The holidays are upon us and many of us are packing up and traveling to spend time with family and friends or hosting the festivities at your own home.
But as our travel plans get closer, we continue to see more and more in the news about bed bugs. So how can you prevent bed bugs from ruining your holiday plans?

Here are a few commonly asked questions about bed bugs that may help as you’re checking into a hotel or having guests stay over.

What do bed bugs look like?
Bed bugs are tiny, oval, brown and wingless insects approximately
1/4” to 3/8” long (5-9 mm).

Is there really a huge outbreak?
Bed bugs have made a comeback in the United States over the last
few years. The largest outbreaks have been reported in large
cities with high rates of tourism.

Where are bed bugs typically found?
Bed bugs are most frequently found in hotels. They travel by
hitching rides with unsuspecting guests by crawling into clothing
and luggage. All hotels are susceptible to bed bugs – from motels to
five star hotels.

What can I do to protect myself?
When checking into a hotel room or after visiting guests have left your
home, you can perform a simple bed bug inspection of the room.
1) Pull pillows & sheets down about 1/3 of the way from the top of the
bed and look for reddish-brown or black spots on the sheets near the
bed’s headboard. You may not see the actual bugs themselves but they
do leave a trail of spots.
2) Look for spots on mattresses, pillows, headboards and walls behind
headboards.
3) Check the inside of dresser drawers for insects & black spots.
Contact Guest Services immediately if you’ve found any signs
of bed bugs during your inspection.

If I suspect I was in a room with bed bugs, what should I do
when I return home?
1) Isolate the items in your travel bags from other items in your home –
the garage is a great place.
2) Put clothing and other heat tolerant items into your dryer for a minimum of 20 minutes – the heat will eliminate bed bugs.
3) After thoroughly heating the items, wash as normal.
4) Check all luggage before storing it away. Vacuum out luggage and
clean the exterior surface.

What if I have guests staying in my home?
When welcoming family and friends into your home who have been
staying in hotels or on a cruise ship, be aware that bed bugs may have
hitched a ride with them. After your guests leave, carefully inspect guest
rooms for any signs of bed bugs. Wash all bed linens as soon as possible.

It’s no secret that bed bugs are a hot topic of conversation.  They have become a nuisance everywhere, not only in hotels but in restaurants, movie theaters and even stores!  Even more concerning is the virtual ineffectiveness using traditional means of eliminating bed bug infestations.

That’s because bed bugs are becoming resistant to the pesticides that have been used to treat them.  Massey Services began to understand that this was occurring and so five years ago, we began testing alternative treatments to eliminate bed bugs and developed our bed bug heat remediation program.

This treatment completely eliminates entire populations of bed bugs – from egg to adult.  The process uses forced air heaters to raise the temperature in bed bug infested areas, killing bed bugs at all stages of their development.  These heaters, in conjunction with an integrated pest management approach to pest elimination, have proven to be significantly more effective than other methods of bed bug control.

Our bed bug heat remediation treatment was recently patented as well!  Click here for more information.

I’ve received several requests from frequent travelers who are curious as to what they can do to prevent bringing bed bugs home from their trips. So I sat down with our resident bed bug expert, Tom Jarzynka, who provided me with a few a helpful tips that I wanted to share with you.

1)    As bed bug behavior is fairly predictable, it is important to do a quick inspection of your hotel room as soon as you check in. Pull the pillows and sheets down about one-third of the way from the top of the bed. Look for reddish-brown or black spots on the sheets near the bed’s headboard. Similar spots may be found on mattresses, pillows, headboards and the walls behind headboards.

2)    Check the inside of dresser drawers for insects and black spots. Bed bugs often hide in the cracks between the wood that forms the drawers and dresser cabinet.

3)    The closet and luggage racks are often the first place travelers place their belongings. If bed bugs are brought into a new room, these could be the first places they appear.

4)    Once you have returned home, isolate the items in your suitcase and travel bags from other items in the home. This can be done using garbage bags. Put clothing and other heat-tolerant items into your dryer for a minimum of 20 minutes. Heat will kill all life stages of bed bugs– eggs, nymphs and adults. After thoroughly heating these items, launder as normal. It is important to note that washing the items first has not shown to be as effective as heating them initially.

