Rats have been a problem in New York City since people, boats and goods began arriving in the area report NYC pest control professionals.  These critters need three things for survival…food, water, and safe living quarters.  Rat and mice infestations survive quite well in the controlled environment of commercial establishments, businesses, and warehouses.

Because many business establishments are not open 24 hours a day/7 days per week, rats and mice have the opportunity to easily infest a building or business and operate uninterrupted.  Storage facilities and restaurants that house large amounts of food products are highly susceptible to rat and mice populations.  While these locations remain quiet during the nighttime hours, rats and mice are able to chew and claw their way into precious food supplies, contaminating all that they touch.  It is estimated that rats and mice contaminate 20% of all of the food sources in the world.

Rats and mice are resourceful creatures.  They don’t care much about what they eat report NYC pest control professionals.  Rats and mice are typically nocturnal creatures, but will come out during the daytime hours if they are in need of food or water, or if their nesting area has been disturbed.

Stop by our website to read about our innovative “Track & Trap” system.  Invading mice don’t stand a chance when we use this device as we are able to track their every move which enables us to see where their entry points are and their nesting place is.  We can safely remove mice in no time at all by using the Track & Trap.

Rats continue to be a problem throughout New York City, seemingly in even more ways than people originally thought. Besides infesting restaurants, office buildings, homes and alley-ways, large populations of rats can even be found throughout New York City parks.

There are different methods to eliminate NYC rat infestations being utilized throughout the city. The options include live traps, glue traps, snap traps, and electronic rat stations. Most people are not fond of live traps because they must then relocate the unharmed trapped rat to a new location far away from its nesting site.

Glue traps are commonly used, but often times, a clever rat is able to escape from the glue trap by wiggling free or even chewing its own foot off to free itself. For the faint of heart, the sounds that a rodent makes when stuck to the glue trap can be difficult to endure. Snap traps and electronic rat stations are a fast and immediate rodent kill.

Some people choose to use poison to try to rid their homes or business of rat infestations.  Rodent poisons have proven to be effective at killing rats, but they are also extremely toxic to humans, pets and other wild animals. CBS News reported on March 10, 2012 that three seemingly healthy and uninjured hawks have recently been found dead in NYC parks.  Hawks provide some relief in the war against NYC rats as they are one of their favored meal choices. It is suspected that the hawks were poisoned by eating rats that had consumed rat poison. The NYDailyNews.com reported on April 10, 2012, that suspicions were indeed correct. A necropsy found traces of rat poisoning in the liver of the latest hawk that was discovered in Central Park according to the State Department of Environmental Conservation.

Traps alone cannot control rodent populations. Disease ridden NYC rats won’t leave on their own; a New York City pest control professional is needed to eradicate these pests.

Some people think that opossums are interesting creatures, some think they are frightening horrible looking rat-like creatures.  Most people do classify opossums as pests regardless if they are walking through their backyard or inhabiting their attic.

Opossums are the only marsupials that are native to the United States.  They are transient creatures that usually only stay in one area for a period of 2 to 3 days, unless a mother has a litter of babies to take care of.  They are commonly found in agricultural areas, woodlands, and neighborhoods with suitable living environments and food sources.  They are usually attracted to neighborhoods by pet food that is left outdoors, over-ripe fruit that has dropped from trees, and dense shrubbery that they can hide under.

Like other rodents, opossums carry a variety of different vector pests which are dangerous to humans.  Fleas, which transmit Typhus and ticks, which transmit Lyme disease should be of particular concern to homeowners as these diseases can cause lifelong illnesses.

Having opossums around outdoors is not always a bad thing as they are scavengers that feed off of a variety of things.  Being scavengers, their natural diet includes eating plant matter, rotting fruit, insects, snails, slugs, and rodents and other small vertebrate animals, as well as dead animals.  They will not hesitate to invade trash cans and pet food bowls for a tasty meal.

Opossums are very adaptable to the environment surrounding them.  When looking for a suitable nesting site, it is not uncommon for a resourceful opossum to climb a tree or bush that is touching a roof to gain access to a home’s attic space.  Attics provide ample space and shelter from the elements for opossums.  Not being good house guests, these creatures will use the attic as their own personal toilet causing extensive damage to insulation and wood sources.

Stern Environmental Group will be able to humanely remove any opossum that has taken up residence in your NY or NJ home.  Call us today to learn about our opossum removal and exclusion services.

Squirrels are cute, but they are not the brightest critter in your backyard.  In fact, a squirrel’s brain is about the size of a walnut.  New Jersey pest control professionals find that squirrels are quite territorial.  They tend to distinctly mark their territory by urinating, chewing holes, and leaving chew marks for other squirrels to see.

Many New Jersey residents have found that do-it-yourself methods that attempt to keep squirrels out of their home was completely futile.  Adding additional boarding to locations where squirrels have already gained entry will not keep squirrels out.  Their strong teeth and nimble climbing ability allows them to be able to slip in and out of any type of location with the greatest of ease.

You don’t need to worry about squirrels that are rambling through your yard, but you do need to take notice of aggressive “marking” signs that occur on or near your home.  These signs are an indication that a squirrel will soon be calling your home…theirs!  Here’s what to look for…

• On the roof…look for roof shingles that are stained with urine.

• In trees near the home…Look for chew marks left on trees.

• Anywhere on the interior or exterior of the home:  Look for chew marks on electrical wiring.  This can be a very dangerous situation due to potential fire risks!

Like many other types of rodents, squirrels are always working to keep their front incisors in tip-top shape so they will not hesitate to chew on any substance to sharpen their ever- growing teeth.

A New Jersey pest control professional will be able to find the best solution to rid your home of pesky squirrels.  Call Stern Environmental Group for expert services in New Jersey and New York.  We specialize in humane squirrel removal services.

Rats living in New York City are as common as people are say NY pest control professionals.  Some experts even believe that for every New York resident, there is a rat living somewhere in a building, park, subway, restaurant, apartment, alley way, or burrow.  Walk the streets late at night and there’s no doubt that New York City rats continue to thrive as they scamper from trash can to trash can searching for a tasty meal.  Any morsel of food dropped on the street serves as a feast to the always hungry rat in the city.

Rats are a particular problem in areas where home and business owners are dumping plastic bags curbside instead of placing them into tightly covered trash cans.  Rats have strong teeth and claws which can easily rip open plastic bags enabling them to gain access to food waste products.  Once inside, it is a variable smorgasbord which attracts many rats in the area.  Even when trash receptacles are used, failing to properly seal them will result in an invasion of filthy disease ridden rats.

The New York Daily News reported on April 5, 2012 that the City New York City Health Department has released their new figures for rat hotspots in the city.  Although the numbers are a bit better than they were in 2010, clearly more work needs to be done to eradicate these vermin as they still pose a serious threat to New York City residents.  You may read the article here.

Don’t wait for the City Health Department to make a visit to your home requiring that you take action against pesky rats.  Hiring a licensed NYC pest control professional with experience in rat removal services will get rid of disease carrying vermin quickly.  Call Stern Environmental Group today for fast rat eradication services.