Stink Bug Season Is Here: Now Is The Time to Take Steps To Prevent These Bugs From Invading Your Home

Neptune City, NJ (PRWEB) September 17, 2011

The fall season is approaching with and its brisk temperatures. There is always preparation as we transition from one season to another. Unfortunately, over the past few years, there is one more item that has been put on the to-do list. Now is the time for homeowners to take action to prevent the annual fall infestation of Asian stink bugs. As the temperature drops, so does the window of opportunity to keep these bugs out of New Jersey homes.

Many insects, including stink bugs, use the process of ?overwintering? to survive the harsh winter. According to Bill Cowley, of Cowleys Termite & Pest Services, ?Here in New Jersey, insects like the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug survive by seeking out locations that provide them with warmth and protection once outdoor temperatures drop. These bugs look at our cozy homes as a five-star hotel, becoming a convenient, easy place to escape inhospitable outdoor temperatures.?

Said Cowley, ?From my experience in pest control, stink bugs rank high up on the client frustration meter. Homeowners are at their wit?s end looking for solutions. These bugs are vile, leaving a noxious trail of fluids that stains walls, curtains, and other surfaces. Even worse, if these insects are disturbed, just like skunks, they discharge a pungent, acrid odor.?

Added Cowley, ?Stink bugs don?t share their habitat. They boldly take over your house with a creepy and unpredictable presence, showing up anywhere and everywhere -- in your laundry basket, on your curtains, in your silverware drawer, on your lampshades. Anywhere and everywhere they can startle and surprise you.?

Stink bugs start sneaking into our homes as early as late August and continue through the early fall. They make their way through the thinnest of crevices, torn screens, unprotected vents, or loose flashings, often in large number. And once inside, they are not shy about overstaying their welcome, sometimes not leaving until the middle of June.

Said Cowley, ?Every year, the stink bug problem for homeowners continues to escalate. I?m hopeful that government agencies and research labs will develop a coordinated initiative or we will be looking at a major problem down the road. Stink bugs, at least for homeowners, aren?t getting the attention they deserve. On the agricultural front, there are research efforts being made since these bugs pose such a serious threat to our mid-Atlantic crops. I?m hopeful that these efforts will spill over into reducing the number and degree of home infestations of these pests.?

Continued Cowley, ?Stink bugs are not from New Jersey or anywhere else nearby. These bugs are native to Asia. As an introduced species with no native predator, its population has grown exponentially. They were first reported in Pennsylvania in 1996, most likely arriving as stowaways inside packing crates among the tons of Chinese imports. With our efficient inter-state movement of goods and agricultural commodities, it only took a few years for these bugs to become well entrenched throughout New Jersey.?

The primary strategy to avoid stink bug infestations is barrier control:

Seal any cracks with caulking or weather-stripping to keep the invaders out
Look for rotting windowsills, improperly sealed doors, and holes in window screens
Seal up or screen off any vents, especially those connected to an attic
Remove or properly cover window air-conditioning unit

Dead stink bugs should be cleaned up since they can attract carpenter beetles that feed off the carcasses. When bugs are found inside the home, vacuum them, and be sure to empty the bag. An alternative is to place the bugs in a small jar filled with soapy water or rubbing alcohol.

Stated Bill Cowley, ?There is a popular misconception that pest control professions can?t do much about stink bugs. The reality is that we can do plenty. A professional pest control service can treat the outside of a home to help keep them from entering. Spraying creates a highly effective residual barrier. By applying chemical barrier control now-- before temperatures drop-- along with sealing cracks and exposed areas can make all the difference. This upcoming winter, instead of a major stink bug infestation, homeowners can instead deal with just a few sporadic, isolating sightings.?

Cowleys Termite & Pest Services, founded in 1991, has been helping New Jersey homes and businesses resolve all of their pest infestation problems including overwintering bugs such as stink bugs, ladybugs and boxelder bugs. Cowleys also offers bird, rodent, and wildlife removal. For more information visit http://www.cowleys.com or call 866-9-COWLEYS.

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Cowleys Termite & Pest Services Now Turns Up the Heat on Bedbugs with a Heating System that Fries Bed Bugs Dead

Neptune City, NJ (PRWEB) December 28, 2011

Blood-sucking parasitic bedbugs are an incredibly difficult pest to control. They are masters of the art of stealth with an amazing ability to hide in the smallest of cracks and crevices. Bedbugs are so resilient and so tenacious that professional pest control operators view these formidable enemies as ?Superman? bugs. Finally and fortunately, we have found their ?Kryptonite?: Heat! Heat has proven to be one of the most effective weapons in the bedbug war.

For any living creature on this planet, extreme temperatures can prove fatal. Bedbugs are no different. Studies have shown that bedbugs have high sensitivity to extreme heat. Heat disrupts their lipids, denatures their proteins, damages their cell structures, and affects their water balance. In short, heat liquidates them. And bedbugs can?t develop heat resistance. If you apply enough heat for enough time, bedbugs die. No ifs, ands, or buts.

Cowleys Termite & Pest Services is now proudly offering the BedBug Chasers ? Heating System to distressed homeowners and businesses looking for an immediate way of frying these little bloodsuckers dead. Heat treatment is a green, non-toxic treatment, 100% chemical free. Properly applied heat treatments will quickly and effectively rid your home or business of any bedbug infestation. The BedBug Chaser? heating system kills all stages of bed bugs: egg, nymph and adult. So, gone means gone. There are no hidden eggs waiting to hatch. Bedbugs start to die at 113? degree and their eggs require a little more heat. They become non-viable in 10 minutes at 122? degrees. The bedbug chaser heaters were specifically designed for bedbug infestations rather than generic heaters retrofitted for bedbug applications. With bedbugs and heat, the objective is quickly get to the required lethal heat levels and evenly heat the room so that the bedbugs don?t have time to relocate to a safe location. The heat must be a surprise attack of deadly force with the heated air well circulated to penetrate into hidden cracks and crevices.

Said Bill Cowley, ?We now offer one of the best ways of locating bedbugs -- trained bed bug sniffing dogs ? and the only two proven effective long-term treatments for killing them -- traditional chemical applications and a high heat blast.? Continued Cowley, ?With bedbugs, you don?t want to be limited to one approach. Often, resolving bedbug infestations is a multi-tactic strategy. Because we have the complete tool chest, we are able to customize our treatment plan according to the specific situation and work with the customer. The objective is to get rid of the infestation by whatever means necessary so they don?t become further entrenched.?

?A bedbug infestation wreaks havoc on a families? life. I?ve seen first-hand the psychological and emotional effects of an infestation. They are very real and should not be underestimated. Nervousness, jumpiness and experiencing phantom itching along with acute stress and anxiety are all common byproducts of an infestation. By giving customers choices, it puts them in control. Instead of them feeling helpless, powerless and at the mercy of the bedbugs, we want the customers to know that they now have the upper hand. For the bedbugs, it?s game over,? noted Cowley.

In 1991, Cowleys Termite & Pest Services was founded by Drew Cowley. For 20 years, Cowleys has continued to expand, helping businesses and homeowners resolve a full range of pest infestations including bedbugs. Cowleys offers bird control services through Cowleys Bird Solutions and wildlife removal through Little Rascals Nuisance & Wildlife Services. For more information, visit http://www.cowleys.com or call 866-9-COWLEY.

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