The #Fear Index - UK #Pest #Phobias: #Spiders

A recent survey of 2,000 Britons asked householders to rank their fear response to several common household pests. Stinging insects scored highly as did spiders and cockroaches. Almost 1 in 10 households reported rats invading their property with 87% of householders under the impression that populations of rats, wasps, mosquitoes, foxes and mice in their area. had increased dramatically in recent years. 

The Fear Index - Which Pests are the Most Feared in the UK?

1. Spiders 67%
2. Hornets 65%
3. Rats 64%
4. Wasps 58%
5. Cockroaches 55%
6. Mosquitoes 51%
7. Foxes 49%
8. Mice 35%
9. Fleas 13%
10. Pigeons 13%
11. Slugs and Snails 12%
12. Moths 8%
13. Flies 6%
14. Ants 4%

Read More at Female First

For all you pest control solutions contact Capybara Pest Control

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Mosquitoes Home In On CO2 & Body Odour

Researchers released female yellow fever mosquitoes into a wind tunnel and filmed their flight paths. They discovered that the carbon dioxide we exhale is what first alerts mosquitoes to our presence. They then follow the plume of odour from our skin to home in, land on us and feed. This new research could be used to develop better traps for intercepting and capturing mosquitoes that spread diseases such as malaria, dengue and yellow fever.

Read More at Science Daily

Posted by Astrojenny

For all your mosquito pest problems visit our web store, www.capy.co.uk

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UK Woodlands In Danger As Disease Spreads

Many of our most important species of trees, including oak, beech and larch are under threat from diseases. Imports of plants will face more rigorous controls as new threats are identified, to prevent new strains from entering the UK. Caroline Spelman, the Environment Secretary has said "These exotic diseases have escalated in the past 10 years. We are going to combat the scourge of these diseases, which threaten to change our landscape for ever unless we act." Phytophthora ramorum pathogen on larch and red band needle blight on pines, the leaf miner caterpillar that targets horse chestnuts, the emerald ash borer from North America, and oak wilt disease all pose a threat.

Read More at The Independent

Posted by Astrojenny

 

For all your pest control problems, please visit www.capy.co.uk and book a professional pest control technician or purchase DIY pest control products and kits.

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Britain's Wildlife Revival

Otters, salmon, red kites, buzzard, sparrowhawk, peregrine falcon  and egrets are just a few of the conservation success stories in recent years. Otters, which came close to extinction in England & Wales during the 1970s due to pollution, are now found in every English county. Most British cities now have at least one breeding pair of peregrines. Some species have recovered due to conservation measures: cleaning up waterways or reintroduction schemes. Some, like the wild boar have escaped from captivity to recolonise areas. Others like the egret have colonised new areas due to climate change. But among all these success stories there are still many species being pushed beyond their limits by climate change. 

Read More at The Independent

Posted by Astrojenny

Some interesting revivals! If you have a pest control issue, be safe when using poisons. Contact Capybara Pest Control Solutions for the safest way to control your pests! 

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'Killer' Shrimps Are Public Enemy Number 1

'Killer' Shrimps Are Public Enemy Number 1

Killer Shrimp Dikerogammarus villosus has been named the worst alien invader by the Environment agency. The pest heads a list that includes american signal crayfish, topmouth gudgeon & mink. Though only 30 mm long it's voracious appetite means it poses a real threat to our native shrimp & to young fish. Invasive species cost the UK about £1.7bn a year.

Read More at BBC News

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Living in Synurbia

Living in Synurbia

Synurbic species, or synanthropes, are those animals and plants that live in the same places as us: urban foxes, garden birds, rats, pigeons etc. Recent studies suggest that such species not only live in greater densities in urban areas than they do rural ones but also adapt their behaviour to take advantage of the opportunities that city living provides. This may include changing their diet & foraging techniques, having smaller territories, nesting in buildings etc. There is even some evidence that species may be evolving to exploit their new environment. Urban house finches have evolved different beak shapes to their country cousins & so are able to eat the seeds available to them in towns & cities.

Read More at BBC Wonder Monkey

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When using poisons, please be careful.

Children die from eating rat poison in school dinner

Rashid Razaq
22 Sep 2011  

Three children have died after eating a school meal contaminated with rat poison.

