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.

Here are a few tips you can follow to prevent fleas from becoming a problem for your furry companion:

• Always check your pet’s bedding daily for evidence of fleas.  The eggs are slightly smaller than a pin head, oval and cream colored and are usually found in cracks, crevices and bound with strands of carpet.
• If pets are to be outside at all, be sure you have a veterinary-prescribed flea treatment that is applied regularly according to the label.  Adult fleas usually stay clinging within the fur of the pet but will die if a flea protection has been regularly applied to the pet.

If fleas are discovered, here are a few additional tips to follow:

• If fleas are found on the pet, comb out or remove and kill the fleas.  Vacuum all areas of the floor, especially under sofas and chairs and under sofa and chair pads.  Throw the vacuum bag out and replace with a new bag.
• If fleas are found, inspect your yard for fleas by dragging an old towel or rag across areas where pets usually walk.  If fleas are present they will jump onto the towel.  If this occurs, the yard will need immediate treatment.
• If live fleas are found indoors, a flea treatment should be performed immediately.

Fleas can get out of hand fast so it’s important to stay vigilant and constantly inspect for the above signs of infestation.

The reason why the Africanized honey bee is known as a “killer bee” is because these hives are much more aggressive than the well known European honey bee that has been around for as long as I can remember. When an Africanized honey bee hive is disturbed, these bees come out and attack in numbers. So it’s not the sting that is necessarily dangerous (unless you’re allergic of course – then any sting is dangerous) but it’s the fact that there are hundreds of these angry bees that want to sting at the same time!

Here are a few tips of what you can do if you are under attack or see someone else in trouble:

1. Run away in a straight line, protecting your
   face as bees will target the head.
2. Avoid other people and animals or they will
   be attacked as well.
3. Do not try to hide underwater; the swarm
   will wait for you to come up for air.
4. Remove the stinger by scraping with a credit
   card or a blunt knife and wash with soap and
   water & apply ice.
5. Seek medical attention immediately even if
   you have never had an allergic reaction.

And, if someone else is being attacked, take refuge
and call 911. Inform the operator of the
situation and advise them that sirens and flashing
lights will threaten the colony further.

While Florida placed No. 1 overall as the worst state for bugs, it also ranked third-worst for bed bugs, behind New York and California. The least amount of bug problems were reported in Washington, D.C. The next most favorable reports came from South Dakota, Connecticut, Idaho and New Hampshire.

The Zebra Longwing butterfly, Florida's official state "bug"

The top 10 buggiest states are:

1. Florida

2. Louisiana

3. Texas

4. California

5. Georgia

6. New York

7. Mississippi

8. Alabama

9. Missouri

10. South Carolina

Read more: Florida worst state for bugs

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.

With the onset of summer comes plenty of opportunities for celebrations with family and friends. Don’t let pesky flies invade your summer events! Here are a few tips to keep flies at bay while you are entertaining at home:

• Cut down on the amount of light that surrounds your home in the evenings, as flies are attracted to most white and ultraviolet lights. (Closing your blinds helps with this, too.)
• Use amber bug light bulbs outside of the home instead of white or clear bulbs. The amber bulbs attract 100 times fewer flies than other bulbs.
• Products labeled for use on flies can be used on hedges and barrier plants between the lake and the home where hundreds of flies rest before they head toward the home.
• Since flies are attracted to UV light, place UV light zapper traps at the far end of the property near the lake to draw the flies away from the yard back out to the lake. Do not place the traps near the home or the flies will be drawn up through the yard to the home.
• During outdoor parties, rent large fans to direct flies away from the event.  

This weekend (April 9^th thru 11^th) is the perfect time to spring into gear and get a free, no-obligation inspection for

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!

The holiday season is quickly approaching and I can’t wait to purchase gifts and decorate my house for the holidays! Plus, with guests coming over, I was thinking it gives me time to tidy up and maybe even buy a few new things for my own home for decoration.

Then, the other day I heard an unbelievable story about a termite infestation inside a home that made me really think about what I am buying and bringing inside.  A woman bought some new baskets and decorative items to brighten up her home before her holiday guests began arriving. The items were made of wood and unbeknownst to the owner, they were infested with termites.  She started noticing small piles of dust around the wood floors of her home within a few months of the purchase but couldn’t figure out what it was.

After about one year of a growing problem, she finally contacted us and we discovered a complete termite infestation in her home – all caused from this one little purchase!

Now, I’m not saying I won’t decorate my home or buy anything new, but I’ll definitely be inspecting anything made of wood for traces of termite damage. And I’d recommend to anyone that they do the same. If you see start seeing tiny piles of powder around your house or small holes in your drywall, don’t wait to call!

Now who’s ready for some shopping?

It doesn’t help that spiders are constantly being shown as creepy and gross through Halloween props. TV shows and movies have made spiders synonymous with screaming even though most spiders are completely harmless. That’s right, completely harmless.

Stop Spiders on Your Property

What the movies and Halloween props don’t tell you is that the majority of spiders are actually beneficial. They feast on small insects such as flies, mosquitoes and tiny moths. Truth is, most spiders can’t even bite through human skin.

In the southeast, the only venomous spiders are the widow spiders and the recluse spiders. In Florida and east Georgia, brown recluse spiders are for the most part, non existent. The brown recluse thrives from Atlanta to the east half of Texas, up to southern Iowa.

In most cases, the spider you encounter around your home will be a southern house spider, a wolf spider, a jumping spider or an orb weaver. All of these are completely harmless. However, just in case, take care if you try to grab or provoke them. When you spot a spider in your home, it’s a good idea to find someone brave enough to nudge it into a cup or jar and release it outside.

Massey Services Pest Prevention program includes sweeping around the outside of the home to keep spiders from building webs.  This is harmless to the spider, yet a good way to keep them out of your home.

Tips to prevent pests

Pest entry into homes increases during rainy months, especially when heavy rains flood a colony of pests outside causing them to seek shelter indoors. Some of the main avenues that ants, roaches and small insects take to get into your home are through small cracks, holes and tiny gaps around doors and windows. If left unsealed, pests can enter through these gaps at any time and attempt to locate a breeding place inside your home.

As a homeowner you can seal gaps through use of caulk or small patches of screen, steel wool or copper.  You should also look for large gaps in the eaves or around the siding and tiny gaps around weather stripping. Massey’s Pest Prevention Program is based upon sound integrated pest management principles of identifying the conditions, avenues and sources of pest infestations in order to successfully deal with any pest problem in or around your home.

In addition to keeping pests out, sealing your home can also reduce your energy bill considerably. The hot and humid, or cold air, can no longer get inside your home, making indoor temperatures more easily regulated.

To find out more about our Pest Prevention Program, get a Free Pest Inspection or call us at 1-888-2MASSEY (262-7739).