Source: news.naij.com

If you think the rat problem in New York City is bad, it’s got nothing on Tehran, the capital city of Iran.

In an effort to combat the city’s massive plague of mutant super rats, rats that are resistant to pesticides, the Tehran environmental agency has deployed ten teams of rifle equipped sharp shooters to take out the hard-to-kill rodents.

Sniper Teams Assembled To Control Rats

Pesticide resistant super rats, which have grown to be almost as big as the common house cat; have been running amuck throughout much of Europe and the Middle East. In order to better control these rats, the environmental agency of Tehran, Iran has deployed ten teams of sharp-shooting snipers; equipped with infra-red laser scopes and all.

In a couple short weeks, these snipers have managed to kill some 2,000 mutant super rats… but it’s far from enough. The city of Tehran is so over-run with the millions of super rats; city officials are now thinking of boosting the number of rat sniper teams from ten to forty.

After bagging a super rat, city officials either incinerate the dead carcasses, or cover them in lime and bury them.

These rat extermination efforts are all part of a multi-million dollar government campaign to control the problem rats.

Huge Population Of Mutant Super Rats

Tehran city workers exterminate almost one million rats a year, but these efforts are merely a drop in the bucket. Iran’s rat population easily outnumbers the sprawling capital’s 12 million inhabitants. Iran’s state-run media reports that the rat population is thought to be six times higher than the number of people living there. That’s scary!

It’s been impossible for city officials to determine how many mutant super rats are plaguing the city. Best estimates have their population at around 10 million, and growing.

The rat problem has been such a major issue for several years that a newspaper once ran a cartoon in which a rat tells a man: “Our numbers are more than yours, so you leave Tehran.”

Mutant Super Rats

These rats are natural born survivors. Years of genetic mutation have made these mutant super rats resistant to pesticides. It has also altered their appearance and allowed them to grow bigger; weighing as much as a cat in some instances. These changes usually take millions of years to evolve.

The primary reason the super mutant rats need to be exterminated, is because they transmit diseases to both humans and animals that can be life threatening. These diseases include: Hantavirus, Plague, Rat-Bite fever, Lassa fever, Hemorrhagic fever, and Leptospirosis.

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Anthony Ball

Weekly Links For Pest Control News

What To Do If You Are Stung By A Wasp

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Hurricane Sandy And Its Aftermath

Many Americans have been affected by hurricane Sandy, and the aftermath is leaving residents with pest and mold problems. More…

Pest Control Tips for Checking Signs of Termite Damage

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Can You Kill Bed Bugs on Your Own?

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Pest Control Bombs Cause House Fire

Want more proof that bug bombs are a bad idea, and that pest control is better left to the professionals? A woman setting off bug bombs in her basement has burned down her own house. See the picture here.

Pest Of The Week: The Brown Rat

Brown Rat – Rattus norvegicus 1a (Photo credit: Dluogs)

The Brown rat, also known as the Common rat, Sewer rat or Wharf rat, is one of the best known; and most common of the rat species.

The Brown rat’s fur is coarse, and usually brown or dark grey; while the underside is a lighter shade of grey or brown. The length of this rodent can reach 10 inches, with the tail measuring an additional 10 inches; or roughly the same length as the body. The adult Brown rat’s average body weight, can be 12 oz (females) to 19 oz (males).

Likely originating from the plains of Asia, Northern China and Mongolia, the Brown rat was introduced to other parts of the world; sometime in the Middle Ages. Today, the Brown rat has spread to all continents; with the exception of the Arctic, Antarctica, isolated islands and Calgary AB Canada. This rodent species is considered the dominant rat in Europe and much of North America, as it is often discovered living wherever humans reside; especially in urban areas.

Brown rats that do find shelter in human habitations, will not wander about. Instead, these rodents will (most often) remain within 20 meters of their nesting area, if a suitable supply of food is readily available.

It has been said that there are as many rats in cities as people, but this notion varies from area to area; depending on climate, living conditions, etc. In New York City there is great debate over the size of the rat population, with estimates from nearly 100 million rats; to as few as 250,000. Experts suggest that NYC’s aging infrastructure, high moisture and poverty rates; will continue to contribute to the city’s rodent pest control problem.

Brown Rat (Photo credit: Nikon Ranger)

Brown rats are most often active at night, and considered excellent swimmers (surface and underwater). As well, Brown rats are great excavators, and will construct elaborate burrow systems; to provide safety and shelter. However, unlike the related Black Rat (commonly referred to as Roof rat), the Brown rat is a very poor climber.

Similar to other rodents, Brown rats may carry a number of pathogens; which can result in the spread of disease. This is something that causes major concern, in many tenants and home owners. As such, the first sign of a rodent invasion often prompts an immediate pest control response.

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Anthony Ball

Tuesday, September 11th 2001 started off as any normal day for most of us in the world. We were eating our oatmeal, thinking about everything we had to get done for the day. We were taking our kids to school, and heading to our own jobs. A few of us were even waking up to greet a birthday or a wedding anniversary, but none of us had any idea it would be a day, and a date, etched on the memory of the world forever.

Eleven years later, we all still remember that day. Most of us remember exactly where we were and what we were doing when we heard the horrible news. I was waiting in line at a bank drive thru, on my way to my freshman chemistry class, when I turned on the radio and was shocked to hear two planes had crashed into each of the World Trade Center buildings. We later heard the horrific news that additional planes had crashed into a Pennsylvania field and the Pentagon building respectively.

All together, 2,996 innocent people lost their lives. They were mothers and fathers, husbands and wives, sons and daughters. They were taken from us suddenly and far too soon.

