
Why is NJ pest control such a serious issue? Just look across the river, where more than 13,000 NYC apartments are awaiting an official response to reports of rat and bug infestations.
Fighting Pest Infestations in NYC Housing
Data comes from a report issued by Bart Schwartz, federal monitor of the New York City Housing Authority. Nearly two months after initial complaints were filed, there was a backlog of 2,645 apartments with open work orders along with 10,580 adjacent units.
This is the second quarterly report from Schwartz as a follow-up to his initial missive in late summer 2019. At that time, Schwartz found the NYCHA out of compliance with a mandate to have infestation complaints handled by August 1.
The Road to Progress
Despite these numbers, Schwartz’s report acknowledged a certain amount of progress by the NYCHA. Original totals indicated 23,531 “primary impacted units” and 74,527 “adjacent impacted units” requiring relief, of which 6,000 had been addressed over the two months.
One specific problem, unnamed in the report but confirmed by the NYCHA, involved the Washington houses in East Harlem. These units were added to NYC’s rat reduction program, resulting in the eventual reduction of rat burrows and the reopening of closed trash compactor rooms.
Need NJ Pest Control? Contact Stern Environmental
We provide safe and effective removal of pests ranging from ants and bed bugs to squirrels and raccoons. Contact us for more information.