Boom Times for Pests

Without declining 401(k) balances or upward-adjusting mortgages to worry about, rodents and roaches have it pretty good as the recession bears down upon the rest of us. Another reason to break out the cheese: Home and business owners are cutting back on extermination as times get tough making life inside floors and walls all the more cushy. “People are being penny wise and pound foolish,” Gil Bloom of LIC-based Standard Pest Management told The Times. “Monitoring pest control is very much pest prevention. It’s not just killing what’s there today. One mouse, a month later, could easily be a dozen mice.” Exterminators aren't hurting too badly, though: It turns out that the whole bed bug plague has them pretty busy.
Roaches and Mice Thrive in a Recession [NY Times]

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HA!!!!!! that is crazy cuz i think i saw the first cockroach ever in my apt this morning (it was dead by the open window tho) and it was roach-like but not the kind of roach ive ever seen. (not a bedbeg btw). maybe it came in from outside? they are doing renovation of combining apartments on the floor above me so it could be from there too... do you guys let the exterminator into your apartment? we don't cuz they come at an annoying time and we've never seen bugs other than the occassional spider because we're on the ground floor. also i make it a point to take out the trash immediately, even my roommate's trash. having a trash can in your living quarters is vile, especially one in your kitchen where you eat.

*r*

Posted by: PitbullNYC at March 3, 2009 10:51 AM

If your building is serviced regularly by an exterminator, it's a good idea to let him in, whether you've seen bugs or not. Otherwise, if your neighbors have bugs, and the exterminator goes to their place and not yours, the bugs will just move in with you.

But definitely -- never leave "live" garbage (food scraps, etc.) in your house or dirty dishes in the sink...

Posted by: babs at March 3, 2009 10:58 AM

The one thing I hate about the location of my apartment is being surrounded by food. The one establishment on one side of me has been closed for a few months and the one on the other side is still chugging along. Whenever work is done on either of them (which seems to be endless) their bugs show up in my place. I was spraying so much Raid I was seriously considering buying stock in the damn company. I gave that up and found the spot behind the dishwasher where they make it in and stuffed it full of super sharp steel wool. No more bugs :) (I know, as a renter I could ask my landlord to send an exterminator, but my goal has always been to save the landlord money. His costs stay down, my rent stays down.)

Posted by: InsertSnappyNameHere at March 3, 2009 11:00 AM

we aren't surrounded by any food establishments. it appears most of my neighbors are very clean too and most dont even bother letting the exterminator in as well (from what ive seen on the sign up sheet anyway). plus our building isnt attached to any other building so i think that helps. my roommate's dog is super super super old with respiratory problems so i think that is why we dont bother with the exterminator as well. it's funny cuz growing up my grandmother INSISTED on having a private exterminator in our apartment every month even tho most of the buildings we lived in provided them. she was deathly afraid of cockroaches cuz growing up her brothers used to lock her in the closet and dump roaches on her. (tho i dont know if i believe her) but it's scary nonetheless. roaches scare me too. mice are cool tho.

*r*

Posted by: PitbullNYC at March 3, 2009 11:10 AM

ok. that's just gross. i'll be itching for the next hour or so.

Posted by: InsertSnappyNameHere at March 3, 2009 11:15 AM

And just yesterday, I saw a rather large rat frolicking in the snow on the [indoor] Brooklyn-bound 4/5 platform at Borough Hall. This was during the morning rush. I guess the snow had blocked its usually scurry holes...

Posted by: CHMomma at March 3, 2009 11:20 AM

It's NYC...there are rats everywhere. Get used to it.

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at March 3, 2009 11:27 AM

Just need to add that all those lovely backyards restaurants use as table space are a rats dream come true.
Definitely have added greatly to rat problem around Smith St. You may not notice as you are sipping your wine - but they are sitting waiting for those crumbs to drop by your feet.

Posted by: Petebklyn at March 3, 2009 12:12 PM

How about people who FEED piegons!?!?!! That really gets me. These goofballs are simply creating more easily obtained food for RATS. Why in hell would a pigeon need a human to FEED him/her??? They have access to (potentially) every public trash can and garbage dump in the city!!

Posted by: East New York at March 3, 2009 12:24 PM

some people actually like feeding pigeons because it connects them to nature (as gross as it is) and some people feed pigeons because they are mentally ill and/or have no real life friends or pets of their own.

*r*

Posted by: PitbullNYC at March 3, 2009 1:58 PM

"some people feed pigeons because they are mentally ill and/or have no real life friends or pets of their own."

Insane and very lonely people definitely get a pass. The others are still on my s**t list.

Posted by: East New York at March 3, 2009 3:47 PM

from an email from a friend earlier (speaking of pigeons)....

I went to the Penny Arcade at lunch and I only had $22.70 in coins. Argh I thought at least I would have $25 or $30.

And then I saw a man taking bites of bread and then spitting it back out at pigeons, which the pigeons would then proceed to eat.

Posted by: PitbullNYC at March 3, 2009 5:06 PM

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March 3, 2009

Boom Times for Pests

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