a reason. This includes ANY furniture. Bedbugs hide in wood joints too. New York has rich garbage, some of the richest on the planet.... much of it is tempting to drag home.... but please don't. Those innocent days are over.
#2 Never buy a mattress from someone who collects and recycles old mattresses then flips them, selling them as new. Do I need to explain this one after reading #1? If you see a neighbor bringing in a recycled mattress better educate them quickly or soon his/her bedbug problem will be yours, I can guarantee it. Especially if your live in an apartment building. The more neighbors you educate about where they buy their mattresses, the safer you will be.
#3 - Even when you buy a new mattress from a reputable mattress company or store.... if they pick up your old mattress well, guess what? They are picking up other people's old mattresses that very well may have been bedbug infested. And those mattresses go on their truck uncovered with bedbugs and bedbug eggs dripping all over the cab of the truck and your new mattress even though plastic covered comes into your home with some of them tiny bastards stuck on the new mattress covering or the delivery men's shoes or pants cuffs. Remember, all it takes is one determined bug or egg sack and your are infested. Buy only from stores that do NOT take away the old mattress. Gone are the days when removal of the old mattress is considered a buying perk.
#3 - When moving and using a moving truck, ask them how often they spray their trucks. If they look at you like they don't understand... get a moving quote from someone else. Insist on them doing a bug treatment before they pick up your stuff. Otherwise, seriously consider renting a U-Haul and get the cab sprayed by a professional. The peace of mind is worth it. You wouldn't sit on a public toilet seat would you? In most cases, ANY moving expenses are a tax write off... check with your accountant. If your employer is relocating you, chances are they won't mind picking up the tab if you explain why.
#4 - Have your new EMPTY home or apartment sprayed THOROUGHLY by a professional exterminator BEFORE you move in your things. If renting, your landlord should not have a problem providing this service. And unless you are buying a brand new home, never assume a home is clean of pests because it's been empty for a time. Bed bugs can live up to a year without feasting on flesh. Insist that it is bedbug treated which is different from other pest control measures.
A professional exterminator will see to it that your new home is free not only of night time creepy crawlies but of any other household vermin that love to live rent free and make our lives miserable.
Next up, tips on how to protect yourself when traveling
or when you have a house guest visit you.
Major cities are affected the most but small towns, USA, are not spared either.
In fact, it has finally gotten so bad that the major news media outlets, such as Fox News, NBC, and even weekly local papers, such as the Queens Chronicle, are finally shouting it from the roof tops what has already become a living nightmare to many thousands of New Yorkers on a nightly basis.
There can be no doubt that these disgusting tiny vampires gained a huge beach head in their invasion because of two responses of ours as a society.... the first one is embarrassment, to admit the problem, to get help. The second is the "help" wasn't much help. DDT, the best chemical weapon we humans had to beat bedbug population down was outlawed awhile ago and many of the professional exterminators wouldn't even touch a bedbug problem up until a few short years ago. CONNEX Environmental was among the first to answer the call.
So, you may be wondering just how long can you escape from the clutches of such a nasty curse when they seem to be everywhere and closing in?
Well, I have some news that should have you sleeping better at night. If you follow these safety tips you should be able to reduce the odds immensely of your home or apartment ever getting invaded by this sleep destroying army of insects.
And if through no fault of your own, should you become one of the Big Apple bedbug statistics - you know you have a seasoned professional exterminator to come to your rescue: CONNEX Environmental. We are available 24/7. You can sleep safely at night knowing that CONNEX Environmental is on guard to defend your home from invasion whenever you need us. We have the solution to your bedbug problem. Call and ask us about our green solutions and people with allergies.
Since bedbug extermination is not a do-it yourself job -- here are some things you can do to protect yourself and your home:
#1 Never, never and I repeat never, bring home a mattress you found in the street. Or a chair. Or a bookcase. Or a (fill in the blank). You get the idea, no? Now to most people this sounds like common sense and you are saying to yourself that you would never do such a thing.... but there are hundreds, and thousands of people who think they just won the dumpster diving lottery when they see that almost brand new Sealy posture pedic kicked to the curb. It doesn't occur to them that it was thrown out for a reason. This includes ANY furniture. Bedbugs hide in wood joints too. New York has rich garbage, some of the richest on the planet.... much of it is tempting to drag home.... but please don't. Those innocent days are over.
