The Spotted Lanternfly could be coming to New York on our Christmas Trees to destroy NY Parks

Image result for Spotted Lanternfly, a Christmas tree superbug, could destroy New York parks — A group of spotted lantern fly on a tree trunk

The Spotted Lantern-fly is a species of insect that consumes leaves, leaving a Swiss cheese-like destruction behind, often destroying the trees and plants the leaves come from. They can be quite invasive and could be coming to New York City; hitching a ride on Christmas trees that come into the city from other states like Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

The one-inch long Chinese native insect has infested parts of Pennsylvania and New Jersey, causing quite a few problems there and warranting a $17.5 million budget from the feds to fight the bugs off in PA.

They feed on plants, hopping from plant to plant over a period of time. Their eating pattern is harmful to the plants they feed on and can kill them or damage them beyond repair.

“We haven’t seen too many of them in New York, thank God, but if we do nothing, we will,” he said. “We are very worried that this pesky bug. The Spotted Lanterfly, if nothing is done, could do damage that would light up New York like a Christmas tree.”
US Sen. Chuck Schumer

As you can tell, the problems are pretty rare at the moment. NYC officials are aware and doing whatever is necessary to avoid these bugs turning into a real issue. Hopefully, there shouldn't be many problems with these insects arising in the Staten Island area.

If you do have infestation with lanternflies or any other kind of insect, though, you can call us. We are on call and ready to help you out with any problem you might be having with these flying, leaf munching pests.

Give your backyard foliage a quick look, especially if you had a real Christmas tree this year.

Choosing the best service for getting rid of bed bugs

Are you afraid you might have a bed bug issue in your home or business? Are you completely sure? Well, here are some of the things you can do on your own to get rid of bed bugs.

Before we start, we just want to make it clear - having bed bugs is not something you should feel embarrassed about. Anyone in the world is at risk of getting bed bugs. They can come into the home in a multitude of ways and once they are there, they can be a nightmare to get rid of.

Choosing the right pest control company to work with

Most of the time, bed bug extermination needs to be handled by a professional. A well trained, certified, and experienced pest control specialist is always preferred.

If you are a tenant and your landlord is not taking care of the problem in a timely manner, you can call 311. A complaint can be filed with the dept. of Housing Preservation and Development. You can also hire your own bed bug removal service and bill your landlord for what was needed.

There are thousands of pest control professionals in New York City. They are not all one in the same. Not all are trained the same when it comes to bed bugs, as it is a specialized problem and not as common as you might think.

Things you should look for...

There are a few ways you can vet out the best of the best pest control companies for bed bugs.

Check out company websites in your area and take a look at referrals that they have, reviews you can find online, and professional associations they are part of. Most associations will do some of the vetting for you when it comes to licensing and so forth, as they don't accept members who are not licensed properly. You can also find out if someone is licensed at www.dec.ny.gov
Interview more than one company before you choose. Ask them about how they train themselves and their staff and their approach to handling bed bugs specifically.
Get your pricing and services agreed upon ahead of time just like you would with any other contractor. You should expect to be paying for them to visit you 2-3 times in order to get rid of bed bugs fully. That is normal. Severely infested areas and apartments could take more visits before being fully fixed due to obvious reasons and the presence of neighbors.

Good companies will generally...

Come by the property for a bed bug inspection. This is almost always done before you can get a solid price from a pest control company that is more than just a simple estimate.

Give you a written report based on the inspection and a plan of action to how they are going to attack the problem. They should also be including a plan on how to prevent further infestation.
Base their quotes on findings from your specific case. Flat fees are a red flag. The cheapest services you find are usually cheap for a reason.
Visit often throughout the course of the project until completion and then sometimes after for a follow-up inspection.
Employ only qualified, experienced technicians or handle the job themselves (the owner).
Educate you on how you can prevent bed bug problems in the future.
Work with you until the bed bug problem is completely gone.

And that's all there is to it! If you follow these quick steps and consider all of these factors, you will have no problem choosing the best bed bug exterminator. Staten Island and other parts of NYC can be challenging areas for pest control, but with a little effort, you can find the right person for the job.

Are Deer on Staten Island Pests?

There's often a thin line between local wildlife and pests. Once they begin to encroach on your property and affect your daily life, they can be classified as pests. Deer on Staten Island have been growing in numbers since Hurricane Sandy. When do we officially have to consider them pests?

They're pretty to look at, but we have to consider the dangers that come along with a high deer population in an urban area like Staten Island.

The dangers of deer

This one happened in New Jersey, but it is a good indication of the danger of deer. In Staten Island, roadkill along the side of the road is more and more common. When you hit a deer with your car, you and other drivers on the road at the time are in serious danger. They can do serious damage to the car and injure drivers and passengers. People have even been killed in collisions with deer.

Are we doing population control?

The good news is that we are attempting to control the population. As a matter of fact, after years of uncontrolled mating and reproduction, The Staten Island deer population has gone down by about 8%.

In order to do this, bucks are being snipped to prevent uncontrolled mating. According to White Buffalo, a non-profit company taking care of this, baby deer numbers were down by "more than half."

Vasectomies for male deer in Staten Island has been going on since as early as 2016. This involves laying traps, tranquilizing bucks with darts, and having vets perform a surgery to neuter the deer. They're tagged, and released back out into the "wilds" of Staten Island.

Still, the population is considered too large. Rounds of vasectomies will continue until they are able to get deer into a healthy, safe range for a borough of New York City.

Challenges of performing pest control in New York City

There are thousands of things that make life in New York City different from the lives of other people throughout the country, even in metro areas, right? Why shouldn't the same be true of life for our bugs? Turns out, it is. Pest control in New York City is a whole different "animal."

The New York metro area is a unique environment for humans, bugs, and mice/rats. There are a lot of people, places, and things in a relatively small space compared to other metro areas. Buildings in the city often have restaurants at the bottom with offices or apartments directly over them and above.

The problem with apartments

Apartments are a great, low-cost alternative to owning a home that allows people to live in the city of their dreams. Unfortunately, your chic Manhattan apartment is also a safe haven for insects and rodents. Now mention the fact that you have a diner on the bottom floor of your building. What could be better?

Not only are many buildings heaven for pests, but the close proximity between you and your neighbors promotes the fast spread of problems.

Frequent fliers

Manhattan is an urban metropolis full of important people who go to important places for important meetings. The traveling is nonstop. Have you ever been to Laguardia? Then you know.

Unfortunately, the people we brush shoulders with and the places we stay when traveling are not always of the highest quality. Pests like bed bugs can be rampant even in a posh, 5-star hotel.

People who often travel are at risk of exposing themselves to pest issues and then bringing the home to fester and infect other apartments. Bed bugs, especially, are often not noticed until it is far too late, costing you thousands of dollars in bedding, clothing, and furniture.

Ample food supply

Manhattan is the only city in the world where you can walk out of your building and go grab a burger at 5 am. Every New Yorker has had a late night dinner escapade, right?

Commercial pest control is a much-needed service in Manhattan.

This ample food supply is also a benefit for the rodents and pests that try to barge in. They are drawn to the food, and New York City is the food capital of the world where you can eat around the clock.

Get pest control help right away

Just like New York City, we are the pest control company that never sleeps. If you have an emergency, get in touch. We are available and can have someone at your home to check out the problem by the next day.

If you need help or think there might be a pest control issue, get in touch right away. A few days of time could make all the difference depending on the pest you are dealing with.

You can get in touch with us for emergency service here or you can call us at 718.227.5001.