Arañas

Pro: Se acabó esperar al ascensor, si fuera una araña podrí subir yo misma por la pared

Contra: Creo que tendría graves problemas para coordinar mis ocho patas, así que al final acabaría dando vueltas en círculo y no llegaría a ninguna parte.

Chinches

Pro: Cada día me iría a la cama con alguien distinto, y si me gusta puedo incluso repetir.

Contra: Esa persona sería 100 veces más grande que yo.

Cucarachas

Pro: Sobreviviría a un ataque nuclear y además puedo vivir algún tiempo sin mi cabeza.

Contra: Es muy improbable que haya un ataque nuclear. Aparte de eso me chocaría con todo porque andaría mirando hacia arriba temiendo ser pisada en cualquier momento.

Hormigas

Pro: Me podría pasar todo el día comiendo la comida que el resto de hormigas llevan al nido.

Contra: Las hormigas están siempre andando por ahí en fila, así que básicamente el culo de otra hormiga es lo único que vería en todo el día.

Moscas

Pro: Podría volar

Contra: Me pasaría todo el día chocándome con cristales intentando salir fuera, además se me llenarían las manos de ronchas de tanto frotarlas.

Mosquitos

Pro: Podría volar

Contra: El zumbido que yo mismo provocaría acabaría desquiciándome y me suicidaría.

Termitas

Pro: Podría introducirme en las casas ajenas para observar qué hacen

Contra: La celulosa me dejaría la boca seca así que siempre tendría sed.

Como veis todas las plagas tienen sus ventajas e inconvenientes, así que todavía no me he decidido, ¿algún consejo?

This is Carnival! [English Translation]

I have to confess, I love fancy dress, especially the original ones, and so now that Carnival is coming, I’m already thinking about my fancy dress. This year I want a very original fancy dress, so I thought that if I dress in one of the pests that Rentokil deal with, no one will copy me. I haven’t decided the pests yet, because after thinking about it carefully, I started having some doubts: what would happen if, like in that Simpsons episode in which Bart becomes half-Bart-half-fly and the fly half-fly-half-Bart, I ended up being an insect as well? So I decided to make a pros and cons list, and here is the result:

Spiders

Pros: I won’t have to wait for the lift any more, if it doesn’t come, I will just climb the wall

Cons: I would have serious problems to coordinate my eight legs, so I would just walk in circles all day, going nowhere.

Bedbugs

Pros: Every day I would sleep with different people, and if I like that person, I can even repeat!

Cons: That person will be about 6.5 million times my size

Cockroaches

Pros: I would survive a nuclear attack, and also I can live without my head for weeks.

Cons: A nuclear attack is very unlikely. Apart from that, I would spend the whole day crashing into everything because I would always walk looking upwards for fear of being stepped on

Ants

Pros: I could spend the whole day eating the food that the rest of the ants bring home.

Cons: Ants always walk in a line, so other ants’ asses are all I‘d see all day.

Flies

Pros: I could fly

Cons: My head would be covered in bumps because I would spend the whole day crashing into windows, in addition, my hands would get hurt if I spent the whole day rubbing them.

Mosquitoes

Pros: I could fly

Cons: My own buzzing would drive me crazy and eventually I would kill myself

Termitas

Pros: I could go into people’s houses to see what they do.

Cons: All that cellulose would make me thirsty all day.

As you see it’s very difficult to choose, so I haven’t decided yet. Any advice?

¡Esto es Carnaval! is a post from: deBugged - The Rentokil Blog

Since I came to the UK seven months ago I’ve been bitten by the travel bug as well as the nasty bed bug.  As per my posts so far, Milan, Rome and Ibiza have been checked off the list… so the question is where’s the perfect place to spend Christmas? Well according to some, France is the obvious choice.

Paris is considered the most romantic city in the world, the atmosphere is superb, the markets are divine, and wait for it… it snows! Hailing from New Zealand, I have only seen snow twice and have never experienced a cold, crisp Christmas. A white Christmas seems like something from a fairytale.

Paris was looking like the ideal location for a young couple at Christmas; it seemed to offer everything we wanted, the romance, the snow, the Eiffel Tower… However it turns out that’s not all that is on offer, they now also have bed bugs, which I guess is inevitable as Paris is the most visited city in Europe.