#2 Never buy a mattress from someone who collects and recycles old mattresses then flips them, selling them as new. Do I need to explain this one after reading #1? If you see a neighbor bringing in a recycled mattress better educate them quickly or soon his/her bedbug problem will be yours, I can guarantee it. Especially if your live in an apartment building. The more neighbors you educate about where they buy their mattresses, the safer you will be.
#3 - Even when you buy a new mattress from a reputable mattress company or store.... if they pick up your old mattress well, guess what? They are picking up other people's old mattresses that very well may have been bedbug infested. And those mattresses go on their truck uncovered with bedbugs and bedbug eggs dripping all over the cab of the truck and your new mattress even though plastic covered comes into your home with some of them tiny bastards stuck on the new mattress covering or the delivery men's shoes or pants cuffs. Remember, all it takes is one determined bug or egg sack and your are infested. Buy only from stores that do NOT take away the old mattress. Gone are the days when removal of the old mattress is considered a buying perk.
#3 - When moving and using a moving truck, ask them how often they spray their trucks. If they look at you like they don't understand... get a moving quote from someone else. Insist on them doing a bug treatment before they pick up your stuff. Otherwise, seriously consider renting a U-Haul and get the cab sprayed by a professional. The peace of mind is worth it. You wouldn't sit on a public toilet seat would you? In most cases, ANY moving expenses are a tax write off... check with your accountant. If your employer is relocating you, chances are they won't mind picking up the tab if you explain why.
#4 - Have your new EMPTY home or apartment sprayed THOROUGHLY by a professional exterminator BEFORE you move in your things. If renting, your landlord should not have a problem providing this service. And unless you are buying a brand new home, never assume a home is clean of pests because it's been empty for a time. Bed bugs can live up to a year without feasting on flesh. Insist that it is bedbug treated which is different from other pest control measures.
A professional exterminator will see to it that your new home is free not only of night time creepy crawlies but of any other household vermin that love to live rent free and make our lives miserable.
Next up, tips on how to protect yourself when traveling
or when you have a house guest visit you.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Why Fly Swatters Work
Q. - what's the last thing to go through a fly's brain just before it hits your car windshield?
A. - it's @sshole.
And that is why flies are known as the A-holes of the insect world. They are a major filthy pain in the ass whether they, or you, are indoors or outdoors. Flies can sense the opportunity of an open door or window in a heartbeat and zoom right into your home. They are also amazing escape artists.
So back to why fly swatters work -- they work because they are scientifically designed to work against the fly's natural defenses to be swatted. Forget the rolled up newspaper, that's for intimidating your dog when he messed up on your new wall to wall. Forget using your flip flop sandal or your baseball cap, that tiny high pitch noise is the little bugger laughing at you as it zeroes in on your ham sandwich as it's next landing zone.
The fly escapes swatting because it has to ability to sense the whoosh of in-coming air in it's general direction from whatever you may have in hand to smash it to smithereenies. And unless you are some sort of kung-fu master, you'll never catch one with your bare hands.
The simply ordinary fly swatter however, has holes or slots cut out of the swat head.
And this greatly reduces the air whoosh which the fly uses to calculate take off and escape. Still it does take some speed on your part because the little nasty bugger has eyes that see in every direction imaginable. But you can get good at this, you really can. I smashed four flies the other day before my morning coffee. Even my cats were impressed... they look at me like it's my job now to keep the vermin out of their litter box.
I have fly swatters strategically placed all around my home especially in the summer months. But some hardy flies will survive even in winter. I keep my eye on the target, wait for it to land, while reaching for the swatter and I try to come from the side instead of from the top.... oh, make sure you cover your drink if you have one near by.... and execute. Literally.
Many times when your make your hit, the fly does a screaming death flip and you never know where it may land.... so take precautions to cover or remove your food or drink, if possible.
Fly tape is also simply, cheap and works remarkable well. However, it is extremely ugly to have hanging in your home especially if you entertain a lot. Fly swatting is so much more satisfying and if you make a game of it, it can be fun.
It's much cheaper than chasing flies with your Buick and who knows, if you get good enough you may even be able to challenge Mr. Obama to a fly swatting contest.
Practice makes perfect -- check this out - before PETA has it removed:
http://majman.net/fly_loader.html
A. - it's @sshole.
And that is why flies are known as the A-holes of the insect world. They are a major filthy pain in the ass whether they, or you, are indoors or outdoors. Flies can sense the opportunity of an open door or window in a heartbeat and zoom right into your home. They are also amazing escape artists.
