Rat and Mouse Control in NYC, Long Island, and New Jersey

Commensal Rodents

There are many species of rodents, but three in particular are considered pests in the United States. These are the roof rat, the Norway rat, and the house mouse. These three species are known as commensal rodents, literally meaning that they "eat at the same table" as we do. They are called this because of their close association with humans.

Of these three, the roof rat is seldom encountered in in our area. That leaves only the Norway rat and the house mouse as significant pests in the New York City, Long Island, and New Jersey Metropolitan area.

Rodents and Human Health

Rats and mice have a long and infamous history as enemies of human health. Consider the following:

The World Health Organization estimates that about 33 million tons of food is destroyed world-wide each year by rodents.
Rodents destroy property by their constant gnawing, and cause countless fires and communications outages every year when they gnaw through the insulation on wires.
Rodents are known to transmit serious diseases such as hantavirus, rat bite fever, leptospirosis, and salmonellosis, just to name a few.
The great bubonic plague outbreaks of the sixth, fourteenth, and seventeenth centuries, which together killed countless millions of people, was transmitted by fleas carried by rats.

Rodent Control

An effective rodent control program consists of five elements:

Inspection to determine the extent of the rodent population, their travel routes, their food and water sources, and their access points.
Sanitation to eliminate rodents' food and water sources. This means making sure that trash is properly stored in rodent-proof receptacles, removing pet food when pets are not actually feeding, removing spillage from bird feeders, cleaning up sources of standing water, and making whatever other changes are necessary to reduce the food supply and stress the population.
Exclusion. This means finding and sealing holes, cracks, and other points of entry that rodents are using to get into buildings, the the best extent practical.
Population reduction through the use of traps and/or rodent baits, as appropriate to the particular situation.
Monitoring to assess the effectiveness of the rodent control program and the need for further control measures.

At Pest Quest Pest Management, we have the ability, experience, and know-how to effectively treat any rodent problem. Please contact us for an on-site consultation and custom treatment plan for your location.