5)    There are a number of consumer products available that tout their ability to kill bed bugs on contact. These can be utilized while traveling as well as after you get home. The active ingredient in these products is often alcohol or plant oil that does indeed kill on contact. They will not prevent bed bugs, but applying one of these products to the hard surfaces of suitcases, computer bags, or other items may kill bed bugs that have hitched a ride back home with you. Most importantly, in order to be effective, the product must actually touch the bed bug.

Think again. Bed bugs are no laughing matter… even though they played a role in NBC’s hit show “30 Rock” in November when Alec Baldwin’s character Jack had a bed bug infestation of his own. He was humorously ostracized at work, forced to take the subway instead of the company car and heckled by his coworkers for having “a bad case of the chew-daddies.”

While watching the Nightly News on NBC last night, another story ran on these little creatures. (Click here to view.) Turns out that the population of bed bugs has risen 500% in recent years and that one out of four hotel rooms has had an infestation.

From the National Pest Management Association’s site pestworld.org, below are some FAQ’s on bed bugs:

Why are bed bugs so hard to treat?
Bed bugs should not be equated with filth or sanitation problems – in hotels or in homes. Bed bugs are very elusive, transient and nocturnal pests. They can live for a year or more without eating and can withstand a wide range of temperatures. Bed bugs can be controlled with vigilance, constant inspection and treatment by a professional.

Why are bed bugs an issue for hotels, visitors and homeowners?
Bed bugs leave itchy, bloody welts on human skin. Once inside a hotel or home, bed bugs spread rapidly from room to room – through pipes, in vacuum cleaners, on clothing and luggage. In a hotel, bed bugs can even spread to neighboring rooms.

Are bed bugs just in beds?
Bed bugs are not just in beds. They can be in chair cushions, sofas, behind electrical outlets, cracks and crevices around baseboards, or even behind picture frames. In other words, they can live pretty much anywhere.

What can you do to protect yourself from bed bug infestations?
When staying at a hotel, inspect the mattress, bedding, headboard and nightstands thoroughly. And when returning from a trip, check your luggage and clothing.

This weekend (April 9^th thru 11^th) is the perfect time to spring into gear and get a free, no-obligation inspection for Pest Prevention, Termite Protection, GreenUP Landscape Services (including renovation for freeze-damaged landscapes) and Irrigation Maintenance and save big!

There is no obligation to have one of our trained inspectors come to your home and provide you with a free home and lawn inspection. And to make the deal even sweeter, we are offering some AMAZING SAVINGS- this weekend only!

If you are interested in purchasing one of our great services – now is the time! Spring is here and these savings only happen once a year.

To schedule your free inspection for this weekend, click here or call us at 1-888-2MASSEY (262-7739) today!

Please share this exciting news with your co-workers, family, friends and neighbors that may be interested. Existing customers can take advantage of our Pass It On referral program and earn a Publix gift card for yourself AND every new Massey customer that you refer!

Jeff Buhler

You may remember our post a couple weeks ago about Ed Dougherty being promoted to Executive Vice President Consumer Services. Well, we’ve had a few more promotions that we just had to announce!

Jeff Buhler has been promoted to Executive Vice President of Landscape Services! Jeff was previously the Vice President of Operations at Middleton Lawn & Pest Control. We are very excited to welcome Jeff to Massey and look forward to the leadership that he will bring to our Landscape Services Division!

Paul Giordano

Paul Giordano has been promoted to Vice President of the PrevenTech Commercial Services Division. Paul was previously the Divisional Manager of our PrevenTech Commercial Services Division. We are confident he will keep providing outstanding service to our customers and strong leadership to our team!

Mike Swanson

Mike Swanson and Greg Kopplow have both been promoted to Regional Managers of our GreenUP East and GreenUP West Divisions, respectively. Greg and Mike were both Regional Managers at Middleton Lawn & Pest Control before joining the Massey Services family. Both bring extensive experience and expertise, and we’re lucky to have them on the team!

Greg Kopplow

We’re just so proud of our team that we couldn’t keep this information quiet! Please join us in congratulating them.