Peru's health ministry said 89 children and five adults were affected by the food in Redondo, an Andean hamlet 300 miles north-west of Lima.
The mother of one of the dead children said they showed signs of having been poisoned.
"I think it was poison because all the kids are purple, from all parts of the school," said the mother, who was not named. "My little boy has died. My nine-year-old boy, Miguel Angel, has died."
The food had been donated by the National Food Assistance Programme, which gives food to schools in the poorest parts of the country.
Peruvian health official Miguel Zumaeta said the cause "looks like it was a carbonates intoxication, which means rat poison".
Prosecutors and health ministry officials are investigating.
In a similar case in 1999, 24 children died in a village near Cuzco in southern Peru after eating food contaminated by pesticide.

Capybara says: the poison is designed to kill, so please be careful when using it. Use poisons in secure boxes or in non contact situations (for example, in storage only attics) etc. For futher help and guidence email us at help@capy.co.uk

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Rat wakes up Homeless man in New York Subway...

Transport workers blame budget cuts as even MORE rats than usual plague New York subway

Even more rats than usual are running wild on the New York subway because of budget cuts, transport workers claim.

Staffing cutbacks have allowed the rat population to explode as rubbish goes uncollected and refuse storage rooms are inadequately sealed, MTA empoyees say.

Members of the Transport Workers Union Local 100 chanted: 'Cutbacks mean the rats are back!' at a rally at an entrance to the Parsons/Archer subway hub in Jamaica, Queens, which has one of the worst rodent infestations.

Nasty surprise: Even more rats are running wild on the New York subway because of staff and budget cuts, transport workers claim (file photo)

Union members collected thousands of signatures from subway users for a petition urging management to increase the frequency of rubbish collection, put more bins in stations and seal off refuse storage rooms more effectively.
Kevin Harrington, a Local 100 vice president and one of the three dozen campaigners at the station, told the New York Daily News: 'We have a huge rat problem."

 

Charles Seaton, a spokesman for the MTA, said: 'This has proven to be a problem location and even following some of the suggestions offered by the TWU, it has failed to yield positive results.
'In the short term, we are baiting the [Archer] station more often and removing refuse from the station more often.'

Horror: Subway rider awakes to find the rodent inches from his face

The MTA's 2010 and 2011 budgets would eliminate 254 subway car, track and station-cleaning positions to save $21 million annually, budget documents show.

The MTA said it doesn't have a rat population estimate and said it was unclear if there has been a surge but plenty of people who use the subway have horror stories about rat encounters.

Earlier this year video of a rat scurrying up the leg and on to the face of a man asleep on the 4 train became a Youtube sensation.

In the video the passenger then wakes up and recoils in horror as the rodent does a runner across the carriage.

However, while passengers sometimes encounter rodents on platforms and trains, subway workers have to contend with the rodents in greater numbers in utility rooms, track beds, locker rooms and lunch rooms, according to Harrington.

The union said it plans to hold additional rallies at rat-plagued stations.

The MTA said they are working on a solution.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2040571/Transport-workers-blame-budget-cuts-MORE-rats-usual-plague-New-York-subway.html#ixzz1YraZLIbK

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How bedbug insecticides are 'more dangerous than the bloodsucking themselves'

Bedbugs don't make you sick, but the poisons used to kill them can.

Dozens of Americans have fallen ill from the insecticides, and a North Carolina woman died after using 18 cans of chemical fogger to attack the tiny blood suckers, a government report revealed.

Because many of the cases, including the lone death, were do-it-yourselfers who misused the chemicals or applied the wrong product, federal health officials are warning consumers to be careful and urging them to call professionals.

FILE - In this Wednesday, March 30, 2011 file photo, a bed bug is displayed at the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History in Washington. A government study counted one death and 80 illnesses linked to bedbug-targeting insecticides used from 2008 through 2010. Many were do-it-yourselfers who misused the chemicals or used the wrong product. Most of the cases were in New York City, the apparent epicenter of a recent U.S. bedbug comeback. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)

The report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention counted 80 illnesses and one death linked to the insecticides over three years.

Most of the cases were in New York City, the apparent epicenter of a recent U.S. bedbug comeback.

