Pest Control and Bug Exterminator Blog

Many individuals have been asking, How does the recent FDA approval of the Scorpion Anti-Venom change anything. Most people don’t die from scorpion stings in the US. So why is this anti-venom getting so much coverage?

Here is the personal anti-venom Anascorp story of Tony (owner of Airport Phoenix Hotels), a Phoenix resident and a father.

To the relief of Tony and many other Phoenix families the FDA approval means the scorpion anti-venom will be readily available in Phoenix Hospitals soon. It will also be available in other hospitals throughout the US where scorpion stings occur on a regular bases.

Phoenix Scorpion Control

3 Keys to Scorpion Control

1. Quality Products at the right rate and in the right locations
2. Protective Physical barriers.
3. Consistency in treatment intervals.

While the antivenom may help parents sleep easier, scorpions are still a pest. Having a consistent treatment with the right products is essential in the fight against scorpions. General Phoenix insect control covers common bugs, but a scorpion is not a common pest. Scorpions actually fall under the arachnid family. Eight legs, two pinchers and one tail with a lethal stinger. Yes scorpions sting, and there is no such thing as a scorpion bite.  

Have you tried Bulwark for your Phoenix Scorpion Control needs?

Related articles

• First Scorpion Sting Antivenom Approved by FDA (blogpestcontrol.com)
• Mexico serum takes sting out of U.S. scorpion nips (reuters.com)
• FDA Approves Treatment for Scorpion Bites (ducknetweb.blogspot.com)

If you’d like to learn more about scorpion control services in Phoenix, Las Vegas, Austin, and San Antonio then contact Bulwark Exterminating.

Bed bugs have a very unique method of reproduction, called traumatic insemination. Males simply stab females in the side with their reproductive organ and inject their sperm, which makes its way to her eggs. Females recover from one mating, but several matings increase the chance of infection and death. Female bed bugs may try to get away from groups of males and go off and hide alone to avoid being stabbed to death. This bodes poorly for infestation, as females will hide in order to prevent death, and also lay eggs in quiet, hidden locations. This makes it imperative to locate all eggs and bed bugs to prevent further infestation.

If you don’t find the female, or eggs, they’ll keep laying eggs and could restart an infestation. This means you could go days or even weeks without a bite, as eggs take 6 to 17 days to hatch. If reoccurring infestations do happen, it is best to consider wrapping furniture and heat treating clothing to kill and prevent further infestations. Remember, picking up furniture on the side of the road is an easy way to get bed bugs! If you need a new mattress topper or sofa, find one on sale.

Scorpion Stinger... Scorpions Stings. Scorions don't Bite. No Scorpion Bites.

A Mexican made anti-venom has been making its appearance in Arizona hospitals for the past few years. Part of the clinical study on the anti-venom released data in regards to the effectiveness of the anti-venom in May of 2009 “Antivenom for Critically Ill Children with Neurotoxicity from Scorpion Stings”. The studies carried out in Arizona have proven very positive. The report says that very few had any allergic reactions. The studies have seen a 98% success rate through out the clinicals. The data released in 2009 showed a 100% recovery rate within 4 hours of receiving the anti-venom, opposed to the placebo only having 1 out of 7 recover within 4 hours measured by the plasma venom.

Postive Test Results on Mexican Anti-Venom

“This is the first-ever drug approved for this use by the FDA; the first-ever drug that we are aware of being developed fully in Latin America and subsequently approved by the FDA; the first-ever scorpion antivenom proved effective under controlled clinical trials; and the first-ever antivenom with so few allergic reactions.” Dr. Boyer

Most individuals stung from scorpions will not suffer an allergic reaction. The human body can metabolize the neurotoxin injected by the Arizona Bark Scorpions under normal conditions. It becomes deadly when combined with allergic reactions. Some individuals’ bodies simply overreact to the toxins, sending them into afilactic shock. Afilactic shock makes breathing very difficult. From Rapid breathing to complete shut down of the lungs, individuals will actually die from suffocation. The anti-venom eliminates the plasma venom and within four hours those that were suffering severe reactions are cured.

What does the FDA approval of the anti-venom mean?

Up until now the Arizona hospitals have used the anti-venom as a last effort because it was not officially approved. Doctors always gave it with a disclaimer, “It’s not FDA approved.” Because of the low availability and doctor hesitation to recommend the anti-venom, many individuals that could have undergone a quicker recovery with the help of the anti-venom had to wait out the pain of the scorpion venom. As death from the scorpion sting is rare, the approval will not so much save lives in the United States as it will reduce suffering. It will also reduce the anxiety of worried parents. Seeing a child’s eyes roll back into their heads and their bodies begin convulsing is a horrific scene no parent wishes to endure.

Further, with the FDA approval, the anti-venom should become more available. Drug companies can now begin to officially supply the anti-venom and not worry about producing a medicine that may never make it to market. Knowing that the antidote is readily available will ease the sleeping of a lot of scorpion troubled homes.

What can home owners do to prevent scorpions?

Regular service around the exterior of a home is the first and foremost step in scorpion control. Whether you hire a professional pest control service or do your own home maintenance, consistency is the key. Scorpions trouble neighborhoods. We will never be able to rid an entire neighborhood of scorpions. So to keep the scorpions at bay with a regular treatment, do it yourself or call a professional.

After a regular treatment, additional precautions would be glue traps placed in corners. Glass jars placed around the base of beds and especially cribs. Scorpion seals also create an additional barrier. Treating moisture points in the yard is advised. And treating around pool equipment helps.