Eleven years from that tragic day, many of us can still close our eyes, and remember in almost near perfect detail, those painful moments when grief somberly crashed over us like a tidal wave. Americans the world over held each other tight, seeking the assurance that the country we knew and loved wasn’t collapsing under our feet.

Our memories will always be fresh, along with our sympathy for the victims and their families. As painful as this day is, and always will be, it leaves us with a lesson that no single event can ever destroy who we are as a nation. No act of terrorism can ever change what we stand for. Instead, we recommit ourselves to the values that we believe in, holding firmly without wavering.

For all of us here at Bulwark Pest Control, we will never forget those innocent people, whose lives were lost September 11th 2001. We are grateful for the opportunities afforded to us in this Country, and are grateful to those who continue to defend it against any further acts of terror.

We will never forget.

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news (Photo credit: JSF539)

Fruit fly sex lives impact effectiveness of pest control strategies

Scientists in Australia have been hard at work watching fruit flies mate to figure out how fly sex is affecting your food. During this process they are discovering more effective pest control strategies. For a great read, check out:

http://nittygrittyscience.com/2012/09/06/fruit-fly-sex-lives-impact-effectiveness-of-pest-control-strategies/

Mosquitoes Plague the Northwest as West Nile Cases Increase

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New Kind of Ant Discovered in New York City

We can now add one more type of ant to the 13,000 plus known breeds in the world. A new type of ant was discovered by a biologist earlier this week near 63^rd and Broadway in New York City.

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Scorpion Sting Leaves Arizona Woman With Massive $83,000 Bill

Our friends at Pest Control Mesa AZ bring us this unfortunate story coming out of Phoenix. Imagine being in your garage, opening a box of air conditioner filters, when you are suddenly stung by a scorpion—and that’s not even the worst part! Read all about it at:

http://pestcontrolmesaaz.com/scorpion-sting-leaves-arizona-woman-with-massive-83000-bill/

Top 10 Considerations when Hiring Pest Control Companies

Here are ten criteria our customers are taking into consideration when they are looking to hire a pest control professional. As a pest control operator, look to align yourself with most of these demands to be successful in the industry.

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The Basics of Dust Mites

For all the ins and outs about dust might behavior, including: where they like to hide, how they get into your home, and the health concerns they can cause, check out:

http://www.richterslawncare.com/detroit-pest/the-basics-of-dust-mites/

An adult bed bug (credit: Wikipedia)

Recently the University of Nebraska-Lincoln underwent extensive investigation into its Bed Bug problem.  The University hired a K9 Inspection company to bring in the dogs to search 3,256 rooms and of those rooms they only found bed bugs in 197 rooms. Considering the major problems that we are having with Bed Bugs this number isn’t too bad and it’s encouraging to see that the university is doing what is necessary to keep this problem from becoming a nightmare to its students and staff. Although the numbers above are encouraging I’m sure the numbers associated with the cost are more discouraging to the universities bottom line especially when budget cuts and higher tuition are already concerns for educational institutions across the country.

What does a bed bug problem cost a University? $100,000+

With bed bug inspections ranging from $25 to $55 per room (3,256 rooms) and treatments ranging from $300 to $600 per room (196 rooms), it’s estimated that the total cost for bed bugs at Nebraska-Lincoln will be in the hundreds of thousands.  When treating for bed bugs the costs for eradication are high. With the particular pest, 100% control is expected its unacceptable to have even one living bed bug remain after treatment. One female bed bug can lead to an entire new infestation. Because of this, more aggressive methods have been called upon to treat bead bugs such as fumigating an entire structure. To fumigate an entire structure an exterminator must put a massive tarp over the whole building being treated and fill it with a viakain gas. The gas will penetrated the walls of the structure and kill the bed bugs no matter where they are hiding. Beyond the price of the tarp alone, the man hours and equipment cost are not cheap. Cost of a bed bug fumigation service is expensive. For the University this type of service is less likely of an option because the problems are more than likely in a dorm room environment and with fumigation you have to tent the entire structure so in this case the better option would be Thermal Remediation. Thermal remediation is also a very effective service for treating bed bugs especially in a dorm room or hotel environment. A good heat system can treat a problem in this type of environment easily and with only a few hours. But this method is not cheap either due to equipment costs and man hours. With the bed bug problem at an all time high and is expected to continue to get worse Universities and other types of facilities that offer housing should expect this problem to continue.

Is Bed Bug Prevention the Better Cure?

Clearly, a fool proof prevention plan could prevent costly fumigation or heat treatments, the problem is that there is no fool proof prevention program for bed bugs. The is no pest control treatment that can be applied regularly to a structure that would prevent a bed bug infestation. The best prevention against bed bugs is vigilance. Knowing how to spot problems, how to steer clear, and how to report problems is a University’s best plan of action to keep bed bug costs to a minimum. So we encourage continuing education to both students and faculty and to maintain regular inspections at the dorms. This will help prevent future outbreaks and keep costly treatments down. Hiring a bed bug dog to assist with the inspections is a must. The dogs can do the work in a much shorter span than a human inspector alone.

Saving Enrollment Cost

While we have outlined treatment costs, lets not forget the potential enrollment cost. Having a bed bug problem in your dorms will cost the University occupants. It could cost future enrollments. Having had bed bugs will leave it mark on the school. The University must not only devise a plan to prevent bed bugs and stay vigilant to keep them out, but they must now express these measures to students, potential students, and parents as to regain faith and save enrollment. Having a future and on going plan for prevention is the only way to restore confidence and keep this a non-issue for enrollment. This shouldn’t just apply to UNL, this should be the case for every college and university out there. ASU has had it’s share of bed bug problems as well. All schools should take a proactive stance a develop a preventive program now to save them from future costs of treatments and enrollment.

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