The CDC was able to get data from 12 states, and only seven had reports of such illnesses.

One was New York, where bedbugs have become a highly publicized problem and where health officials have also been extra vigilant about reporting unusual chemical poisonings.

Investigators were relieved to find a relatively small number of cases.

'At this point, it's not a major public health problem,' said Dr. Geoff Calvert, a CDC investigator who co-authored the study.

Bedbugs are wingless, reddish-brown insects that bite people and animals to draw blood for their meals.

Though their bites can cause itching and welts, they are not known to spread disease.

'There's nothing inherently dangerous about bedbugs,' said Dr. Susi Vassallo, an emergency medicine doctor who works at New York City's Bellevue Hospital Center and occasionally treats patients who report bedbug problems.

Danger: Incorrect use of insecticides have killed one person and made 80 sick in the past three years

But the insects are a major hassle. In recent national surveys of exterminators, bedbugs were named the toughest pest to get rid of.

They can hide for months, only come out at night and can be hard to spot with the human eye.

They are also creepy, provoking intense fear in the minds of many people unnerved by the threat that an almost invisible insect could emerge at night to drink their blood.

'Sometimes people get hysterical,' said Theresa Braine, a New York City journalist who lived with bedbugs in her apartment for a year and now writes a weekly Internet column about the pests.

The CDC study was the first to look at the dangers of bedbug insecticides.

Researchers reviewed reports from California, Florida, Michigan, North Carolina, New York, Texas and Washington.

They counted 111 cases from 2003 through 2010.

Most occurred in the last few years, when bedbug reports rose across the country. More than half were in New York City.

People suffered headaches, dizziness, breathing problems and nausea and vomiting.
More than 80 per cent of the illnesses were considered mild.

The one death was a 65-year-old woman from Rocky Mount, North Carolina, who had a history of heart trouble and other ailments.

In 2010, she and her husband used nine cans of insecticide fogger one day, then the same amount two days later, without opening doors and windows to air out their home afterward.

She also covered her body and hair with another bedbug product, and covered her hair with a plastic shower cap.

Two other illnesses were carpet cleaners who had not been told the apartment had recently been treated with pesticides.

Two more were emergency medical technicians who responded to a scene and were exposed to a white powder believed to be a pesticide.

CDC officials said they could not be absolutely certain that the insecticides caused every problem.

For example, there was no record of an autopsy on the North Carolina woman.

It's possible that some of the illnesses were coincidental to the insecticide exposure.

But it's also likely these kinds of illnesses are under-reported, Calvert said.

About 90 per cent of the cases were linked to pyrethroids or pyrethrins, insecticides commonly used against bedbugs.

Such products are not a health risk to most people but should still be applied by a trained exterminator, said Vassallo, who is also a toxicologist and a clinical associate professor at NYU Langone Medical Center.

But in some cases, an improper and more dangerous product was used.

That happened in 2010 in Ohio, where an uncertified exterminator used malathion to rid an apartment of bedbugs, even though the chemical is never supposed to be used indoors. A couple and their six-year-old child got sick.

'It would be helpful if the labels were easier to read, understand, and better conveyed the message that the insecticide can be toxic'

CDC officials suggested people trying to rid their homes of bedbugs should first thoroughly vacuum all floors and furniture and wash linens.

If it doesn't work, call an exterminator to apply the chemicals, and then carefully follow their directions about re-entering the room and airing it out, they said.

Exterminators can be expensive. Braine said it cost her more than $1,000 for one treatment of her small Brooklyn apartment, which was only briefly successful.

She has since moved to another place.

For products that are sold to the public, labelling could be a little better.

'We think it would be helpful if they were easier to read, understand, and better conveyed the message that the insecticide can be toxic and should be used with great care,' Calvert said.

A spokeswoman for the National Pest Management Association, a trade group, said the industry is continually looking at improving its labeling. But some people just don't read labels.

For example, foggers are not recommended for bedbugs, she noted. And it appears some people use much more than is recommended.