It is also advised for those that have allergic reactions to carry an Epinephrine Injection.

Related articles

• FDA Approves First Scorpion Sting Antidote (fda.gov)
• FDA OKs first-ever treatment for scorpion stings (seattlepi.com)
• FDA Approves Treatment for Scorpion Bites (ducknetweb.blogspot.com)

With the arrival DDT in the 1940s, bed bugs almost disappeared in western countries. However, bed bug infestations have resurged in recent years, for reasons which are not clear, but contributing factors may be complacency, increased resistance, bans on pesticides and increased international travel.

Hotels take bed bugs very seriously, and if they don’t, they should. An alarming number of 4 and 5 star hotels have had issues with bed bugs in recent decades, and the process of eradication is costly and extreme. A hotel must not only seal off the infected room, it must also place all adjacent rooms – including above and below – out of service to be treated as well. This means that between 4 – 12 rooms are placed out of service while a pest control operator comes in to treat the rooms at two separate times. This means that the hotel is paying for the following:

• 12 rooms lost profit for 5-7 days – could be $25,000 – $50,000 for nice hotels
• 2 rounds of pesticides – $1,000 – $3,000 for all rooms
• 2 inspections – variable
• Total cost for bed bugs: $50,000 – $60,000

This cost does not factor in loss of business as a result of the public finding out about the infestation and taking their business elsewhere.

New York has been hit particularly hard with bed bug infestations over recent years. Not only have hotels and movie theatres been hit hard, also a number of prominent businesses and retailers have felt the affects. These include:

• Google’s New York Headquarters
• The Wall Street Journal
• Niketown
• Bloomingdales
• Hollister
• Victoria’s Secret
• The Empire State Building

Image via Wikipedia

What’s the Risk? What’s the Payout?  Should you, a pest control operator, offer a warranty/ guarantee for Bed Bugs?  Anyone that has done their research knows the difficulty in offering a Bed Bug elimination guarantee.  Whether it be for single family homes, apartments, hotels, or furniture rental companies.  Weather you are a large multi-million dollar company or a small local establishment.  Right now Bed Bugs are swooping in to this nation from afar bringing back memories of the 40’s and 50’s.   Except now pest professionals and proven pesticides are restricted by our government and that may cause this pandemic to get worse before it gets better.   Not only are pest professionals fumbling to find the most effective way to treat, but they must decide on whether or not to guarantee that service.   There are several risks involved.  Are they worth the consequences?   If you plan to wait for the right tools to offer such a guarantee as you would with spiders or crickets, what would you do until then?  One thing is for certain there is money to be made.

I think we need some industry feedback to draw a  conclusion. What do you think?

The bite is painless. The salivary fluid injected by bed bugs typically causes the skin to become irritated and inflamed, although individuals can differ in their sensitivity. A small, hard, swollen, white welt may develop at the site of each bite. This is accompanied by severe itching that lasts for several hours to days. Scratching may cause the welts to become infected. The amount of blood loss due to bed bug feeding typically does not adversely affect the host.

Negative health affects are minimal, with some individuals respond to bed bug infestations with anxiety, stress, and insomnia. Fortunately, bed bugs are not known to transmit disease. Additional adverse affects can include skin rashes, allergic symptoms, and psychological impacts.

Bed bugs feed solely on the blood of their hosts. The only time you’ll get bitten by a bed bug is while sitting quietly, or much more commonly while sleeping.  Remember, you may not be the only host that a bed bug is feeding on – pets and local wildlife may also be in a bed bugs nightly diet. So, simply changing your sheets or buying a new mattress will not necessarily alleviate the problem.

While not feeding, bed bugs will seek shelter in any crack or crevice to avoid detection, and light. Most commonly bed bugs will make homes in mattresses, furniture, or cracks in dry wall.

Remember that bed bugs will not feed while you are active, so take the time to search for them, or signs of them, if you feel you have an infestation. Putting barriers (such as a latex mattress topper) between you and bed bugs at night may help the situation, but the only true method of pest control involves heat and pesticides.

Dallas Wildlife Control is a lucky benefactor of our post here today. Code: k9bugsit33Bulwart

What is the difference between Animal Control and Pest Control?

A wildlife control is very different from structural pest control. Different laws apply to dealing with wildlife. Different techniques apply. In many states a separate license is required. It is almost always prohibited to relocate nuisance animals and other wildlife without written permission from the state’s gaming department. Yet, somehow, animal control and pest control seem to be synonymous to the general public. Pigeon control, rat control, and wildlife control are very much different than general pest control. Trapping and removal are also different from exterminating a rat or mouse. Animal cruelty charges have been made against pest control companies that have not handled animal removal properly. See the NJ case. One of the most glaring differences between animal control and pest control is that general pest control often uses pesticides for pest control solutions, where as animal control uses exclusion techniques and trapping.

From more info on the differences that may apply in an Animal Control license vs a Pest Control license visit: http://www.crittercatchersinc.com/license/

What to do as an Exterminator who doesn’t offer Animal Control Services

Exterminators that often get calls for animal control or wildlife removal may want to find local resources that they can refer to. Providing links on your website to local Animal shelters is a good idea. Finding a local company that deals exclusively with Animal Control or Bat Removal, or Pigeon control may help foster a mutually beneficial relationship. But choose whom you recommend wisely. You don’t want another company’s bad service to reflect on your own company. You also don’t want to refer out business to a company that may try to steal general pest control companies from you. Build a solid relationship and check in from time to time to keep that relationship strong.

If you know of any quality animal control services please let us. We would love to add them to our pest control directory.