In Montreal, bed bug incidence seems to be decreasing.  In 2012, 2.2% of households surveyed in Montreal had a bed bug problem, down from 2.8% in 2011.

Montreal reported an explosion of bed bug incidences five years ago. To try to combat this problem, a wide-scale campaign was launched in 2011 to educate residents about bed bugs and how they spread. Over 2,000 plastic bags were distributed to encourage residents to contain bed bug infestations.

 The city credits the decrease to an amendment made to its residential sanitation and maintenance laws, which requires exterminators to report the locations which they have treated for bed bugs. This information was used to start a database documenting where the bed bug infestations were spreading. The worst hit neighborhoods were areas downtown and in the east end. And while many citizens welcome these laws, there are some who think more should be getting done. France Emond from the province's tenants' right association maintains that although the current laws are a step in the right direction, the city needs to go further and fine landlords that don’t properly take care of a reported infestation. “The building needs to be all exterminated, not just one unit, because those little bed bugs, they don't have addresses, so you have to do the whole building," she said.

Did you know it takes 4 months for bed bug eggs to hatch? That's why you think you've gotten rid of them but then they come back to haunt you! They can also live for several months to a year without feeding. So what's one to do to get rid of them? 

This is why you need an experienced exterminator-NOT your own home or over-the-counter remedies. While they may seem to work short-term, the bed bugs usually just go into hiding and come back with a vengeance some time later.

Be smart the first time and hire an experienced exterminator who will get the job done right. Call PestAway today at 212-721-2521 or visit our website at www.pestawayinc.com. 

You inhale the aroma of freshly-brewed coffee. You sit down on one of the plush seats and plug in your laptop-and then you see that gross bed bug climbing out from between the cushions of the sofar chair. Gross! 

According to a recent news report, bed bugs have been found in a Starbucks in Campbell, California. What can be worse?

There is no area that is completely protected from bed bugs. So don't be too tired to detect them-even at Starbucks!  

According to a report released yesterday by the National Pest Management Association, more than a third of pest control companies treated bed bug infestations in hospitals. That is an increase of 6% since 2011 and 12% since 2010. The verdict: bed bugs infestations are increasing in the one place where bed bugs should be nonexistent.

Bed bugs are actually prevalent in hospitals because of the many patients that are constantly going through its doors. “We never know when somebody might show up with bedbugs,” says Dr. Jorge Parada, medical director of the infection prevention and control program of Loyola University Health System in Chicago.

Bed bugs are not inherently dangerous to one’s health, but they cause bloody bites which can cause much discomfort and worsen a patient’s already precarious state of health. Additionally, the open wounds are great places for bacteria and infections to develop, especially in a hospital where the risk of getting an in-hospital infection is so high. So it’s a priority for hospitals to rid their premises of the bed bugs. Additionally, under the new Affordable Care Act, hospitals will lose federal funding for a high percentage of readmissions, so hospitals want to reduce the risk of infections in patients that may lead to them being readmitted.

Although there are several projects in the works to eradicate bed bugs more cheaply and efficiently, as of now, exterminators are the only option available at this point. While costly and not time-efficient for hospitals, this option is most reliable in eradicating this pest. 

This week (April 22-26) is Bed  Bug Awareness Week, a week of spreading awareness about bed bug infestations and what people can do to stop infestations. 

The National Pest Management Association (NPMA) and University of Kentucky was released today to coincide with Bed Bug Awareness week. The report found that  bed bug infestations are at even higher rates than last year. 99.6% of respondents encountered bed bug infestations, up .6% from the previous year's rate of 99%. 

These are the top five findings of the report:

1.  Nearly all (99.6 percent) pest professionals have treated bed bugs in the 
    past year, slightly higher than the 99 percent that reported the same in 
    2011. 
 
2.  The majority of bed bug infestations occur in residential settings, such 
    as apartments/condominiums and single-family homes, with 98 percent and 96 
    percent of respondents treating these dwellings respectively. Two years 
    ago, about nine out of ten respondents reported treating infestations in 
    these settings. 
 