'We live in a society where people believe that if a little bit is good, more is better,' said the spokeswoman, Missy Henriksen. But sometimes more is dangerous, she added.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2040786/Bedbug-insecticides-dangerous-bedbugs-says-new-report.html#ixzz1YrWccflQ

Capybara says: If you are going to perform the DIY treatment yourself, please use a reputable company and seek professional advice, before purchasing the goods. They are certain products that do certain jobs, Capybara customer service will explain and help you choose which products are best and also the quantities required. For example, aerosols are pointless against bed bugs are they leave no residual insecticide down. Bed bugs are clever, so please, if you decide to combat the problem yourself, contact us on help@capy.co.uk or 01905 35 45 49.

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Study finds bed bug pesticides making some people sick

 

Heat treatment is an environmentally friendly method for eradicating bed bugs and does not utilize any pesticides or chemicals. (Stephanie S. Cordle/St. Louis Post-Dispatch/MCT)

David Beasley Reuters

4:17 p.m. CDT, September 22, 2011

ATLANTA (Reuters) - Bed bugs might make you itch, but the chemicals used to combat the pests are making some people ill.

As more people in the United States are feeling the bed bug's bite, there has been a spike in sickness from pesticides used to kill the insects, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on Thursday.

From 2003 to 2010, 111 people were sickened and one died from bed bug insecticide, the government agency reported in a study that is the first of its kind in the country.

Nearly three quarters of the illnesses occurred from 2008 to 2010 as the bed bug population in the United States increased.

Pesticide-related illnesses occurred in seven states: California, Florida, Michigan, North Carolina, New York, Texas and Washington. Some 81 percent of cases were not severe.

Densely populated New York City, where there were increasing reports of bed bug infestations, had the largest number of cases at 58 percent. Nationwide, 93 percent of the cases were in private homes, the study found.

Although the CDC said there have not been enough cases of serious illness to suggest a large public health burden, the numbers might continue to increase as bed bugs become more resistant to common pesticides.

Bed bugs are wingless, reddish-brown insects that suck blood from humans and other mammals and birds. They do not carry disease but, according to the CDC, "can reduce quality of life by causing anxiety, discomfort and sleeplessness."

Illness can result from misusing pesticides to kill the bugs, the CDC said. Two of the most common causes of illness were excessive insecticide application and failing to wash or change pesticide-treated bedding.

Common symptoms included headaches, dizziness, nausea and vomiting, the CDC said.

The lone fatality was in North Carolina in 2010, and the 65-year-old victim had a long list of health problems including diabetes and renal failure, the CDC said.

Her husband applied pesticides in the home that were not registered for use on bed bugs. The woman also applied a bed bug and flea insecticide to her arms, sores on her chest, and on her hair.

In an Ohio case that resulted in illness, an uncertified pesticide applicator sprayed malathion, which was not registered for indoor use, in an apartment five times over three days.

The CDC recommends using both nonchemical and chemical approaches to fight bed bugs, including hiring an expert to heat infested rooms to 118 degrees Fahrenheit or cool them to 3 degrees for an hour to kill the bugs.

The agency also advises against buying used mattresses and box springs and urges anyone with a bed bug problem to hire only certified insecticide applicators.

"Insecticide labels that are easy to read and understand also can help prevent illnesses associated with bed bug control," the agency said.

SOURCE: http://1.usa.gov/qnD8UC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, online September 22, 2011.

Capybara professional pest managment for hotels use a brand new technique which removes the oxygen from mattresses, and other hiding places where the bug maybe hiding or areas where there is a human connection.

 

Pest controllers need tobe careful with the application of pesticides and rooms shouldn't be used for a period after treatment.

 

For professional bed bug advice, guidence and hotel prevention contact capybara on info@capy.co.uk or 01905 35 45 49.

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Charges for residents in Winchester confirmed.

http://www.hampshirechronicle.co.uk/news/9269341.Charges_for_residents_confirmed_for_rat_control_in_Winchester/

