KNOCKOUT – EARTHQUAKES, TORNADOS, HURRICANES AND FLOODS - WHAT NEXT PLAGUE AND PESTILENCE? MAYBE, IF WE’RE NOT CAREFUL.
September 1, 2011
Enough already! Nature has thrown so much at us these past few weeks. If the Earthquake wasn’t enough, then Hurricane Irene gave us heavy winds, a few Tornados, way too much rain which brought Flooding that we haven’t seen in years, or in some cases, as NEVER seen before. Our hearts go out to all those affected with downed trees, structural damage, power outages, and flooding.
We sent out a “Knockout In Your Corner Bulletin” last week regarding “What to do in an EARTHQUAKE”, [click here to download a Free Printable PDF], but what truly concerns me NOW is the negative effects of power loss on refrigerated foods and flooding bringing disease carrying and destructive pests into homes and businesses. As a provider of and an advocate for Public Health and Safety I feel this BLOG is an opportunity to make a few points.
FOOD SAFETY:
ONE — whether or not you opened your refrigerator or freezer door during the power outage — EXPERTS SAY [USDA, CDC, FDA and the National Institute of Health] — when in doubt ERROR ON THE SIDE OF CAUTION — and Toss It OUT!
TWO — If the freshness and quality of food is in question, then toss it. NEVER taste food to check if it’s still safe to eat. Many pathogens could have established themselves but NOT yet have affected its appearance, taste, or smell. Eating tainted food can cause digestive illnesses including food poisoning, which in some cases can be very serious and in some cases cause death.
THREE - Usually a refrigerator can maintain a 40 degree temperature for 4 hours if unopened. If power is lost “refrigerated” perishable foods like: Meat, Poultry, Fish, Eggs, Milk, and Egg & Dairy Based Products like Mayonnaise should be DISCARDED. As well as ALL leftovers.
FOUR — Frozen Foods kept in an unopened freezer have a little more latitude in time. A freezer maintains food below 32 degrees, so it takes longer for the freezer to reach the cutoff point of 40 degrees; HOWEVER the frozen food MUST STILL HAVE ICE CRYSTALS. Also note that even if determined as safe, the thawing and refreezing can affect the quality of some foods, although it may still be safe to eat.
FIVE — DISCARD ALL ITEMS in a freezer that have thawed and have been held in the freezer space for more than 2 hours. There are only a few items that are exceptions like: Frozen Juices & Frozen Vegetables can be safe and refrozen if held under 6 hours; Pie Crusts & Bread Dough can be refrozen but the quality loss is considerable; Nuts, Flour, HARD Cheeses, and some Frozen Breakfast Items like — Toastable Pancakes, Waffles, and Bagels are re-freezable. There are many government food and safety websites out there BUT again, when in doubt — toss it out!
SIX — DISCARD ALL ITEMS that come in contact with Raw Meat Juices.
PEST CONTROL:
The heavy winds and flooding wreaked havoc on many outdoor insect and animal habitats. Also some of the aftermath conditions like pools of standing water, tons of thrown away garbage bags of spoiled food, and the dead small animal carcasses are ideal breading grounds for mosquitoes; a feeding frenzy for wasps hovering over lawns eating grubs forced to the surface, and an assortment of “filth” flies laying their eggs in piles of garbage and the carcasses of dead animals, which will emerge as swarms of flies in about 7 to 10 days.
What I am more concerned about are the insects and animals that have lost their outdoor habitats and are seeking “new” shelter or have been “forced” into a residential or commercial property. And by forced I’m taking about “creatures” being carried into a structure by winds or flooding water. Creatures like snakes, water bugs, and for one Long Island woman a wave of flooding water brought a swarm of Jelly Fish into her basement. Thank goodness that once the water goes that will be the end of the Jelly Fish infestation. But, that all aside, there are a few things you should be aware of and keep a watchful eye on.
ONE — As waters rise, Rats and Mice seek new shelters which may be homes and buildings. There are also cases where a building may have a problem in a basement the rodents will move up into upper floors exacerbating an existing problem making their elimination harder. Keep on the lookout for signs of rodents.
TWO — Saturated ground forces water bugs, cockroaches, silverfish, millipedes and centipedes, to name a few into homes, stores, warehouses, and an assortment of building structures. Once inside these insects carry diseases can cause food and property damage. If these pests establish themselves it will be harder to rid yourself of the problem.
THREE — As many tree branches have fallen or been damaged, so have the hives of bees and wasps. These stinging insects like many of the displaced creatures will be establishing themselves into and onto remaining stable structures that provide immediate protection from the elements. Some of these NEW areas are under roof eves, window and door frames, outdoor light fixtures, and in garages and sheds that may have been left open to air & dry out.
FOUR — Some of the larger creatures in the “wild” like raccoons, squirrels, and such have also lost their homes in and around trees that have fallen. Now these animals too are seeking new shelters. Although some of these creatures are usually frightened by noises and bright lights that people make in homes and businesses…the power failure has eliminated these conditions and in some cases people have temporally left until power is restored. Now these structures are “perfect” dwellings, and these wildlife creatures make their way in through broken or open basement windows, damage holes in sides of buildings, and through the usual points of entry — uncapped chimneys, unsecured vents, etc.
I don’t think I have to say it but, if you think you have ANY PEST PROBLEM in any residential or commercial property — CALL US TODAY. DON’T LET THE PROBLEM MANIFEST ITSELF and get any worse than it has to be.
And lastly, the issue of FLOODING.
FLOODING:
ONE — This is easy, there is only ONE. As awful as an emotional and financial hardship it may be - flood waters contain everything from petroleum and caustic chemicals to human waste and hordes of bacteria and fungus — so EVERYTHING flood waters touch should be THROWN AWAY. Things like metal, stone, and concrete might be cleaned with bleach or special cleansers BUT everything else form furniture, rugs, papers, clothes, toys, electronics, should be tossed.
I might also suggest that if the flood waters covered your yard that you spread a healthy dose of lime on the lawn to kill some of the fungus that may have established itself.
I know this BLOG is long, (not that any of my earlier BLOGS was short), but I hope that YOU find this information helpful. This Hurricane/Tropical Storm Irene has been very hard on ALL New Yorkers as well as many other people on the East Coast. From the bottom of our hearts, everyone at Knockout Pest Control wishes that life returns to normal as quickly as possible for all of those affected.
[for more food safety information, we suggest you visit: www.fsis.usda.gov/factsheets/keeping_food_safe_during_an_emergency/index.asp ]
Comments
An associate forwarded to me an email containing your news bulletin dealing with the aftermath of hurricane Irene. Besides linking me to this blog, which I thought was very informative, it had additional information about earthquakes of all things. I was surprised and pleased to discover that it was more of a public service than a sales pitch which I expected. I have read your earlier postings and I am amazed how in-depth and informative the writings are without being too self promoting. I read a few blogs on Wordpress and I have to congratulate you for capturing the essence of the purpose of a blog. To be informative, thought provoking, and entertaining, without ranting and raving. At times it feels like I’m reading the New York Times Science Section or the Urban Garner articles in the Wall Street Journal, who I see you blasted in one of your blogs. You should consider linking your blog to Wordpress. I think more people could benefit from the information and stories you provide.
Thank you for the bulletin. Very helpful. I printed out the earthquake warning and hung it in my office. I had also forwarded this link to family and friends in NJ to help them deal with the loss of power and Passaic River flooding. Thank you for providing this important and helpful information.
This is an Interesting blog. It is very useful for readers to choose a safety pest control. Anyway, thank you for the information. I really appreciate your blog. Keep it up.
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