3.  As in previous years, survey respondents continue to treat for bed bugs in 
    a variety of places outside private residences, such as college dorms, 
    hotels, nursing homes, offices, schools and daycare centers, hospitals, 
    public transportation and others: 
 
 
   -- Hotels/motels -- 75 percent (80 percent in 2011) 
 
   -- College dorms -- 47 percent (54 percent in 2011) 
 
   -- Nursing homes -- 46 percent (46 percent in 2011) 
 
   -- Office buildings -- 36 percent (38 percent in 2011) 
 
   -- Schools and day care centers -- 41 percent (36 percent in 2011) 
 
   -- Hospitals -- 33 percent (31 percent in 2011) 
 
   -- Transportation (train/bus/taxi) -- 21 percent (18 percent in 2011) 
 
   -- Movie theaters -- 10 percent (17 percent in 2011) 
 
   -- Retail stores -- 15 percent (21 percent in 2011) 
 
   -- Libraries -- 12 percent (8 percent in 2011) 
 
   -- Restaurants -- 7 percent (6 percent in 2011) 
 
   -- Airplanes -- 2 percent (6 percent in 2011) 
 
   -- Laundromats -- 9 percent (6 percent in 2011) 
 
 
    NOTE: Percentages denote professionals reporting treating bed bugs in 
    specific locations. 
 
4.  Clutter contributes to the problem as approximately two-thirds of 
    respondents point to homeowner clutter as the biggest customer-oriented 
    challenge in treating bed bugs, while 58 percent say customers not 
    following advice and 16 percent point to re-infestation. Bed bugs continue 
    to be the most difficult pest to treat according the 76 percent of 
    respondents. 
 
5.  Although not a seasonal pest, prime bed bug time appears to be during the 
    summer months with nearly half (49 percent) of respondents saying 
    infestations occur most often then and least often in the winter. While 
    pest professionals are divided over whether there is "peak season" for bed 
    bugs, more than half of those who notice a seasonal difference receive 
    more calls during summer. Since people tend to travel and relocate more 
    during the summer months, it is possible that a greater number of people 
    unknowingly transport the bugs back home from their travels, or discover 
    them soon after moving. 

 
 
1.  Nearly all (99.6 percent) pest professionals have treated bed bugs in the 
    past year, slightly higher than the 99 percent that reported the same in 
    2011. 
 
2.  The majority of bed bug infestations occur in residential settings, such 
    as apartments/condominiums and single-family homes, with 98 percent and 96 
    percent of respondents treating these dwellings respectively. Two years 
    ago, about nine out of ten respondents reported treating infestations in 
    these settings. 
 
3.  As in previous years, survey respondents continue to treat for bed bugs in 
    a variety of places outside private residences, such as college dorms, 
    hotels, nursing homes, offices, schools and daycare centers, hospitals, 
    public transportation and others: 
 
 
   -- Hotels/motels -- 75 percent (80 percent in 2011) 
 
   -- College dorms -- 47 percent (54 percent in 2011) 
 
   -- Nursing homes -- 46 percent (46 percent in 2011) 
 
   -- Office buildings -- 36 percent (38 percent in 2011) 
 
   -- Schools and day care centers -- 41 percent (36 percent in 2011) 
 
   -- Hospitals -- 33 percent (31 percent in 2011) 
 
   -- Transportation (train/bus/taxi) -- 21 percent (18 percent in 2011) 
 
   -- Movie theaters -- 10 percent (17 percent in 2011) 
 
   -- Retail stores -- 15 percent (21 percent in 2011) 
 
   -- Libraries -- 12 percent (8 percent in 2011) 
 
   -- Restaurants -- 7 percent (6 percent in 2011) 
 
   -- Airplanes -- 2 percent (6 percent in 2011) 
 
   -- Laundromats -- 9 percent (6 percent in 2011) 
 
 
    NOTE: Percentages denote professionals reporting treating bed bugs in 
    specific locations. 
 
4.  Clutter contributes to the problem as approximately two-thirds of 
    respondents point to homeowner clutter as the biggest customer-oriented 
    challenge in treating bed bugs, while 58 percent say customers not 
    following advice and 16 percent point to re-infestation. Bed bugs continue 
    to be the most difficult pest to treat according the 76 percent of 
    respondents. 
 
