Tag Archives: rat problem New York City

Commercial Services, Pest Eradication, Rats, Residential Services, Rodent Control

Rat Facts…The Numbers Are Astounding!

rat1It always amazes me to hear how rats are revered in some countries around the world.  In America, not so much!

Here are some interesting facts about rats….

In 2007, it was estimated that 8,274,527 people resided in New York City.  It is also estimated that there is one rat for every person living in New York City.  A rat will eat from one to three ounces of food each day.  If these  numbers are true, rats consume over 250 tons of food each day in New York City.   Rats living in the City will drink 62,500 gallons of water each day.

Besides having plenty of food and water available to them, rats are quite proficient at producing offspring.   Rats have a life expectancy from six months to one year.  A female rate will usually mate over 20 times in a day with multiple rat partners.  A female rat will have two or three litters of pups each year.  Each litter averages between six and twelve pups.  A female rat will be ready to breed by the time it is three months old.  A male and female rat can produce up to 15,000 descendants in a one year life span.

Without the help of professional rat exterminators, the population of rats in New York City would bypass the amount of residents in just one year.  If you have a rat problem in your home or business, it’s time to call out Stern Environmental Group to take care of your problem!

Commercial Services, Pest Eradication, Pest Management, Rats, Residential Services

Rats In New York City Are Like Humans

ratRats have been around for what seems like forever.  Where there is man, there are rats.  It’s as simple as that.

An interesting study on rats was conducted not long ago at the Tel Aviv University.   In the study, rats were found to have similar orientation strategies to humans when they are placed in an urban setting.  Tel Aviv University developed mini models of city layouts to see what type of city a rat could easily navigate its way through.  According to Professor Eilam at Tel Aviv University Department of Zoology, “We put rats in relatively large areas with objects and routes resembling those in Manhattan.  We’ve found that routes taken by rats and other members of the animal kingdom tend to converge at attractive landmarks, the same way people are attracted, for example, to the Arc de Triumph in Paris.”  His findings were that like humans, rats established a grid system to orient themselves.   The rats in the study preferred New York City over New Orleans and Jerusalem.

Although the study was made to help urban planners develop cities, you can’t help but wonder if this is why the rat population is so large in New York City.  It’s the perfect city.   It has been reported that rats in New York City now outnumber people in the city.  You can easily see them in the streets and dark alleys.  They have been spotted in restaurants, dumpsters, sewers, subways, homes, apartment buildings, and other places where food can easily be obtained.  These rats are living the good life, just like other city dwellers.

Shining a light on a rat used to scare them away.  Today’s rats are bold and fearless.  If you have rats in your home or business, it’s time to call a professional rat exterminator!

Cockroaches, Commercial Services, Insect Control, Mice, Pest Control

New New York City Restaurant Regulations Can’t Come Soon Enough Part II Of II

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Continuing from the post on Thursday…

A similar grading system will be coming to New York as well.  Sadly, everyone must wait until July of 2010 for the system to begin.  The grading system is sure to keep restaurants on their toes as Health Inspectors are intending on visiting those with lower scores more often than they are currently visiting them.  If the public only frequents “A” restaurants; than all restaurants will strive to earn that “A” grade to keep the profits rolling in.

The NYC restaurant operators’ trade group is not so happy about the upcoming grading laws.  Last year in New York City, $26.8 million dollars in fines were paid by restaurants.  In total, 9,301 restaurants failed their inspection and 1,057 where closed down after their inspection.  Those numbers alone speak volumes that the new regulations should go full steam ahead!

In New York City, officials intend to issue the letter grades right on the spot after the inspection is completed.  Additionally, inspectors will be rotated so no accusation of impropriety can be made.  One health inspector recently reported that he is seeing more dead rats than live rats at restaurants in New York City.  That is a step in the right direction…well sort of, live or dead, they both carry the same fines and “yuck” factor.

If you have rats, call the rat expert to get rid of your vermin problem.

Commercial Services, Mice, Nuisance Wildlife Control, Pest Control, Pest Management, Rats, Residential Services

New New York City Restaurant Regulations Can’t Come Soon Enough Part I Of II

They lurk mostly in the shadows, with clear intentions of scurrying away from attentive eyes.  They are rats, mice and other bothersome vermin.  They continue to cause problems for restaurateurs in New York City.

New York City restaurant vermin problems have been the subject of many newspaper articles and television shows.  Hopefully with the new regulation that is forthcoming, the frequency of such reports will seriously diminish.

When I lived in California, it was quite easy to know when a restaurant has passed muster with the local Health Department.  Years ago they enacted regulations for restaurants by giving them an “A”, “B” or “C” grade.  The “grade” must be displayed for all patrons to see. If you think about it, would you want to eat a restaurant with a lower grade as opposed to a higher one?  A lower grade spells violations and trouble.  According to Dr. Jonathan E. Fielding, who is the Director of Public Health for Los Angeles County, “an independent study showed that its letter system had not only reduced food-borne illness outbreaks associated with restaurants, but also had lowered associated hospitalizations by 20 percent.”

The system in Los Angles does have some flaws though.  I remember going to lunch at my favorite “A” grade spot in downtown Los Angeles.  Hundreds of people filter through the restaurant each and every day.  I brought my salad back to my office and half way through my salad you could find me screaming and whacking my salad onto the floor.  My co-workers just laughed until they realized that I had a roach in my salad…and they had just eaten at the same restaurant.  I was quick to call the Health Department and they were equally quick at performing an inspection and completely shutting the restaurant down within two hours of my frantic call.  It remained shut down for three weeks and I never stepped foot inside again.

Please check back on Tuesday for the conclusion to this post.

Rats

Bronx Launches Rat Eradication Campaign

This rat would have been a challenge even for Bobby Corrigan. Scientists in Uruguay have discovered fossil evidence of a one ton rodent as big as a bull! With a 20-inch scull, 8-foot long body and weighing in at 1,700 to 3,000 pounds, the beast wouldn’t have scurried into your basement through a gap in the sewer outlet, he’d have just battered down your door! Not that Corrigan wouldn’t be up to the challenge. Corrigan is New York City’s full-time rodent hunter.

Pulling in a six-figure city salary, the noted (and notorious) rodentologist has been training city workers for the past two years to trap rodents instead of just chasing them elsewhere. Now Corrigan’s been put in charge of a pilot program to rid the Bronx of its burgeoning rat population. If the 18-month program is successful, it will be expanded citywide.

Even as you read this, swarms of Health Department inspectors are blanketing the Bronx, looking for and recording signs of the disease-spreading rodents. A public prevention campaign is being launched to school residents in protecting their homes from rat infiltration. The city is doubling its complement of health inspectors who are expected to visit up to 200 properties a day. Property owners who fail to get rid of rats could be fined. With fines starting at $200, you’ll want to keep Stern Environmental Group’s phone number (locally: 201-319-9620 or toll free: 1-888-887-8376) handy in case you find evidence of rats on your property. Click here for information on Stern’s highly effective commercial and residential rat control services.