Headlines in the press scream ‘Paris bitten by New York – style bed bug scare’ and ‘Bed bug problem growing is Paris’ eeeeeek! In France the critters are called ‘Punaises de lit’ which does sound slightly more exciting doesn’t it? However I must not be fooled, they are still the same blood sucking creatures that invaded our apartment in Ibiza. While the issue has been played down until now, it was announced on ‘Radio Info’ that several hotels in Paris were now infested and one had gone as far as throwing out all furniture and carpet as a result of numerous complaints. An unnamed employee at the public health section of the Paris City Hall revealed that more then 600 premises had been treated for bed bugs this year which in a way is good news. If measures are being taken then the infestation is less likely to spread.

Due the surge in bed bugs across the globe I’ll be struggling to find a country free of bed bugs. They have reached the shores of my native New Zealand and after the Sydney Olympics in 2000 the Sydney Morning Herald reported a 5000% increase in treatment for bedbugs. In America NYC is badly affected and as illustrated in a recent blog, the bed bugs quickly hitchhiked to other cities across the States.

Christmas is a busy time of year for travelling so prevent bed bugs from spreading by following these measures:

• Don’t place bags on the bed.
• Check your mattress, headboard and base for tell-tale dark spots. If you see anything suspicious report it immediately and demand another room.
• Keep your suitcase zipped, especially if it is full of dirty laundry.

Remember, bed-bugs don’t discriminate and unlike cockroaches, mice and rats they are not attracted to hotels with poor hygiene standards. It’s just your blood they’re after.

Luckily bed bugs aren’t for life or for Christmas. They can be easily eradicated by a heat treatment or pesticides.

Don’t Bring Home A Bed Bug For Christmas is a post from: deBugged - The Rentokil Blog

“What should I do?” she asked me.  Now that’s a question I am asked quite frequently, now that I work for a pest control company.

If you’re heading back to college or your student is visiting home for the weekend, you should be conscience of protecting your own home from bed bugs. They’re hitching rides to and from campus along with your kids…

College students are bringing more than lap tops and text books back to campus with them this fall. Bed bugs are also hitching rides to campus, and moving into dormitories in colleges across the country. Bed bugs are apple seed-sized blood feeding insects that have made a resurgence during the past few years, infesting hotels, residences, homeless shelters, movie theatres – hence the bed bug connection blog post written recently – and yes — even dorm rooms.

Because bed bugs are excellent hitchhikers, they are easy to carry both to and from campus. Here are a few tips on bed bug prevention in college dorms:

• Suit cases and trunks should be fully inspected for signs of bed bugs prior to using for back to school packing, especially if they were used for travel during the summer break.
• Any secondhand or rental furniture should be inspected to ensure that it is free of any bed bugs or bed bug evidence.
• Once on campus, dorm rooms should be inspected prior to unpacking – begin with the mattress and check any additional furniture in the room, such as sofas or chairs.

Hopefully, the school in question will know just what to do to help the students with their beg bug problem – if not, I’m sure a few strongly worded notes from parents will push them in the right direction. And now you’ll know just how to handle your student’s nervous call — or next visit home!

Bed Bugs On College Campus is a post from: deBugged - The Rentokil Blog

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but with all the travelling taking place within our national boundaries over the period of the World Cup, I need to draw people’s attention to the increase in bed bug activity that we have seen since March 2009 (bed bugs have also been mentioned here on deBugged for some time). The increase has been reported at more than 300%, thereby confirming that bed bugs are a genuine concern for hotel, guesthouse and other accommodation owners.

If you are planning on travelling within South Africa or abroad, make sure that you are aware of the tell-tale signs of bed bug activity, as this will help you steer clear of the little critters, and guarantee a bed bug free stay.