Charges for residents confirmed for rat control in Winchester

Winchester residents will be hit with charges to get rid of rodents.
Winchester City Council cabinet members have approved a charge of £35 for dealing with rats and mice, a traditionally free service, from October.
Currently, other treatments like wasp nests, insects including fleas and bed bugs are done on a commercial basis through Serco, though the city council has determined that the pest control service will be brought back in house.
Under the proposals, those on means tested benefit would pay half price, with discretion to waive the fee in extreme circumstances.
Treatments of rats and mice in the Winchester district are typically 2,500 to 3,000 per year with 2,700 last year.
The city council expects the scheme to bring an income of £15,000 for 2011-2012 and £30,000 for 2012-2013 onwards.
Cabinet members at a meeting on Wednesday September 14 gave the scheme the go ahead, subject to approval by full council.
Richard Moseley, British Pest Control Association's technical manager, had said prior to the meeting that by removing a free service it was likely people would stop using it, choosing to not deal with rats or sort it out themselves, which in some cases they could not, leading theoretically to an increase in rodent activity.
At the meeting Alan Rickman, chair of Winchester's Tenants and Council Together (TACT), said he had “grave misgivings” on the proposals and that there were many borderline cases not receiving benefits who would struggle to survive in today's climate to pay the amount.
He said: “This could well mean infestations will go unreported leading to more infestations in a wider area at a later date.”
Liberal Democrat leader councillor Kelsie Learney said she supported charging, saying she thought it would lead to a better service and that the level was reasonable, but said that charging for those on benefits at all was not done by the majority of local councils and asked for the service to remain free for them for a trial period.
Council officer Rob Heathcock, assistant director for high quality environment, said to not charge those on benefit the council would lose an estimated £6,000 to £7,000 in income.
He also said that the number of rats was actually reducing following several harsh winters and that householders could help prevent the problem by not putting out too much bird feed.
Cabinet members asked officers to assess the impact on means tested benefit areas and report back in six months.

Capybara says: more and more councils are cutting back with expenditure and more often than not, services like pest control are cut first.

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Flies close operating theatre!

Published: 27/06/2011 14:35 - Updated: 27/06/2011 15:05

Infestation of flies forces closure of Belford theatre

Belford Hospital

THE operating theatre at the Belford Hospital in Fort William has been closed temporarily following an infestation of flies in the adjoining rooms, NHS Highland announced today.
Pest control experts have been called in and, due to the chemicals being used in the area, it has been agreed that the safest thing to do is close the theatres until the issue has been resolved.
The pest control work is expected to last for at least one week.
An NHS Highland spokeswoman said the source of the infestation has not yet been identified but is being "investigated thoroughly".
Patients requiring minor surgery under local anaesthetic can still be treated in Fort William but arrangements have been made to treat patients requiring more major surgery and those in need of observation before their procedure in another hospital within Highland, either Raigmore Hospital in Inverness or the Lorn and Islands Hospital in Oban.
Gill McVicar, general manager for the Mid Highland Community Health Partnership, was keen to stress the move is a temporary measure and that normal service will be resumed as soon as possible.
She said: “Following a report by pest control and following advice from our clinical experts, it has been agreed that temporary closure of the facility to allow action to be taken is in the best interests of everyone involved.
“The work being done by pest control will take at least a week and, while we always try to keep any disruption to our patients at a minimum, it is necessary that we have these temporary measures in place.
"The situation is being closely monitored."
Mrs McVicar added: "Patient safety is of the utmost priority to us and while it is certainly not ideal to have patients having their operations elsewhere it is the safest decision given the circumstances, we would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused.”

Fly pest control, DIY pest control, electronic fly killers, fly bombs

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Rubbish attracts rats in Gloucester....

Rat fear as the waste piles up alongside residents' bin

Friday, June 24, 2011

Gloucestershire Echo

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RESIDENTS of a block of flats fear having a rat infestation after struggling to cope with just one shared metal bin.
Elmfield Flats, on Overton Road, Cheltenham, has just one large, metal wheelie bin to cater for waste produced by residents of 16 flats and one house.

