Bedbugs Bite Back

Although reports of bedbug infestations

began somewhat recently, one of the

causes of this revival occurred many dec-

ades ago with the loss of one of the most

effective weapons against the pest: The

chemical known as DDT.

Before its infamous reputation, DDT was

regarded as something of a miracle spray

for all things pest-related. And for good

reason too…the stuff worked. But in a

time before EPA regulation, irresponsible

application drew attention to potential

ecological side-effects, including those

which could affect humans. In 1972,

DDT was banned for most commercial

applications. While this was better for the

immediate human environment, it was

also better for the bedbugs living in it.

And though safer products have since

been developed, bedbugs have been de-

veloping a defense of their own: Genetic

resistance.

Although the majority of bedbugs will die

when exposed to a given pesticide, a few

individuals who are genetically less sus-

ceptible to the pesticide will survive long

enough to reproduce. Their offspring will,

of course, carry those resistant genes and

will thereby be more likely to survive the

next application of pesticide. Though

more will die, the strongest of that gener-

ation (i.e., the strongest of the strong) will

also survive and multiply. This

“

G oodnight. Sleep tight. Don’t

let the bedbugs bite!” If

you’re familiar with that old

rhyme you may’ve grown up

thinking that was just an innocent lyric;

but in reality, it originated during a time

when the warning was quite valid.

That’s because until the late 1940’s, bed-

bugs were a commonly encountered pest

in U.S. households, where they would

emerge at night to feed on the blood of

sleeping humans. Attracted to the warmth

and carbon dioxide emitted by humans,

they were able to quickly and extensively

infest homes by hitchhiking on clothes,

luggage, and furniture. It wasn’t until the

development of synthetic pesticides that

bedbugs were nearly eradicated and thus

relegated to near folklore esteem for near-

ly 50 years. But that’s all since changed.

Bedbugs

The Comeback Critter

Of the Century

Page 1

Seasonal

Reminders

Get Ready for Cooler Weather

Page 2

Customer

Questions

“Does Rain Affect My Lawn

Fertilization Program?”

Page 3

Combine Your

Services

Enjoy the Convenience of

All-in-One Servicing

Page 4

Volume IV, Issue 6

(Continued on page 3)

With cooler weather on the way, we thought it’d be a great time for a few quick reminders about your lawn and irrigation system. If you have any questions, call (352) 787-5300 or visit DeansServices.com and just enter “Watering FAQs” into the Search Field.

Timer Adjustments During the cooler seasons, lawns are more susceptible to various fungal infections. To reduce this risk, make sure your irrigation is set to stop watering just before sunrise, thus ensuring the evaporation of any excess water.

Freeze Preparedness Though grass growth will slow in the cooler months, watering is still important to prevent your lawn from drying up—that is, until the temperature drops to 45°. In the event of a frost (when ice crystals form on grass blades), be sure to rinse off the grass for about 5 minutes per zone. If a freeze occurs, don’t water at all.

Year-Round Fertilization Fertilization is crucial for a green lawn; but when grass color fades naturally in cool months, nutrients are still re-quired for the less visible parts of your turf, like the root system. By focusing our fertilization program on this area,

Deans not only helps your lawn survive the winter, but ensures a healthy resurgence in spring. If you’re not using a company that fertilizes year-round, consider calling us for a free estimate.

A Few Friendly Reminders from

Know Your Enemy Bedbugs are small, but by no means too small to be seen. The bullet-points of this outline are the actual size of a fully grown bedbug (they’re bigger than most people expect). Also look for small reddish-black dots staining walls or mattresses—these droppings indicate bedbugs are present. Bite marks most commonly appear as three or four small red dots placed in a row, but everyone reacts to bedbug bites differently with a minority of people showing no reaction at all.

Inspect When Travelling The most commonly infested sites include hotels and dorm rooms, so always take a moment to inspect your bed when travelling. Bedbugs are generally hidden during the day, but you can find them around headboards, baseboards, and mattress seams. Also inspect new furniture or bedding, since these can also transport infestations. Avoid refurbished mattresses and box springs, since they’re often rewrapped, which can conceal an infestation.