• On arrival place your suitcase on a metal suitcase rack or in the bathroom until you have checked for bed bugs.
• Know what you’re looking for: small brown blood spots on the bed linen.
• When conducting your inspection use a flashlight, as these critters a very good at hide and seek. Pay close attention to the seams of mattresses, headboards, sheets and box springs.
• If you do find evidence of bed bugs, do not unpack, and immediately request another room on a different floor since bed bugs can travel from room to room, up, down, and side to side via pipes and crevices.
• Also, make sure that if you do find bed bugs in your room you collect actual evidence to ensure that your complaint gets the needed attention. For instance, take a photo of the bed bug, because they are very fast and I doubt that they will be in the same place as you left them when you return with the manager.

When you return home from your travels be sure to vacuum your suitcases and wash all clothing – whether it was worn or not – in hot water. It is better to be safe than sorry. I would also advise regular travellers to invest in buying a large plastic bag that they can use to cover their suitcases during their stay in the hotel or guest house.

Don’t let bed bugs ruin your travels, arm yourself with knowledge (and a flashlight) and you should have a safe journey.

Stop Those Biting Bed Bugs From Becoming Your Bunk Buddy is a post from: deBugged - The Rentokil Blog

“Sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite”

These pests are notoriously difficult to get rid of and can spread easily – which is why bed bug control is so important.

I freely admit that I have become very “bed bug aware” since working for a pest control company even carrying out spot checks on my bed to look for tell tale signs whenever I stay away from home as do other colleagues. Hotels and guest accommodation are still regarded as the greatest source for a bed bug problem. Nowadays I never ever put my luggage on the bed and I always have to pull back the bed covers and check for the tell tale blood spots on the sheets. You may think this is slightly paranoid behaviour though it isn’t as strange as some people who never even put their luggage down on the carpet, opting instead to leave it in the bathroom (or bathtub!).

Tips for checking for bed bugs & preventing bed bug bites:

• Check your bed – even if you are staying in a luxury hotel! – for tiny blood droplets on sheets and mattresses (a memento from their previous feed!)
• Move the bed away from the wall and check behind the headboard and your mattress for any signs.
• Make sure your bed sheets are not in contact with the floor and that your bed is not too close to any walls. Bed bugs are wingless so in order for them to get to you in bed they need to be able to climb up to you somehow.
• Bed bug bites – if you wake up in the morning and discover bites you didn’t have the night before (assuming that it is not from a mosquito) it will be worth doing the checks on your bed to see if there are any signs of bed bugs.  Bed bugs are nocturnal and their bites can leave you with an itchy rash.
• Don’t put your suitcase on or near the bed – bed bugs could climb up them and then you may be unfortunate enough to give them a free ride back to your home!

It still amazes me to know that bed bugs are not attracted to dirt or poor hygiene standards – a myth already dispelled in a previous post on Top 10 Pest Urban Myths. They are indiscriminate and can strike in the cleanest of bedrooms, hotels and homes (even the cleaning-obsessed Monica from the Friends series may find it difficult to prevent them).

It definitely pays to be aware of the signs and to know how to get rid of bed bugs.

Sleep tight everyone….and remember not to let the bed bugs bite!

Bed Bugs – Prevention is (Definitely) Better Than Cure is a post from: deBugged - The Rentokil Blog

However, there is always a natural solution available, and similar to the Emerald Cockroach wasp controlling cockroaches there are some bugs with really cool names that can deal with bedbugs.

The Masked Hunter vs Bed bugs

Meet the Masked Hunter, avenger of innocent bed bug victims, with a name that sounds like it’s straight out of a superhero movie. It is even cooler that the Masked Hunter (Reduvius personatus) is a member of the family of Assassin bugs (Reduviidae). The Masked Hunter is quite a large bug, around 15-20mm and looks somewhat similar to kissing bugs.

The fun part about these guys is that they really like to hunt and eat bed bugs. However, I doubt that many people would be overly happy about having 2cm bugs in their home; in addition to this these bugs can give very painful bites, when threatened. So, the Masked Hunter has his name, family and food preferences going for him, but it might not be the perfect solution to bed bug problems.

Centipedes vs Bed bugs

Than there are house centipedes (more than one species, but for instance: Scutigera coleoptrata) that will happily eat: bed bugs, cockroaches, spiders, silverfish, ants, and termites in our homes.

However, even though I like invertebrates I am scared to death by centipedes (they are too fast, too many legs and these guys can also give a painful bite) and I guess so are a large number of other people too.