So back to why fly swatters work -- they work because they are scientifically designed to work against the fly's natural defenses to be swatted. Forget the rolled up newspaper, that's for intimidating your dog when he messed up on your new wall to wall. Forget using your flip flop sandal or your baseball cap, that tiny high pitch noise is the little bugger laughing at you as it zeroes in on your ham sandwich as it's next landing zone.
The fly escapes swatting because it has to ability to sense the whoosh of in-coming air in it's general direction from whatever you may have in hand to smash it to smithereenies. And unless you are some sort of kung-fu master, you'll never catch one with your bare hands.
The simply ordinary fly swatter however, has holes or slots cut out of the swat head.
And this greatly reduces the air whoosh which the fly uses to calculate take off and escape. Still it does take some speed on your part because the little nasty bugger has eyes that see in every direction imaginable. But you can get good at this, you really can. I smashed four flies the other day before my morning coffee. Even my cats were impressed... they look at me like it's my job now to keep the vermin out of their litter box.
I have fly swatters strategically placed all around my home especially in the summer months. But some hardy flies will survive even in winter. I keep my eye on the target, wait for it to land, while reaching for the swatter and I try to come from the side instead of from the top.... oh, make sure you cover your drink if you have one near by.... and execute. Literally.
Many times when your make your hit, the fly does a screaming death flip and you never know where it may land.... so take precautions to cover or remove your food or drink, if possible.
Fly tape is also simply, cheap and works remarkable well. However, it is extremely ugly to have hanging in your home especially if you entertain a lot. Fly swatting is so much more satisfying and if you make a game of it, it can be fun.
It's much cheaper than chasing flies with your Buick and who knows, if you get good enough you may even be able to challenge Mr. Obama to a fly swatting contest.
Practice makes perfect -- check this out - before PETA has it removed:
http://majman.net/fly_loader.html
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Kiss those annoying fruit flies goodbye....
....if you can get your hands on one of the tiny elusive buggers, that is.
Q. -How do you know when a fruit fly farted?
A. - it flies in a straight line.
What I am about to show you is a very cheap, extremely effective, yet simple-stupid, do-it-yourself way, of removing these mini "bastiches" from your home once and for all. Any one who would call a professional to exterminate such a simple bug would have the exterminator laughing all the way to the bank. Yet there is no reason for you to suffer these jerks in your home. This is one extermination you can do easily by yourself.
At first most people think, they have "a" fruit fly and that they are seeing the same one over and over again (as if they had police, fruit fly, facial recognition technology installed in their brain). They all look alike! It's how they sneak up on you and take over your home.
Also another myth heard frequently is "oh, it's just a harmless little fruit fly". Yeah, harmless until they grow into a thundering cloud formation in the middle of your living room blocking your view of American Idol.
Fruit flies are just as dirty and nasty as their larger cousin, the house fly, and carry many of the same disgusting germs. In fact, fruit flies are more versatile than the ordinary housefly when it comes to thriving in your home. Fruit flies will feast, reproduce and poop in sink drains amazingly without drowning, a trick the house fly hasn't mastered. Fruit flies especially love potted house plants, anything or any place that has decaying or moist organic material will attract it. So do yourself a favor and keep a lid on your garbage cans, especially the kitchen can. Besides, "covering your can" ;) makes for positive feng shui in the home -- and garbage is just plain ugly to look at. Also if you have a cat, it will thank you if you remove any solid "land mines" from the kitty litter box on a daily basis and you will be depriving a mess of fruit flies a happy hunting ground.
One more word on prevention: Unless Better Homes and Gardens is gonna do a photo shoot in your home, there is no real reason to keep a bowl of fresh fruit out in the open. This is how you got the hitchhikers home in the first place. They no doubt traveled in with you on that ripe bunch of bananas. If you want an colorful table arrangement, buy flowers. Just ditch them before they begin to rot. Keep fresh fruit under cover or in the fridge. Eat it quickly or ditch it as soon it begins to over-ripen.
Okay, so here's my secret sauce: you no doubt have these items in your home already and if you did have to go out and buy any of all of the ingredients it should cost you no more than three Obama! inflated dollars. You will need a few cheap small plastic containers. It can be a plastic or styrofoam drinking cup or an re-used salad bar container, an old yogurt cup, you get the idea, just rinsed out the container. Next, apple cider vinegar, the low cost store brand will do, save your fancy organic vinegar for your salad dressing. Let me be clear here, do not use white (or clear) vinegar. Next, liquid dish soap, any bargain brand will work. You could use beer in place of the vinegar but most people I know don't love their fruit flies that much. Put about an inch or two of the vinegar in the container(s), add just a drop or two of the liquid soap. That's it, yer done. And so are the little pests, so wave bye-bye. You'll be amazed how many you'll catch with this simple recipe, especially the first set up. Then wash, rinse, repeat. Don't let the containers dry out or you'll be offering organic material for any remainder flies to feast on. For this same reason, flush the spent liquid down the toilet bowl, not down the sink drain.