1. ​
   CONCERNED: Chris Bon (second from right) and other residents of Elmfield Flats by the piles of rubbish

Fed-up occupants of the sheltered accommodation say the bin could just about cope with weekly collections before Cheltenham Borough Council introduced its new waste scheme in April. But since the changeover to a fortnightly collection, the last three months has seen bags of rubbish pile up for days on end.
Chris Bon, 58, who moved into one of the flats just over a year ago, says that despite repeated requests for help from Bromford Housing Association and the borough council, nothing has been done.
"It looks a disgrace," he said. "The bin is full already and we aren't due to be emptied again until next week.
"It's an embarrassment. It looks filthy and we aren't happy at all. If we get some warm weather the smell will be atrocious. We do as much recycling as we can, but it's still a problem as there are 17 households."
Mr Bon added that a pest controller was recently sent out by Bromford to lay rat traps in the area surrounding the flats.
"The bait has been taken from the traps," he said.
Helen Kidd, 70, has lived in her flat for the last two years.
She said: "It has been quite a problem for the last three months – once a fortnight is not frequent enough. The council has been saying it is going to bring another bin, but it has been weeks and weeks.
"There's such a build-up of rubbish it's been a horror. Our neighbours say they are being plagued by foxes and rats because of the rubbish."
Councillor Roger Whyborn, the borough's cabinet member for sustainability, said: "We understand that some residents have concerns about waste storage and an extra bin is on its way, which will hopefully help."
A Bromford spokesman said: "We have been waiting for the extra rubbish and recycling bins promised by the council and now understand they are on their way."

Capybara says:

Any rubbish that isn't cleared will attract rats and no doubt flies. Rubbish does need to be cleared from sites so not to cause a public health nuisance. If bins overspil and collects are not frequent enough people can either be more aware when purchasing products at the supermarket or alternatively, they could install a rodent box with poison around the bin area.

Further information about rat pest control click www.capy.co.uk

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Rat catching dog retires....

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tees-13886413

Redcar & Cleveland Council's rat catching dog retires

The council's pest control team dealt with more than 1,200 calls last year.

A dog is retiring after spending the past 12 years catching thousands of rats for the council in Redcar.

Ace, a black lurcher, has been a pet and faithful sidekick of pest control officer Steve Maguire since he was just three months old.

But he is now leaving work at Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council because of arthritis.

Trained as a pest control expert by his owner Steve, he will still keep him company at work in his van.

Ace has responded to residents' pleas to remove all manner of unwanted guests from housing estates and allotments to farms and parks.

The council have no plans to replace Ace with another dog.
Missing out
"He's got arthritis in his back hips, so he's not as agile as he used to be," said Mr Maguire.

"It's time for him to retire. He's still going to be coming out with me in the van, but he won't be working.

"I couldn't stop him coming out - he's had the same routine for so long and he'd think he was missing out on something if he wasn't there."

The council's pest control team dealt with more than 1,200 calls at both homes and business properties last year.

Councillor Steve Goldswain, said: "The expertise of the pest control team ensures problems are dealt with swiftly and effectively, and they are always on hand to give free advice."

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Bed Bugs TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE: MYTH OR FACT?

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE: MYTH OR FACT?

MYTH: Bedbugs are a thing of the past.

FACT: Bedbugs came into America with the early settlers and were common in Colonial times.

In the past decade, bedbugs have been found in every state in America, and are becoming a major problem in big cities and small towns across the country.

MYTH: Bedbugs only live in filthy homes.

FACT: Bedbugs have been found in every type of dwelling, from five-star hotels, apartment buildings and college dorms to single-family homes and everywhere in between. They are more interested in places to hide where humans are present than in unsanitary conditions.

MYTH: I'll only get bedbugs if I travel in the Third World.

FACT: While international travel may increase your risk of transporting bedbugs, they regularly hitchhike from hotels that are closer to home. Hotels and motels can be bedbug havens because of the fresh crop of people each night and the opportunity to climb aboard luggage.

MYTH: Bedbugs only live in the bedroom.

FACT: While the bedroom is a great place for nocturnal insects like bedbugs, as infestations become more severe, bedbugs will move into furniture, fabrics, wall crevices and flooring cracks throughout your home.

A licensed pest management professional will carefully inspect your entire dwelling for signs of infestations while making a treatment plan.

MYTH: I can get rid of bedbugs by leaving my house empty for a few weeks.

FACT: Adult bedbugs can live as long as 12 months without a meal, so a long vacation won't provide you with relief. The only way to deal with the problem is to treat it directly and monitor results over the long haul.

A licensed pest management professional will help you eliminate bedbugs from your home.

MYTH: Bedbugs are so embarrassing that I should never tell anyone that I had a problem.