Ants vs Bed bugs

Opposed to the story of pest partners in crime where there are  co-operating pest species, ants also eat bed bugs. However, I think it is questionable if casting out devils with the Beelzebub is a good solution. Plus who will take care of the ants afterwards once the bedbugs are taken care off. Having an ant and bed bug infestation at the same time is what I would call a prime example of a deteriorating situation.

Humans vs Bed bugs

While there are ways to keep most pest infestations at a tolerable level (of course this depends on your own tolerance level) by adhering to strict sanitation and good housekeeping practices, bed bugs have to be exterminated because even a single female will start a new population again. As we are a bed bug’s food source, even keeping the place sparkling clean will not affect them much. Even though there are natural enemies that will surely reduce the number of bedbugs, these are not helping in eradicating bed bugs from our homes. The best piece-of mind solution is to call a professional pest controller to take care of the bed bugs.

(Ed: All references to bedbugs changed to read bed bugs – thanks Matt)

Nature’s Equivalent To Rentokil Part 2 – Bedbug Extermination is a post from: deBugged - The Rentokil Blog

I thought it might be helpful to explain how we arrived at the numbers and where things went so wrong.

We had tested our new Entotherm technology on a bus and various buildings during the last three years of its development. So, when asked for a worst case scenario situation, we based our hypothesis on:

• A bus, or anything else, being left by itself in an isolated place
• With no external factors to affect the mortality rate (so the population would be left unchecked)
• Then we assumed that there is a perfect male to female ratio that allows optimal breeding numbers
• That the environment would be controlled to a constant temperature, with no extremes
• Finally, there would be a plentiful food supply to support the numbers of insects

On the above totally theoretical basis it’s possible that very high numbers of cockroaches and bed bugs/fleas could survive, although it’s clearly a worst case scenario.

Now, obviously real life is not a hypothetical model. There are loads of contributing factors that would affect any insect infestation. For example regular cleaning, people unwittingly stepping on insects and, as in real life, there is not a perfect male to female ratio! All of which means that, in our experience, it is very rare to find heavily infested buses, trains or other forms of transport in the UK. Standards will vary around the world but UK standards are very high.

The point of the story was about a new process we launched – and are very excited about – to combat bed bugs and cockroaches.

We’re really sorry that the numbers that appeared in the media were wrong and misleading and we’ve put in place a number of measures to ensure it doesn’t happen again.

If you are interested, the original press release can be viewed here.

Our Recent PR – A Clarification And An Apology is a post from: deBugged - The Rentokil Blog

Rentokil now offers a new chemical free pest control process called Entotherm which can be used across various industries as described by Savvas Othon. This chemical free treatment is quick, efficient and reaches all areas of an infestation. It can eliminate insects, mould and pathogens (and others including wood-boring insects) through the application of dry heat.

The Entotherm heat treatment eliminates all lifecycle stages of an insect including eggs, larvae and adults. The heat kills insects by denaturing the proteins within their bodies and disrupting the waxy outside layers of the insects, causing them to dehydrate. As Entotherm requires only a single application, it causes minimal disruption to a business. The chemical free process also allows treated areas to be re-used immediately with no residual side effects.

The process works by heating an infested area to a predetermined temperature using strategically placed heat exchangers. Heat probes and thermal imaging technology are then used to confirm all targeted insect pests have been effectively eradicated.

Turn Up The Heat For Cockroaches And Bedbugs is a post from: deBugged - The Rentokil Blog

But in watching the 2010 Olympics, it occurred to me that humans have nothing over most pests when it comes to amazing physical abilities and there and some pretty amazing unbelievable truths too.   Now, as I said, I have complete respect for all human Olympians.   But just think about the events we could hold at The Pest Olympics and what amazing pest feats you might see:

The High/Long Jump: Mice have a 12 inch vertical jump while rats have a 36 inch vertical jump and a 48 inch horizontal jump. Some fleas can jump 150 times their own length. That compares to a human jumping 1,000 feet!  (One flea actually broke a world record and won a gold medal for jumping 4 feet!)