The soap is the real secret. Fruit flies have the ability to hover over and land on water without falling in, much like mosquitoes can, but the soap makes the water slippery and they slip in and drown. You don't need any fancy store bought or specially designed funnel containers. Do it just like I tell you here. Fruit flies reproduce approximately every 14 days. You should notice that you don't notice them in about a month. In 60 days, they're history.
Now you can enjoy that special bottle of wine without these uninvited guests taking a slurp. And feel free to snore with your mouth full opened without fear of a midnight fruit snack or twelve getting sucked down your gullet.
Next up, an almost similar trick to control backyard mosquitos so you can enjoy that backyard barbeque.
Q. -How do you know when a fruit fly farted?
A. - it flies in a straight line.
What I am about to show you is a very cheap, extremely effective, yet simple-stupid, do-it-yourself way, of removing these mini "bastiches" from your home once and for all. Any one who would call a professional to exterminate such a simple bug would have the exterminator laughing all the way to the bank. Yet there is no reason for you to suffer these jerks in your home. This is one extermination you can do easily by yourself.
At first most people think, they have "a" fruit fly and that they are seeing the same one over and over again (as if they had police, fruit fly, facial recognition technology installed in their brain). They all look alike! It's how they sneak up on you and take over your home.
Also another myth heard frequently is "oh, it's just a harmless little fruit fly". Yeah, harmless until they grow into a thundering cloud formation in the middle of your living room blocking your view of American Idol.
Fruit flies are just as dirty and nasty as their larger cousin, the house fly, and carry many of the same disgusting germs. In fact, fruit flies are more versatile than the ordinary housefly when it comes to thriving in your home. Fruit flies will feast, reproduce and poop in sink drains amazingly without drowning, a trick the house fly hasn't mastered. Fruit flies especially love potted house plants, anything or any place that has decaying or moist organic material will attract it. So do yourself a favor and keep a lid on your garbage cans, especially the kitchen can. Besides, "covering your can" ;) makes for positive feng shui in the home -- and garbage is just plain ugly to look at. Also if you have a cat, it will thank you if you remove any solid "land mines" from the kitty litter box on a daily basis and you will be depriving a mess of fruit flies a happy hunting ground.
One more word on prevention: Unless Better Homes and Gardens is gonna do a photo shoot in your home, there is no real reason to keep a bowl of fresh fruit out in the open. This is how you got the hitchhikers home in the first place. They no doubt traveled in with you on that ripe bunch of bananas. If you want an colorful table arrangement, buy flowers. Just ditch them before they begin to rot. Keep fresh fruit under cover or in the fridge. Eat it quickly or ditch it as soon it begins to over-ripen.
Okay, so here's my secret sauce: you no doubt have these items in your home already and if you did have to go out and buy any of all of the ingredients it should cost you no more than three Obama! inflated dollars. You will need a few cheap small plastic containers. It can be a plastic or styrofoam drinking cup or an re-used salad bar container, an old yogurt cup, you get the idea, just rinsed out the container. Next, apple cider vinegar, the low cost store brand will do, save your fancy organic vinegar for your salad dressing. Let me be clear here, do not use white (or clear) vinegar. Next, liquid dish soap, any bargain brand will work. You could use beer in place of the vinegar but most people I know don't love their fruit flies that much. Put about an inch or two of the vinegar in the container(s), add just a drop or two of the liquid soap. That's it, yer done. And so are the little pests, so wave bye-bye. You'll be amazed how many you'll catch with this simple recipe, especially the first set up. Then wash, rinse, repeat. Don't let the containers dry out or you'll be offering organic material for any remainder flies to feast on. For this same reason, flush the spent liquid down the toilet bowl, not down the sink drain.
The soap is the real secret. Fruit flies have the ability to hover over and land on water without falling in, much like mosquitoes can, but the soap makes the water slippery and they slip in and drown. You don't need any fancy store bought or specially designed funnel containers. Do it just like I tell you here. Fruit flies reproduce approximately every 14 days. You should notice that you don't notice them in about a month. In 60 days, they're history.
Now you can enjoy that special bottle of wine without these uninvited guests taking a slurp. And feel free to snore with your mouth full opened without fear of a midnight fruit snack or twelve getting sucked down your gullet.