Wrap Your Beds Using bedbug mattress and box spring encasements will reduce the chance of infestation and make remediation much easier. Protecta-Bed is generally the brand most trusted by professionals. Watch out for cheap imitations which may tear over time.

Avoid Snake Oil Salesmen Since the return of bedbugs, many products have appeared on the market claiming to be completely safe while offering immediate eradica-tion of bedbugs without “toxic” chemicals. Don’t fall prey to these claims. As any honest pest professional can attest, completely ridding a home of bedbugs may at times require both chemical and non-chemical approaches. As Entomologist Gwen Pearson said, “You can spray your bedbugs with “Essential Oils”…but they’ll just smell minty.”

Contact a Reputable Professional Though there are DIY kits available, most are either ineffective or potentially unsafe if applied without adequate training. If you suspect activi-ty, be sure to contact a reputable Pest Management Professional. Even if you choose a company other than Deans, just be sure they have the same extensive experience with bedbugs and offer a similar 100% elimination guarantee.

“Does Rain Affect the Fertilizer Applied to My Lawn?” Joe Tomasiello; General Manager; CPCO

Got a Question? We’ve Got an Answer!

Submit your question at deansservices.com/contact

Rise of the Bedbug (Continued from page 1)

means that while the population as a whole may dwindle,

the individuals left behind will become continually more

resistant, leading to a population rebound.

Add to all that our increased intercontinental travel (among

other factors), and 60 years later, the bedbugs are back.

Pest control companies in large cities have reported 10, 20,

even 100-fold increases in bedbug remediation just be-

tween 2003 and 2006. Here at Deans, we’ve seen a sharp in-

crease as well, but having anticipated this, we were able to con-

sult with some of the nation’s leading experts in this field and

develop a comprehensive approach to controlling this returning

rival.

Still, educating yourself about prevention is invaluable, so take

a look at a few tips on page 2 and keep these bloodthirsty bugs

from bunking in your bed!

Homeowners sometimes become concerned when they notice rain right after their lawn has been fertilized. This is under-

standable. After all, you want to make sure all those nutrients are making their way into the lawn—not down your side-

walk. And since our name is on the sign in the yard, we want your lawn to look great too! Fortunately, in most cases, such

“run-off” shouldn’t be of much concern. Let’s consider why.

As you know, nutrients and water are both critical for turf health, but their relationship to one another is also important.

This is because irrigation (whether by storm or by sprinkler) is required for our fertilizer to be as effective as possible. In

fact, rain delivered during the first 24 hours following an application is especially helpful, encouraging the absorption of

these fresh nutrients and aiding the leaf blades in photosynthesis. It’s actually similar to the way we humans eat: The liq-

uid your turfgrass “drinks” after a satisfying “meal” assists with its digestion.

Still, is it possible to ever receive so much rain so quickly after an application that it could wash away some of the prod-

uct? Of course. A severe thunderstorm that begins immediately after an application and lasts for a prolonged period of

time will rinse away some of the application. Knowing this, our technicians try to avoid making applications when a

heavy rain appears imminent. But what’s considered heavy? Well, ‘Heavy rain’, as defined by the American Meteorologi-

cal Society (AMS), means roughly 1/2 inch per hour. Such events—again according to the AMS—“only occupy 2.6% of

total rain occurrence.”

So if you’re ever worried that the rain has affected your lawn

treatment…you might be right; but the effect is like-

ly a positive one! Still, if an unusually heavy

storm occurs immediately after our treatment,

we’ll be happy to return and reapply as needed!

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Because Deans Services uses vehicles that accommodate the application of multiple services at once, our customers can enjoy simplified billing and easier scheduling. Also, with less CO2 emissions and reduced paper waste from invoices, bills, and enve-lopes, you’ll enjoy a more environmentally-responsible service as well.

Call today and see how much better your

service will be combined!

Some Things Are Just

Better Combined