The Tight Squeeze: Rats can fit through openings that are as small as 1/2 inch in diameter and can climb the inside of vertical pipes that are 1 1/2 to 4 inches in diameter.  (Fortunately, a proessional pest control comany can advise on how best to close these gaps!)

The Long Distance Shuffle: Bedbugs are capable of traveling as far as 100 feet to feed.  That may not sound like much until you consider that we’re talking about an animal that is 1/8 inch long.

The Speed Demon: If a man could run as fast for his size as an ant can, he could run as fast as a racehorse.

The Weight Lifting Event: Remember the Rubber Tree Plant song?!  Ants can lift 20 times their own body weight.

The Rodent Free Fall: Did you know a mouse can jump down 12 feet and a rat can drop down 50 feet without injury?

The Slam Dunk: A single brown bat can catch around 1,200 mosquito-size insects in one hour.

Survivor at Sea: Rats can swim 1/2 mile in open sea and tread water for 3 days. They can dive 100 feet underwater and hold their breath for as long as 15 minutes.

The Pest Olympics — Amazing Pest Feats is a post from: deBugged - The Rentokil Blog

Since travel guide books always give you an extensive list of places to see and things to do (which let’s face it thousands of other people will also see and do), I thought it would be a novel idea to give you my top 5 list of pests to see or experience (not a trip for the faint hearted though if you see them all at once) to make your holiday an unforgettable event.

Trust me, your audience at home will appreciate the extra effort in making the photo-reviewing evenings more interesting by adding some horror to paradise. And yes, I am sharing my first hand experiences with you, and yes they involved a lot of pain and itching.

Maybe a cliché, but listening to travelers it always seems there is an endless collection of horror stories with only one lead role: Cockroaches. I am sure your holiday would be much more peaceful without them (and your risk of food poisoning and other diseases as well). On the other hand there would be less opportunity to scare people at home without them. At best you can create the image of you being a fearless adventurer, because out of the whole group YOU were the only person who took the shoe and killed the offender.

You will be able to discover the local varieties of mosquitoes almost anywhere. But be aware, as with all wild animals there is a need to be alert: Some of these critters might be able to transmit some nasty diseases, such as Malaria, Dengue or Chikungunya. So my advice would be to skip searching for this pest. Anyway, you won’t have much searching to do, as they will for sure find you. In this case though, my advice would be that having almost died of a mosquito-borne disease is too much effort for making your holiday stories more interesting.

Everywhere else known as peaceful pollinators and producers of honey, the local variety of bees (Rock bees), build large nests, preferably on high trees, or on buildings, where they create a lot of trouble for people living on the other side of the windows. They should not be considered as general pests, but definitely do their part in troubling people on the higher levels of buildings.

The urban legends of the giant sewer rat will become truth once you lay your eyes on the secretive, yet common, Bandicoot rat. Best chances to see them are within human settlements and especially at night. Be aware though, they are fierce attackers if cornered (see my first post). Another similar “nice” surprise is the local roof-rats, who can scare you out of your wits with their noises inside a jungle hut at night.

For those of you who think bed bugs are some myth from ancient times, well here is the “good” news, they are still alive and kicking. Try for some very low budget hotel, or travel a lot with overnight busses, and you might be able to spot some of these elusive animals. However, most pest experts will assure you that you have a higher likeability of getting bitten than actually seeing them, which makes actual sightings an exciting photo opportunity to show friends at home. However, due to unknown reasons this pest has managed to increase its geographical reach over the last few years, which might depreciate their value as a holiday experience. And if you are not careful enough, who knows maybe they will travel in your luggage.

Ah, and then there are always fleas, ticks, pigeons and numerous other pests, but the ones I mentioned above should be enough to start with. If you want to go pro, check the pest guides and I am sure you will find more interesting pests.

I have to admit though, that working for Rentokil and the knowledge that all these pests can be controlled, really reduced my fears of involuntarily introducing these pests to my home after some extensive travelling.

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Take a look at these other deBugged lists:
Top 10 unbelievable truths
Top 10 pest urban myths
9 lessons I learnt putting together a blog
Top 5 movies Rentokil would have ruined because its infestation not entertainment

Pest Travel Guide Or How To Spice Up Your Holiday Stories is a post from: deBugged - The Rentokil Blog