Whether you run a Staten Island retail business or manage an apartment building in Queens, pest infestations can devastate your reputation and lead to customer complaints. Eliminating pests quickly preserves your good name and keeps tenants happy and healthy.
A family business founded in 1928, Ehrlich Pest Control offers customizable pest management services. Its popular pestfree365 plan covers 36 household pests and includes preventative maintenance.
Termites
Termites are the most destructive structural pests in America, causing $5 billion worth of damage each year. They are not dangerous to people, but they can be incredibly damaging to your property and cause significant costs that are often not covered by homeowner insurance policies.
The most common termite species in New York is the Eastern Subterranean Termite (Termitus destructor). These termites are small, white insects that are only about 1/8 to 1/4 inch long. They feed on cellulose, which is found in plant materials like wood and paper. They are social insects and can form large colonies that contain thousands to millions of members.
In early spring, mature termites within the colony produce winged scouts called “swarmers” that look for new places to establish a home. These scouts are poor fliers, so they don’t fly far when searching for their new home. They leave behind signs of their presence, including mud tubes on exterior walls or in crawl spaces and frass (droppings) from damaged timbers.
If you notice any of these signs in your property, it is important to contact a pest control company as soon as possible. Our New York City pest control professionals will create a comprehensive plan to prevent and eradicate termites before they cause extensive damage to your property.
To reduce your risk of termite infestations, keep gutters clean, repair cracks in the foundation and siding of your house, and eliminate soil-to-structure contact. Store firewood away from your house, and remove dead trees and stumps in your yard. Also, be sure to inspect wood piles regularly and to discard any that show signs of termite activity. We can help protect your property from the destructive power of termites and save you money on costly repairs.
Bed Bugs
The city’s dense population and high rate of people moving quickly between apartments, hotels, and other spaces makes NYC a perfect breeding ground for pest infestations. Restaurants and stores packed closely together attract rodents and flies, while the food garbage they produce is a magnet for cockroaches. In addition, tourists and visitors bring pests along in their luggage or on their clothes, resulting in the city’s notorious bed bug epidemic.
The tiny pests are expert hitchhikers that can travel from hotel rooms to apartments, schools, and workplaces on clothing, bags, and furniture. They’re especially problematic for New Yorkers, as their bites cause itchy welts and sleep deprivation.
As their name suggests, they’re most commonly found in beds, but can also lurk in carpets, clothes, stuffed animals, and furniture. They’re difficult to detect, but a flashlight can help: Look for dark fecal marks that smear when wiped. Also keep an eye out for shed skins (the translucent exoskeletons of juvenile bed bugs), as well as dark spots on the corners of mattresses or in cracks in furniture.
While landlords aren’t required to reimburse tenants who suffer from a bed bug infestation, it is possible to negotiate reimbursements or rent abatements on a case-by-case basis. In the meantime, residents can prevent infestations by washing all linens in hot water and drying them on a high heat setting. They should also vacuum their homes regularly, checking seams of mattresses and under furniture for signs of pests. In addition, if a family member suspects a bed bug infestation, they should check their belongings and clothing for the insects before leaving home. They should also contact a local pest control company immediately.
Cockroaches
Cockroaches are the most problematic pests in New York City. These insects are not just ugly and gross, but they can also cause disease and contaminate food, kitchen utensils, and other household items. They carry dangerous bacteria and viruses that can make people sick. They also spread allergens that can trigger asthma symptoms in sensitive people.
Cockroaches thrive in warm, humid environments like NYC. They usually invade homes and apartments to find food, water, and shelter. They forage in garbage piles, dumpsters, drain pipes, and animal carcasses. They can then be transported to new locations on cardboard and other items stored near dumpsters or in multifamily housing complexes.
These pests are nocturnal and most active at night. To see if your home has a cockroach problem, you can look for droppings (which might resemble coffee grounds or pepper), egg casings, cast skins, and molted cockroaches. You might also notice a musty or oily odor.
The first step in preventing a cockroach infestation is to keep your home as clean as possible. Beyond Pest Control recommends sweeping and vacuuming often, particularly in the kitchen and bathroom. All food should be kept in plastics containers or the refrigerator, and all pet foods should be kept in a sealed, plastic container as well.
Another helpful tip is to run the plumbing in your house or apartment at least once a week. This will prevent roaches from crawling up into your home through the water lines in sinks, bathtubs, showers, and washing machines.
There are several different species of cockroaches in New York City, including American, German, and Oriental cockroaches. These pests can be identified by the color of their bodies and markings on their heads or abdomens. American cockroaches are light brown in color and have two horizontal bands running across their abdomens. German cockroaches are tan in color and have dark-colored equal signs on their backs. Oriental cockroaches are darker in color and have no markings on their heads or abdomens.
Flies
Flies are a major nuisance and can be both health hazards and vectors of disease. They are drawn to food waste, animal feces, garbage and moist soil around buildings. Controlling fly populations with a combination of sanitation and pesticides is key to success. Sanitation techniques include eliminating materials — including floors, drains and garbage cans — where maggots may develop, as well as using traps, flies lights and air currents to reduce their numbers. In addition, bioremediation products containing probiotics and beneficial bacteria can be used to clean drains, mop and vacuum cleaners and other appliances that generate sticky deposits.
The city’s restaurants are an alluring breeding ground for flies and other pests, especially because they produce lots of food waste and rotting organic matter. A number of locally adapted fly traps can help limit infestations by making areas where flies are most active less attractive. The phorid fly and the fungus fly are also common in New York City, often invading homes as they search out damp areas such as drains, garden compost piles and piles of fallen fruits and vegetables.
As a general rule, if you see spotted lanternflies, you should squish them to slow the invasive insect’s spread. However, a city parks official warns that this approach can do more harm than good, potentially making a tree weaker and more vulnerable to damage from other pests. In that case, a professional can recommend an integrated pest management plan.
Mosquitoes
Mosquitoes are pesky insects known for their whine and itchy bites, but they’re also important pollinators. They’re in the Diptera family of true flies, and their work helps plants reproduce and distribute seeds. However, mosquitoes can be vectors of pathogens that cause disease in humans and animals. The three main groups of mosquitoes that pose a threat to humans in New York City are Culex, Anopheles, and Aedes. The diseases they carry include West Nile virus, Eastern equine encephalitis, and malaria. Male mosquitoes feed on flower nectar, but females need a blood meal for the energy to produce eggs.
Mosquitoes can be detected by their humming noise, which is caused by the rapid wingbeats they use to fly through air. They’re attracted to moisture, lactic acid, carbon dioxide, and body heat, and their wingbeats help them navigate and scout for a host.
The four-stage life cycle of mosquitoes depends on the environment, and in warm conditions, they can grow from egg to reproductive adult in days. They are strong fliers and can travel great distances, and they’re capable of crossing over bodies of water.
Mosquitoes are a common pest in urban and suburban environments, but people can control them by removing standing water around their property. This includes emptying containers, tossing unused items like tires and tarps, and fixing leaky pipes and gutters to prevent standing water.
People can also reduce their risk of mosquito-borne diseases by taking steps to protect themselves, such as wearing repellent and covering their skin with clothing when outdoors at night. They can also check local reviews to see which pest control companies are the most reputable, and make sure they’re licensed by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
