Sterling International Celebrates Thirty Years

Congratulations to our client Sterling International, makers of RESCUE! Pest Control Products, on celebrating thirty years in business!

Thirty years ago, long before “green” was trendy, the founder and president of Sterling International, Rod Schneidmiller, was tinkering in his kitchen with an all natural solution to trap flies. He got it right - and RESCUE! ® Pest Control was born.

“I come from a long line of entrepreneurs in the landscaping and growing industry. All that we’ve accomplished is a reflection and continuation of our family heritage that has shaped my values and vision for this company,” says Schneidmiller.

According to Schneidmiller, the company hasn’t veered away from the original intent forged thirty years ago: to design, manufacture and market the safest and most effective pest control solutions available. He’s pleased the company’s founding mission of ‘making pest control smarter’ is shaping the future - today.

Looking ahead, Schneidmiller foresees that bio-pesticides will continue to grow in popularity as consumers realize the potential dangers that conventional pesticides pose to the environment. “Bio-pesticides are a growing trend and we’re definitely in a growth market.”

He points out that RESCUE!’ s approach uses a non-toxic mode of action to lure targeted insects into a scientifically designed trap that eliminates the need to use potentially harmful chemicals.

All RESCUE! ® traps are recognized around the world as reliable and environmentally safe insect control solutions that will not harm beneficial bugs, people, pets or plants.

To learn more about Sterling and their line of products, visit http://www.rescue.com or follow RESCUE! ® on Facebook.

-Stacey
Garden Media Group

Timing is Everything in the Fight Against Stink Bugs

Out of sight should not mean out of mind. The “great awakening” is upon us; stink bugs are ready to mate and multiply! Experts are warning us that now’s the critical time to catch those stink bugs before your gardens become their buffet.

Did you know that stink bugs have been called one of the most serious agricultural and ornamental pests ever seen in the United States?It is estimated that stink bugs do millions of dollars of damage to crops and gardens each year. Their favorites are fruit and berries, juicy tomatoes and veggies.

With nationwide record-setting warmer winter and mild spring temperatures, stink bugs are showing up earlier than many anticipated.

According to Dr. George Hamilton, chair of the Department of Entomology at Rutgers University, sting bugs in the Mid-Atlantic region are appearing from one to two weeks earlier than we normally see and are in the process of moving outdoors.

Hamilton says the brown marmorated stink bugs are a particular problem with the potential to wreak havoc on agriculture and home gardens at almost every growth stage.

With the early spring and plants coming out sooner and the possibility of warmer weather extending into fall, some scientists are wondering if there’s a potential for two generations of stink bugs showing up further north than they’ve seen before.

Dr. Qing-He Zhang, PhD, lead scientist and director of research at Sterling International, has developed a safe and effective solution for home gardeners to use outdoors. The RESCUE!® Stink Bug Trap, catches adult stink bugs and the ravenous younger generations that feed on gardens and fruit bearing shrubs and trees.

And they’re on the move hitching rides across the nation.

According to United States Dept of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service (USDA/ ARS) in Beltsville, MD, four more states - Missouri, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas - have reported sightings of invasive stink bugs, bringing the total to more than 37 states.

The RESCUE!® Stink Bug Trap lures, captures and destroys these destructive pests using patent-pending technology that slowly releases a pheromone that’s odorless to humans and formulated to lure stink bugs from up to 30 feet. The non-toxic delivery system is similar to what Sterling has successfully used in other RESCUE!® traps for pests.

For great tips on how to beat stink bugs, visit http://www.rescue.com and its new site, [http://www.stinkbugsmackdown.com or follow RESCUE! on Facebook.

-Stacey
Garden Media Group

Keeping Pests Out of the Garden this Summer

So, your garden is planted and now it's time to enjoy spending time in it, right? Well, due to our mild winter and early spring here in the Northeast it's really going to be a buggy summer. I'm already seeing stinkbugs and aphids in my garden!

Check out expert Gardener Nancy Bell from Gateway Garden Center sharing her top tips on the Philly 10! Show on how to get rid of an array of bugs and keep you pest free all summer long.

View more videos at: http://nbcphiladelphia.com.

-Stacey
Garden Media Group

Shine a little LED on the subject of Stink Bugs

If you think you’re safe, beware. Researchers predict that if one out of 10 homes had stink bugs last year, nine in 10 homes could have them this season. According to Dr. Tracy Leskey, a research entomologist with the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, adult stink bugs are moving inside and looking for places to spend the winter.

"Now is the time to fight stink bugs," says Rod Schneidmiller, president of Sterling International, developer of the RESCUE! Stink Bug Traps. "Whether you use a homemade trap or one of ours, do something this fall to break the cycle and reduce their numbers."

By Halloween, most stink bugs will have moved inside to hibernate. Experts say a good indoor stink bug trap with an LED light works best to attract stink bugs indoors.

To prevent stink bugs from taking over your home this winter, follow these tips from the pros:

* Seal up your castle. The first line of defense is to close your windows and doors, and seal up any openings where the bugs can enter. They can flatten out and slip through the cracks to hide in your house for winter.

* Create a barrier outdoors. Outdoors stink bugs are attracted to scent. Indoors they move to light. Place traps on porches, posts and trees around your home. New traps on the market catch both young and adult stink bugs with a pheromone attractant that lures them from up to 30 feet away.

* Check traps frequently. Make certain your traps are catching stink bugs. If not, move them to another spot. "Be vigilant," says Doug Oster, author of Grow Organic. "You have to out-smart them."

* Pick them off. When you see them on your plants, deck or curtains, pick them off with a tissue, drop in a cup of soapy water and flush down the toilet. Do not release outside. "These aren’t lady bugs," says Oster. "A dead stink bug is the only good stink bug."

* Seek and destroy them indoors. Once they migrate indoors, the bugs congregate in warm dark areas. Indoors they are attracted to light, not scent, so place your traps in attics, living areas and basements where the bugs gather to hibernate through the winter. "Light is what works indoors," Oster says. RESCUE! just introduced a new Stink Bug Light - an attachable LED proven to lure the bugs into the trap. The light easily snaps onto the Stink Bug Trap and plugs into either a wall outlet or battery pack.

* Don’t vacuum. If you vacuum, you’ll scare them and they will emit a foul odor that will linger in your vacuum cleaner and home. If you do, change and dispose the bag immediately.

For more information and great tips on how to beat stink bugs, visit http://www.rescue.com/.

-Karen
GMG