In a series of “Meet the Team” blog postings, we’ll introduce you to the professional and technical team behind the blogs here at Massey Services.

Tom Jarzynka – Bed Bug Aficionado

Tom Jarzynka, affectionately known as “TJ” by everyone here at Massey Services is the Technical and Training Director for our Commercial Services Division. TJ joined Massey Services in 2000, but his expertise dates back to childhood. When TJ was just 6 years old, his dad started a pest management company and thereby launched TJ’s fascination with Arthropods.

His industry experience is primarily with commercial properties but he is often called upon to work on many challenging or “out-of-the-ordinary” pest issues. TJ has played a key role in developing several innovative procedures since arriving at Massey, including commercial bioremediation for grease traps and fly control, residential bioremediation for septic systems and most recently, the 48 hour Bud Bug Solution Program.

Not only is TJ active here at Massey Services, he is also very active in the Community! He coaches high school football and is involved with an annually nationally recognized high school wrestling tournament at Oviedo High School. The related scholarship fund has awarded over $33,000.00 in scholarships over the past 8 years.

We’re glad TJ is a part of our Massey Family! Keep an eye out for entries from him!

Many pest service providers only service the interior and immediate exterior of their commercial properties.

To have a truly integrated pest program, a service should focus on identifying conditions, avenues and sources of pest activity. Many times these sources  can often be found away from the structure along property lines, plant bed areas, parking lot islands, trash collection areas and other property features. Inspecting these areas and putting into place corrective and preventive actions is critical to keep pests from getting in and coming back.

When selecting a pest service provider, be certain to look for one who takes these steps to assure the program is truly preventing pests and not reacting to them after they enter the structure.

To find out more about Massey’s PrevenTech Commercial Pest Prevention Program or to get a Free Pest Inspection, call us at 1-888-2MASSEY (262-7739).

Think Fire Ants are only an Outside Nuisance? Think Again!

Fire Ants on your grass, sidewalks, parking lots or anywhere on your property pose a real threat to your business. That’s because these are areas where patrons and their children traverse, making them ready targets for fire ants and their stinging bites.

Keep Fire Ants off Your Property

Even worse, fire ants that set up homes in these places can easily enter your establishment through tiny cracks and gaps in your foundation or under door plates. From here they gain access behind baseboards and walls, eventually locating food items inside.

Stings from fire ants usually develop into a tight pustule that itches and burns. Sometimes, the sting site can become infected. And, persons allergic to bee and wasp stings are especially susceptible because they can experience anaphylactic shock from these tiny creatures.

With 2.5 million tons of living fire ants in the Southeast – your property and your customers can easily become a target.

What to do if you suspect you may have fire ants on your property?

• Do not disturb any Fire Ant nests. Any disturbance may encourage the colony to move somewhere else and this can make eradication more difficult.

• Make sure that materials infested with fire ants are not wheeled across your landscape, spreading an infestation.

• Seal cracks and crevices where ants may come inside.

• Employ a professional pest service that can eliminate ants and their nests and prevent future colonies from forming.

If you think you have an ant problem, or want to learn about Massey’s Commercial Pest Prevention, schedule a Free Inspection, or call us at 1-888-2MASSEY (262-7739).

Your Strategy for Keeping Your Building Free of Pests

Stop pests on your commercial property

Did you know that you could be providing a steady source of food, water and shelter right beside your building that could be attracting pests and rodents? That’s right! If poorly managed, your trash receptacle can become an attractant to pests and an open invitation into your establishment.

To combat this, here are a few simple tricks and tips:

• Self closing or covered public trash receptacles should be available throughout the location. Emptying these several times per day will prevent odor and overflow issues.
• Assure all food waste is placed in trash bags that are tied shut prior to being placed into the dumpster. Instruct your staff not to tear open the bags when placing them into the dumpster.
• Dumpsters should be emptied at least twice per week.
• Cleaning of the dumpster pad or corral area is a big help in controlling fly populations.

If you think you have a pest problem, or want to learn about Massey’s Commercial Pest Prevention, schedule a Free Inspection, or call Massey’s PrevenTech Commercial Services at 1-888-2MASSEY (262-7739).