FACT: Having a bedbug infestation in your home can cause emotional stress. If you need help, seek help. But keeping an infestation secret from your friends and neighbors can lead to further spread, especially in apartment buildings, dormitories and other multi-unit living arrangements.

Keep in mind you didn't go out and purposely bring bedbugs home. They are insects of opportunity, and they found you or your personal belongings and came home with you. In many cases it's friends, relatives, workers etc., who may bring bedbugs into a home ... not always the homeowner.

To stop the spread, consider telling your landlord, school housing administration or building manager, and have them get in touch with a pest management professional right away. Keep in mind that if you try to get rid of them yourself and choose the wrong product you could chase or move the bugs to adjoining apartments or living areas.

Do-it-yourself efforts often make matters worse and can lead to further spread of an infestation. Professionals use a variety of products in well-thought-out strategies to gain control.

Source: The Bedbug Institute; www.bedbuginstitute.com

Published on: http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110615/HEALTH/106150327/-1/SITEMAP

bed bug pest control, bed bugs, bedbugs, pest control, biting insect, bedroom bug

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Nightclub closed due to rodent infestation...

http://www.limerickleader.ie/news/local/limerick_nightclub_forced_to_close_due_to_rat_infestation_at_derelict_site_1_2772371

Limerick nightclub forced to close due to rat infestation at derelict site

By Alan Owens
Published on Tuesday 14 June 2011 17:10

THE TRINITY Rooms, one of Limerick’s leading nightclubs, has closed with the temporary loss of 50 jobs, with management citing “health and safety concerns” associated with neighbouring derelict buildings which were due to be developed as part of the stalled ‘Opera Centre’.

The Limerick Leader understands that these concerns are to do with an “extremely serious and widespread infestation of rats” in the derelict buildings, which have lain idle for several years.
Trinity Rooms management would not discuss the alleged infestation, but a source said: “There is a serious infestation down there and it is coming in from the Opera Centre and I would say it is affecting every place down there. It is a huge problem. Answers are needed as to how this problem is going to be dealt with.”
The nightclub closed last Tuesday immediately after the problem was discovered, and the Health Service Executive was notified. The HSE told this paper they were “aware of the situation” and that environmental health officers had been “in touch with city council”.
A Trinity Rooms spokesperson confirmed that the premises was “temporarily closed due to a health and safety concern”.
“We brought this matter to the attention of Limerick City Council and the HSE on Tuesday of last week immediately on discovering the issue and voluntarily agreed to close the premises with immediate effect,” said the spokesperson.
The HSE stressed that they “did not force the closure of these premises”, explaining that the proprietors “contacted us after they had decided to close and informed us of their difficulties”.

Capybara Says:

Run-down neighbouring properties are always going to be problematic and attractant rodents into the area. Landlords should maintain properties and make sure public health pests like rats and mice don't cause neighbouring businesses and homes any distress.

Local environmental officers can enforce the clean up of any properties which cause a negative environmental impact and cause health concerns.

Rodetn pest control 

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Action against rats in Blackburn Cathedral grounds

10:30am Thursday 9th June 2011

• Exclusive By David Watkinson »Chief reporter

BLACKBURN Cathedral’s grounds are being plagued by rats.
Now bosses have put an exterminator in place to deal with the vermin and ensure they do not enter the cathedral itself.
Environmental health chiefs said pest controllers were dealing with hundreds of call-outs per month across the town centre, with an explosion in the level of complaints in recent years.
Experts said there is a particular problem in Blackburn because rats love water and there are miles and miles of sewers and culverted rivers under the streets of the town.
Canon Andrew Hindley said pest controllers have been working in the cathedral grounds in the past week.
He said: “We have an ongoing problem. We are very near to the Blakewater river and the culvert actually comes up in our grounds.
“I do not think we have an infestation but there is an issue.
“Inevitably rats congregate around the culvert and spread out in to the grounds.
“All we can do is try to keep on top of it. There are no suggestions of rats getting in to the building.
"At this stage we do not feel the need to get a cathedral cat!”
The issue of rats has long been a problem in Blackburn town centre with concerns that litter from takeaways was bringing rats that had lived underground onto the street.
Brown rats, which are the common rat in this area, can carry hundreds of diseases and infections including Weil's disease, tuberculosis and salmonella.
Government figures suggest there are around 60 million rats in the country.
They breed up to nine times a year, producing between six and 24 rats each time.
A spokesman for the Keep Britain Tidy campaign said: "In this country there is a direct link between food dumped on streets and an increase in rats.
“The fact of the matter is that rats feed off our rubbish.
"Unfortunately, fast food litter remains a big problem nationwide and we all have a part to play in tackling this major issue."