Next up, an almost similar trick to control backyard mosquitos so you can enjoy that backyard barbeque.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Summer time and the living gets easy
Not only for us but for certain pests that get into our homes very easily because our guard is down, so we forget that millions of insects every where are also hatching, reproducing and enjoying the longer, warmer, weather. They simply pick up right where they left off in late autumn. And because we're not paying attention, we provide them with the good life.
One is the very common but nasty housefly. The other, is a seemingly innocent little moron that can hitch a ride home with you from the grocery store produce section... the annoying fruit fly (or drain fly)
These are two pests that you can get rid of by yourself. The first way is by preventative means. the second way is reactive and unless you're diligent, much harder.
One is to simply bring down and keep down your window screens to keep the houseflies out. Repair torn screens and make sure they are in their tracks. Because once these dirty little suckers get in... it's like having your own private trench coat wearing pervert, exposing itself everywhere you turn in your home. And this pervert carries it's own suitcase of germs and diseases.
Turn your back for a second on that dee-lish-us deli plate you were about to chow down on and you'll all of sudden find this "fly-guy" doing all sorts of unspeakables to your tender ham sandwich. And he just flew in your window from that steaming pile of dog poo just below your windows. Not to worry though, it was fresh poo.
So, unless you're into some serious girl watching from your high rise vantage point and insist on keeping those window screens open for a quick sneak peek at those bubbly Double D's walkin' by down below, you will have to take reactive measures by hanging those very ugly but very effective sticky fly tapes in appropriate spots around your apartment. Over open garbage cans or cat litter boxes, near open windows. Just make sure the tapes don't get stuck to your head while ogling the spring time lovelies.
As for the fruit flies -- I'll share with you a very cheap and effective method for eliminating those "all of a sudden" "everywhere at once" bugs as well. You'll love this tip especially if you have a ton of house plants.
stay tuned....
One is the very common but nasty housefly. The other, is a seemingly innocent little moron that can hitch a ride home with you from the grocery store produce section... the annoying fruit fly (or drain fly)
These are two pests that you can get rid of by yourself. The first way is by preventative means. the second way is reactive and unless you're diligent, much harder.
One is to simply bring down and keep down your window screens to keep the houseflies out. Repair torn screens and make sure they are in their tracks. Because once these dirty little suckers get in... it's like having your own private trench coat wearing pervert, exposing itself everywhere you turn in your home. And this pervert carries it's own suitcase of germs and diseases.
Turn your back for a second on that dee-lish-us deli plate you were about to chow down on and you'll all of sudden find this "fly-guy" doing all sorts of unspeakables to your tender ham sandwich. And he just flew in your window from that steaming pile of dog poo just below your windows. Not to worry though, it was fresh poo.
So, unless you're into some serious girl watching from your high rise vantage point and insist on keeping those window screens open for a quick sneak peek at those bubbly Double D's walkin' by down below, you will have to take reactive measures by hanging those very ugly but very effective sticky fly tapes in appropriate spots around your apartment. Over open garbage cans or cat litter boxes, near open windows. Just make sure the tapes don't get stuck to your head while ogling the spring time lovelies.
As for the fruit flies -- I'll share with you a very cheap and effective method for eliminating those "all of a sudden" "everywhere at once" bugs as well. You'll love this tip especially if you have a ton of house plants.
stay tuned....
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
The Death Star (my website) is now fully operational..."
Say goodbye to New York Bedbugs.... they'll have to move out to Connecticut to be safe. I'd normally pick on New Jersey here but the "natural" chemical pollution there keeps them somewhat safe for now.
That road kill you see on Jersey Turnpike aren't all raccoons, ya know. What... You've never seen a 20lb bedbug? Well, neither have I exactly, but if they did exist... it wouldn't surprise me to find them here in the Empire State. The little jerks have been running amuck and have now been put on notice.
CONNEX has declared war. And we have the ammo for the fight. Not just to kill "them" but also keep you and yours safe in the process.
More on that in future blogs...
Seems like it took an extremely long New York minute, but my web site is now up and not only looking good but it's also a well oiled machine. What that means to you (as my customer,) is a smooth as glass navigation website.
This new improved website will make it easier for you to find exactly what you need to know
quickly. Whether it's just to pick up the phone and yell
"HALP! Come save me!"
or if you're looking for professional DYI info on the best way to do a thorough extermination job. This info section is a work in progress....
so stay tuned and check back often.
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