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August 6, 2009
Garden Apartments & Pests
My girlfriend and I are considering moving into a floor-thourgh garden apartment in N. Park Slope where the bedroom faces the garen. We are worried about bugs, mice and other pets. Does anyone have any experiences/thoughts to share? Many thanks.
Comments
That was supposed to be "bugs, mice and other pests". We don't plan on domesticating any of these critters.
Posted by: Count Chocula at August 5, 2009 5:00 PM
I've never heard of anyone's having a problem w/ that.
Posted by: Arkady at August 5, 2009 5:00 PM
Never had a problem with it myself...
The building should exterminate regularly, and you should be just fine.
Posted by: 11217 at August 5, 2009 5:30 PM
u rub a thin coat of molasses on the ground floor doors and windows of the houses on each side of you to direct the bugs elsewhere. it really works.
*rob*
Posted by: PitbullNYC at August 5, 2009 6:44 PM
Tell you what. I have a garden apt for rent and I would recommend not contacting me. My pet cats stand at the door and stare in all the time...would really unnerve you guys.
Jeez...if you can't enjoy the advantages of a garden apt, why consider it?
Posted by: cmu at August 5, 2009 8:55 PM
who cares about the pests - i'd be more worried about hearing the owners heavy footsteps and dinner parties every friday night! fuggeggggaboutit
Posted by: bowl of dicks at August 6, 2009 8:49 AM
you do seem a little neurotic and naive. Any building can have mice, bugs(roaches),etc.
Did you grow up/always live in some highrise apartment or something?
Posted by: Petebklyn at August 6, 2009 9:53 AM
I don't have a yard but my aprtment backs on a roof deck over the single story rear extension on the building. I haven't had any more than the usual problem with bugs, mostly from when I have the window to the deck open. But I do now have a new pet/pest.
A cat showed up about 6 weeks ago. He appeared to be starving, so we started feeding him. Now he knows our schedule and greets us the minute we get home, crams himself into the window sill when it's raining, and sits next to us when we have cookouts. We like him and have even ordered a present for him, a little cat house with a porch.
Posted by: bessie2 at August 6, 2009 10:39 AM
bessie2 - that's kinda sweet - will you continue to feed him? I wish some of the feral cats in my backyard would approach me, i'd love to have a pet..
Ok - well the OP has a point as we rent out our 2 bottom floors and the kitchen is on the groundfloor. In the summer the tenants do complain of having more bugs coming in through the kitchen window than normal. I mean it's not roaches so I don't really worry about it - bugs are everywhere - we have an ant problem on our floor(3rd) every spring - they come through a crack near the door to the deck.
My point is bugs happen everywhere, you can't really escape them. Mice can happen anywhere too.
Posted by: gemini10 at August 6, 2009 11:41 AM
Sounds lovely.... downside, expect seasonal 'skeeters, so make sure your screens are in good shape, the upside, fireflies on dark Summer evenings...
Posted by: bren at August 6, 2009 11:44 AM
i think some people are under the impression the garden apartments are much more likely to have roaches, mice, etc. can anyone confirm if there is truth to this? i always believed that if a building has roaches and mice you will see them on every level.
Posted by: duckumu at August 6, 2009 11:44 AM
I would think the only extra pests on a garden level would be feral cats, and they keep away much more annoying pests.
Mice and roaches really have no problem getting up to the 3rd or 4th floor. I once had ants climbing up the exterior of my building to my 3rd floor kitchen window (apparently my kitchen counter had enough spilled sugar on it to justify the trek).
When I lived on the 9th floor, I definitely saw fewer bugs and no mice, although that building was fairly well maintained and had regular exterminations etc., so not sure how much of that was height.
And this reminds me... there is a mouse trap in my broiler that may or may not have been sprung... I should check up on that.
Posted by: northsloperenter at August 6, 2009 11:50 AM
I used to live in a garden apartment in Long Island City. While my apartment did not have roaches, we did have the usual ant, fly occasional bee issues and we did have garden mice. Mice unfortunately come with the territory. I did have a cat who was a terrific mouser, but she didn't like the hind legs and would leave those after eating the rest of the mouse ... yikes!
I did use mouse traps and that worked, but in the winter time, the mouse problem increased a bit. I simply kept my floors and counters as clean as I could with no food ever left out and tried my best to patch up any holes or slits. Mice can flatten themselves out to almost nothing and can fit in the tiniest of holes/slits.