http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/blackburndarwenhyndburnribble/9073166.Action_against_rats_in_Blackburn_Cathedral_grounds/

Capybara says:

Rats are a constant problem in any urban environment and with local councils needing to find areas to cut costs, many are ceasing their pest control activities.

If you decide on tackling a rat problem yourself , please be careful using rat poisons outdoors and in. Always try and make sure all poisons are protected against untargeted animals, such as pets, children and other wildlife.

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Rat Poisons... Use Rodent Boxes to avoid their argument!

Backyard debate : To bait or not to bait

Environmental Protection Agency considers a ban on consumer sales of certain types of rat poison, an issue with all-too-much resonance in Baltimore

9:01 a.m. EDT, June 11, 2011

There is a rat fight going on between the Environmental Protection Agency and some pest control manufacturers that could affect Maryland backyards. At issue is whether residents will continue to be able to kill rats with certain potent poisons, which can now be purchased at hardware stores and are strong enough to dispatch the rodents after they make one visit to a poisoned meal. The EPA said this week it wanted to prohibit residential consumers from administering these poisons, making the stronger stuff available only to farmers and professional exterminators. At least two affected companies are challenging the decision.
The EPA plan would allow home owners to administer substitutes, less toxic poisons the kind that require the rodents to feed several times before expiring.
Another issue is how these doses are served up. Now some of the one-and-done poisons are pellets, sometimes served in trays or in packages that the vermin chew through. The EPA would ban pellets, which its says pose the danger of small children and household pets nibbling on them, and require all rat poisons to served in blocks secured in so-called "bait stations." These are plastic enclosures with latched and sometimes locking lids.
Two manufacturers, Liphatech Inc and Reckitt Benckiser, have challenged the EPA, saying these prohibitions are unnecessary and will make rat control needlessly expensive. The matter will now likely go to an administrative body, composed of scientists, who will make a ruling. This could take two years. In the meantime the companies will continue to sell their products. There is, in other words, no need to hoard rat poison.

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To bolster its case for the ban, the EPA says children are particularly at risk from rat poisons and cites statistics saying that nationally poison control centers receive between 12,000 and 15,000 reports of children under six being exposed to them. However the Maryland Poison Control Center reports that such instances are usually minor in nature without long-term health consequences to the child. Even though the chances are slight that children could seriously harm themselves by ingesting these poisons, it seems wise to make sure they are delivered in tamper-proof containers such as the bait stations. Already types of these devices are sold in Baltimore hardware stores for $16 to $18. Chunks of poison are secured on spikes inside a box. The bait stations aren't pretty, and they announce to the world that you are having a rat problem, but they do the job.
Requiring that rat poisons are administered in some type of closed, tamper-proof containers makes sense. But insisting that poisons now available to consumers can be used only by professional exterminators seems to be overreaching.
Experts on all sides of this issue agree that poisoning is only one of several tools that need to be employed in the battle against rat infestation. Equally important are removing the sources of food, such as garbage cans without lids, and eliminating rat-friendly habitats such as tall grasses and weeds. Some of the best brains at Johns Hopkins — an institution with a long and distinguished line of rodent researchers — concluded some time ago that rat populations cannot be controlled simply by poisoning. One study found that when poisoning reduced one neighborhood's rat population by half, the surviving rats increased their birth rate to make up for the lost numbers.
Rats are not welcome companions, but they are resilient. Keeping them at bay requires good sanitation and housekeeping practices and prudent use of poisons administered in closed, tamper-proof containers.
—Rob Kasper

Copyright © 2011, The Baltimore Sun

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Capybara....

 

All poisons need to be used in a safe manner. Rodent bait stations should always be used outdoors. Rat and mouse poison will kill all types of animals so please be cautious when using it!

 

If you're uncertain what to use, please contact us on 01905 35 45 49 for professional help!

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