5.  Although not a seasonal pest, prime bed bug time appears to be during the 
    summer months with nearly half (49 percent) of respondents saying 
    infestations occur most often then and least often in the winter. While 
    pest professionals are divided over whether there is "peak season" for bed 
    bugs, more than half of those who notice a seasonal difference receive 
    more calls during summer. Since people tend to travel and relocate more 
    during the summer months, it is possible that a greater number of people 
    unknowingly transport the bugs back home from their travels, or discover 
    them soon after moving. 

In Connecticut, new legislation is in the works to clarify the responsibilities of both landlords and tenants when a bedbug infestation is suspected. Introduced by state senator Danta Bartolomeo, the bill comes after rounds of meetings and negotiations with both landords and tenants. “"I feel that we really came to a very good compromise, so that we were representing both the landlord's rights and the tenant's rights,” stated Bartolomeo.

Under the new law, the following would be incumbent upon landlords:

• Landlords cannot rent apartments that are suspected of or know to be infested with bed bugs.
• Are responsible for implementing and paying for treatment once a bed bug problem becomes known.
• Are required to inform prospective tenants if an apartment has been treated within two months.

Tenants are required to:

• Notify the landlord of a suspected bed bug infestation
• Cooperate in treatment, i.e. agree to treatment from a certified exterminator and provide access to their apartment for treatment.
• Cover related costs of inspection, such as moving heavy furniture. These charges can be deducted from a tenant’s deposit.
• Pay for their own treatment if they refuse to give access to their apartment to a certified bed bug exterminator.

Having been approved by the Public Health Committee, the bill now must be ratified by the state senate before becoming law.

Want to kill your bed bugs? Try using the bean plant. No, we’re not kidding-researchers have found that an old Balkan folk remedy really works! People in the Balkans would spread bean plant leaves next to their beds and burn them in the morning.

Researchers videoed bed bugs as they scurried across kidney bean plants to figure out the secret. The bean plant has microscopic hairs, and the scientists found that when bed bugs stepped on the bean plant leaves, they quickly got themselves entangled in these hairs. Using a strong microscope, the researchers were able to observe that the hairs pierced the bugs’ legs, and when the bugs tried to escape, they simply got trapped in nearby hairs. (See below for a picture of this phenomenon!)

Scientists have tried to make synthetic replicas of these hairs; as of yet, though, they have not met with success, as their replicas did not manage to trap the bugs. So you’ll have to use the real things. Just don’t tell your neighbors why you’re suddenly so interested in bean plants! 

Two reasons to avoid using pesticides when treating a bed bug infestation:

1)      Pesticides are harmful to you, your family, and your pets’ health. Pesticides are meant to kill bed bugs-but that doesn’t mean that they are safe for you and yours to touch or inhale!

2)      A study by the University of Kentucky found that bed bugs are becoming increasingly resistant to the main type of pesticide used to kill bed bugs. Bed bugs are reacting to this pesticide, pyrethroid isectirides, by making their shells harder and changing the way they absorb these chemicals. As a result, insecticides that use this chemical are becoming ineffective.

What to do? Try PestAway’s Extreme Green Treatment! It uses the natural method of steaming and vacuuming to get rid of all your bedbugs.

How does the Extreme Green Treatment work?

The process takes two days, 5-8 hours each day. Our trained and licensed technicians use a special machine to steam and vacuum the entire bed bug infested area and the surrounding area. 2 days after the treatment is complete, a specially trained bed bug detecting dog will inspect the location to ensure that no traces of bed bugs remain. Rest assured that 90% of the time, no further action is required. Best of all, the Extreme Green Treatment comes with a 30-day guarantee, so you know that you can rest easy at night!

Use the Extreme Green Treatment and avoid the use of dangerous chemicals that can be harmful to you, your family, and the environment. Feel secure in knowing that bed bugs won’t be immune to this treatment. Trust PestAway. We strive to provide you with the best service possible; ‘Pest solutions for Peace of Mind’. 

Basically, you don't officially if it didn't happen in the past year, but chances are the prospective buyer will find out anyway, and will then be mad. So it's worth it to tell them up-front and save yourself the awkwardness later. Read  the full rundown at http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/real-estate/buyers-bedbugs-article-1.1190948

Do-It-Yourself bedbug treatments may seem easy and more cost-effective than hiring an exterminator. But these treatments can be both dangerous and ineffective.