Pest Control Magazine

Playboy to release archive on iPad

Hugh Hefner 's 'Playboy' has announced it will put 57 years of its iconic magazine online.

The web-based subscription service has been optimised for the Apple iPad and gives users the opportunity to read, search and explore every issue of 'Playboy' magazine ever published.

Punter nabs huge payout on £1 bet

A SCOTTISH man who won £353,000 (€404,336) on a £1 bet has said his brain was a "wreck" after realising how much he had won.

Bookies William Hill said the Glasgow -based man, who wishes to stay anonymous, won on a seven-horse accumulator bet. The single father said he'll spend his winnings on a new house and a visit to his sisters, who live abroad.

Shark in the water shocks aquarium

Stunned aquarium staff discovered that a shark they did not know they had has been living undetected in their ocean tank for years.

Staff at Blackpool Sea Life Centre in England were baffled when two shark eggs were discovered in a tank occupied by sharks which give birth only to live young.

Caterpillars take control of park

A pest control manager has sought to reassure the public after thousands of caterpillars invaded a popular UK park.

The caterpillars have covered railings and tree trunks in the park in Bradford. The infestation is not dangerous, but has caused local people to stay clear.

Babysitter fed marijuana to child

A woman will stand trial on charges she fed marijuana-laced butter to a 12-year-old girl, who she was baby-sitting, at her Pennsylvania home .

The 12-year-old's mother called police in the US after discovering the drugs in a tub of butter. The woman claims the substance was spread on pieces of toast and then given to the girl.

National Pest Control Magazine - Taiyou Pest Control Tips

If you’re in the hospitality industry, this is one website you don’t want to find yourself on. BedbugRegistry.com is a free public database that encourages people to report bed bug experiences, specifically at hotels. There’s a quick reporting form for listing the hotel name and street address which is translated into a dot-covered map of the U.S. showing the locations of each reported infestation. A list of the hotels and other infestation sites is provided to warn travelers. What the site doesn’t do is verify reports, nor does it indicate when a hotel has successfully remedied the problem.

The old adage there’s no such thing as bad publicity doesn’t carry any credence with hoteliers. They know that even a whispered rumor can have a disastrous effect on business. Websites that detail horror-laced reports of being eaten alive by bed bugs during an overnight stay in a hotel or motel play on growing public hysteria about these blood-sucking parasites. Fanned by a blitz of media attention, an accusation can instantly damage a hotel’s hard-earned reputation and frighten away guests.

According to the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), bed bug infestations have been reported in all 50 states. Nearly unheard of since near eradication by DDT-based insecticides in the 1950s, bed bugs are back and in ever-increasing numbers. Bed bug reports increased by 71% from 2000 to 2005 according to the NPMA. Most pest control companies now field dozens of calls a week each week. “The last 12 months have been particularly active,” said Cindy Mannes, NPMA director of public affairs. “They are showing up like never before in hotels, hospitals, college dormitories, and multifamily housing units as well as single-family homes.”

“Most hotel chains don’t keep track because the number is so insignificant,” said Joe McInerney of the American Hotel & Lodging Association said at the 2006 International Bed Bug Symposium when asked about the growing number of bed bug complaints in the hospitality industry. He noted that there are more than 4.4 million hotel rooms in the U.S., adding “you could count the number of cases per day on one or two hands.” Yet according to a 2004 survey of pest control professionals by Pest Control Technology magazine, hotels and motels were the most common sites of bed bug infestations, accounting for more than one-third of bed bug complaints. In a recent survey, one company reported that 24% of their 700 client hotels required bed bug treatments between 2002 and 2006. Brooke Ferencsik, spokesman for popular hotel review site TripAdvisor.com told USA Today, “We get a steady stream of bed bug reports and have hundreds of reviews” mentioning them. “Even if travelers aren’t experiencing [bed bugs], they’re becoming more aware and are looking out for them.

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Computation and Applied Mathematics

New Scientist