I don't like poisons .. specially with pets ... as mice can also die in between your walls and begin to smell. Make sure you have screens on all your windows, don't leave doors ajar and check under cabinets. sinks etc and patch all holes as best you can, Nothing is as enjoyable as having an oasis of a garden in the city.
Posted by: tlocane at August 6, 2009 11:51 AM
Having lived on the ground floor for the past two years, I can tell you that come October when it starts getting cold, without fail, a family of mice has moved in. My landlord exterminates, but I think its just one of those things you have to deal with. But if its worth having a garden, then just get some mice poison and be prepared.
Posted by: UnRed at August 6, 2009 11:51 AM
"you do seem a little neurotic and naive. Any building can have mice, bugs(roaches),etc. Did you grow up/always live in some highrise apartment or something?"
Why the nasty responses? The Count was just asking for your thoughts and experiences with garden level living. Jeez!
Posted by: GHB at August 6, 2009 11:59 AM
yes, can confirm more bugs (no roaches or mice at all) in the form of flies, mosquitoes, occassional ants, and occasional house centipede (scary but harmless things). upside: cooler temps, fireflies, lush garden we sit out in all the time and bbq and our friends are envious.
Posted by: goldie at August 6, 2009 11:59 AM
I have a garden...and cherish it a lot! so do my cats sometimes bringing back a mouse more saddly a bird. (happened twice this year)
Only annoyance are the mosquitoes preventing us in the summer from really enjoying the patio.
Once a racoon showed up...
Posted by: vivante at August 6, 2009 12:00 PM
Don't worry about mice & bugs. Our kitchen is on the ground floor facing rear year. Once a year or so we may see some little ants, but that's about it. About a year ago we had a racoon in our backyard, so you might want to keep that back door closed!
Posted by: probopop at August 6, 2009 12:55 PM
Thank you everyone.
GHB - I agree. It's a simple (and reasonable) question, no need to be nasty. I did appreciate CMU's comment, which gives the thread a nice touch of Brooklyn authenticity..."tellya what, pal...I gotta garden apartment...how 'bout youz don't move in there?"
goldie - my personal worry is house centipedes. I agree they are harmless but so, so gross. I use to get them a lot at an old apartment a few years back, but have been relatively bug-free in park slope for several years. Oh well, guess I will have to deal.
Thanks again for the responses...if anyone has more suggestions, please post!
Posted by: Count Chocula at August 6, 2009 1:32 PM
I saw a centipede a few weeks ago and now I live in terror I will step on one barefoot in the dark. Are they really harmless? Google says some are, some aren't.
Posted by: mopar at August 6, 2009 2:25 PM
What's with all the centipede hate? I see them all the time in my upstate house and just send them back outside.
Bessie, I think you should take the cat in. Gemini, try harder and then take a couple of feral cats in. Count, get a cat. Everyone's problems solved!
Posted by: rh at August 6, 2009 3:00 PM
im assuming we're talking bout the same house centipedes, very whispy legs that break off easily, grey/silver, look prehistoric/spiky, and move real fast and grow quite large (several inches)?
after we moved in and found a few, it scared the s..t out of my wife (and still does), so i figured out what they were, read up on them, and it turns out a) theyre harmless to humans but can give a tiny bite if you provoke them b) theyre actually beneficial in that they eat other bugs and c) theyre attracted by water, so keep your place clean, and there's apparently no easy way to get rid of them. so we live with the idea of looking up from bed in the middle of the night to see one fall on our face.
Posted by: goldie at August 6, 2009 3:59 PM
Oh great, now I get to worry about one falling on my face! Thanks Goldie! (Just kidding.) I told my landlady to get rid of the putrid pool of water & pigeon poop that collects in the air shaft and breeds all kinds of insects. But would she listen? No. Thank god we're moving soon.
Posted by: mopar at August 6, 2009 4:53 PM
Gemini
If you want a cat, I am trying to find a home for one or two of mine. I have a total of five. I know. I took them in from outside and had they spayed. All I can tell you is they are great to have around a garden. I have never had a rodent problem seeing for myself that they catch the "mices" before they come inside.
Posted by: HurricaneKate at August 6, 2009 5:38 PM
If you have a cat, rodents won't even come around. : ) The other apartments in our brownstone have mouse sightings occasionally, but with our even strictly indoor, declawed feline we've never, ever had one.
Posted by: jland at August 9, 2009 9:51 PM
I vote for the cat. I have cats, a garden and no pests. If a fly enters he is dead within 15 minutes. The garden is the best perk available in an apt. Sit out on a summer evening and watch the fireflies.
Posted by: hancockone at August 10, 2009 4:22 PM
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