New York City’s bed bug epidemic will be attacked in two ways:  one law requires schools to report bed bug infestations to families and the other requires landlords to report a history of bed bug infestations before leasing properties.

Bed bugs have made a massive resurgence in the US and are making headlines daily!  If you have any questions about bed bugs, treatment methods or perhaps need advice, we have an expert on staff that you can speak with.  Contact Us and we’ll be happy to help!

Make family dinner an outdoor event – Have a picnic or grill out for dinner one night during the school/work week for unexpected outdoor fun.

Go for a walk or a hike – Find a trail through the woods, at a local park or around the neighborhood. Be sure to allow ample time for children to explore and observe nature along the way.

Go camping in the backyard – Pitch a tent, create a backyard “campfire” to sing songs around, tell stories by flashlight and sleep in sleeping bags under the stars. (Just make sure that rain isn’t in the forecast!)

Go on an insect exploration – Look for interesting insects around your backyard. Buy a bug house and collect lightning bugs or crickets for children to observe. For more fun tips on how to get kids interested in insects, click here.

Hold a scavenger hunt – Make a list of items to find or activities to complete. The list might include things like collecting leaves or flowers, shooting a basket with a basketball, finding a hidden item, rolling in the grass, etc.

Run relay races – Set up goal lines and host relay races with family and friends. You can also set up a fun obstacle course!

When staying at a hotel, inspect the mattress, bedding, headboard and nightstands thoroughly. Bed bugs tend to hide in dark spaces like the seams of the mattress and box spring.

When returning from a trip, be sure to check your luggage and its contents – this is a key place that bed bugs like to hide. They are tiny and can be difficult to detect but appear as small, brown insects. If they have recently fed, you may also notice tiny specs of blood.

If you do suspect a bed bug infestation, notify your hotel staff immediately so they can work at eliminating the problem.

Donated supplies were dropped off last week and the team at AGFT could not have been more appreciative! We were able to donate over $100 in cash, in addition to 757 pencils, 205 pens, 100 folders, 24 boxes of crayons, 68 spiral notebooks and much, much more! We also received great news that, because of a grant the organization received, all donated funds are matched 100%, increasing our cash donation to over $200!! What a great way to kick off the new school year!

AGFT’s concept is simple: local businesses take unwanted office supplies or surplus merchandise that would otherwise get thrown away and donate it for distribution through the Free Stores for teachers. More than 8,673 teachers from Central Florida’s 324 public schools can then “shop” for free to make sure that  more than 155,051 students in our community have what they need to learn.

Click here for more information on how you can donate supplies to AGFT.

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

The annual award recognizes Central Florida’s leading businesses who make it a priority to create a positive work environment for their employees and we are ecstatic to be in such good company.

At Massey, we truly believe that “Our People Make the Difference.” And in this case we certainly did! Companies were chosen for the accolade based on surveys completed anonymously by employees. The survey contained 38 questions covering a range of topics such as trust in senior leaders, relationships with co-workers and feeling valued as a team member. Nearly 300 Massey team members in Central Florida enthusiastically completed the survey online and, thanks to their positive feedback, Massey ended up at the top of the list!

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.

You and your little explorer can try these fun ideas, courtesy of Scholastic:

1. Plant a butterfly garden. In a sunny spot out of the wind, plant blooming varieties like geraniums and hydrangeas, plus plants that provide food for larvae such as Mexican milkweed. Find out what else the butterflies in your area need at butterflywebsite.com.
2. Listen! Catch a non-stinging insect that makes noise in a paper cup. Crickets and flies are good candidates. Cover the cup with waxed paper and hold it on with a rubber band. Now place your ear against the paper and listen.
3. Do the worker-bee waggle! Honeybees “dance” to communicate the location and distance of a nectar stash to the other bees. Talk with your kids about this fascinating communication, and then make up your own version.
4. Take an umbrella out on a sunny day. Place it open upside down under a leafy, low-hanging branch. Shake the branch like you mean it — then identify what lands in your umbrella with an insect book or online.

Tools for the Trade
These items will make your child feel like a real scientist:

• Butterfly net
• Tweezers (only for dead specimens)
• Observation jar (punch holes in the lid of a clean jar)
• Magnifying glass
• Notebook for recording thoughts and sketches
• Bug and spider identification book like Simon & Schuster Children’s Guide to Insects and Spiders (Simon & Schuster, $23; ages 9 to 12) or Don’t Squash That Bug: The Curious Kid’s Guide to Insects (Lobster Press, ages 4 to 8, $15)
• Click here to visit Massey’s bug database 

Massey provides pest prevention services for residential and commercial properties, but not all insects are harmful! Have fun exploring!

Living in the Southeast for most of my life, I am used to hearing about water shortages and watering restrictions – especially over the last few years where we’ve had major droughts. Here in Orlando, we’ve been getting tons of rain for the last month and our water supply has rebounded nicely (but my golf game is suffering!).

So what does this mean for watering lawns?

• Well for starters, you should adjust your irrigation schedule based on watering restrictions. Remember, just because it says you can water two days per week (in most areas), that doesn’t mean your landscape needs it.
• Install a rain sensor so that watering frequency is adjusted to account for rainfall.  Both too much and too little water can cause problems in your landscape.
• Check your sprinkler system often for proper coverage and to ensure all your sprinkler heads are working correctly (it will save you money and from having your neighbors mistake your landscape for the Geysers at Yosemite National Park).

To learn more about watering properly and Smart Irrigation Month, visit our Landscape FAQ section or check out the  resource page on the Irrigation Association Website.  And don’t forget to have your golf umbrellas handy over the next few months!

Massey Services’ mission statement includes the phrase “Our People Make the Difference” – and do we ever! All team members are encouraged to volunteer with organizations that give back to the communities our company serves. Several team members are involved with Kids House in various volunteer capacities and Massey Services looks forward to continuing to support Kids House well into the future.

If you are interested in supporting Kids House of Seminole, click here for more information.