“If there is one creature most people fear and hate the most, it is rats,” says Leonard Douglen, executive director, New Jersey Pest Management Association. “The bad news is that a new study reveals that the older cities in the nation are the most vulnerable to rat infestations.”
Newark is the third oldest major city in the United States, having been founded in 1666 and later established as a township in 1693. On February 21, 1798, the State legislature official recognized it as one of New Jersey’s initial 104 townships. “Anywhere people gathered together in large towns and small, rats have been quick to take advantage of the food supplies this represented.”
Using the latest U.S. Census Bureau statistics, Dale Kaukeinen and Dr. Bruce Colvin studied the problem, citing four factors that reflect rodent infestation problems in, not just the older cities, but all major urban centers coast to coast.
Aging infrastructure was one identifying factor. Older cities have aging sewer and subway systems that provide ideal breeding places for rats. Housing in poor condition is another part of the problem. The study examined thirty of the largest metropolitan areas in the United States. In addition to New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Detroit, all more than 300 years old, there were eleven other cities over 200 years old.
American cities have been enjoying gentrification and development, leading to a resurgence as residential areas. Metropolitan areas grew by nearly ten percent during the 1990s, with the greatest growth in the South and the West. The density of the population guarantees an abundance of food waste from residents, businesses and local restaurants. Ironically, the building or renovation of structures often reveals large rodent populations and causes them to migrate elsewhere in the city.
In contrast to growing populations, the federal subsidies for rodent reduction and prevention programs that many cities received during the 1970s and 80s, were eliminated and, as a result, many cities had to either pick up their portion of the $12 to $15 million awarded yearly or eliminate the programs by replacing them with those that only responded to citizen’s complaints. “Cities without a pro-active rodent control program have learned the hard way that Mother Nature does not take a vacation when federal monies dry up,” said Douglen.
The study further cited weather as a factor. Many U.S. cities are either ports on the East and West Coasts, as well as the Gulf of Mexico, but are also subject to warm and even tropical weather. These contribute to an increased rate of deterioration, as well as the growth of weeds and overgrown areas that provide natural food and cover for rodents.
“For New Jersey homeowners and apartment dwellers, autumn is the season when rodents want to move indoors where they can find warmth, water, and food,” said Douglen, “and this is reflected in the rise in the number of calls our members are receiving in response to sightings of rodents.”
“There are some steps people can and should take to reduce the potential for a rodent infestation,” said Douglen. The New Jersey Pest Management Association advises people to keep any trash in sealed containers and to remove any piles of junk around their residences or in garages.”
“A home or apartment structure should be carefully inspected for any cracks in its foundation because rodents can gain access through a crack as small as a dime. In a similar fashion, bushes and other vegetation should be kept back at least a foot from any building. Rats, however, are also excellent climbers and overhanging trees and utility lines often provide access.
“Leaving food on kitchen counters overnight or pet food is an invitation to rodents,” warned Douglen.
“If do-it-yourself efforts with traps and baits don’t work—and they usually don’t—people should contact a pest management firm. They not only have a variety of tools appropriate to exterminating a rodent population, but they also have received the training necessary to know the difference between rat and mouse behavior. All pest management firms and their technicians are licensed and certified by the State.”
“Our association’s website at http://www.njpestcontrol.com provides a complete list of our members and where they are located so anyone can find a firm that maintains the highest standards of service.”
No more results found. Newark is the third oldest major city in the United States, having been founded in 1666 and later established as a township in 1693. On February 21, 1798, the State legislature official recognized it as one of New Jersey’s initial 104 townships. “Anywhere people gathered together in large towns and small, rats have been quick to take advantage of the food supplies this represented.”
Using the latest U.S. Census Bureau statistics, Dale Kaukeinen and Dr. Bruce Colvin studied the problem, citing four factors that reflect rodent infestation problems in, not just the older cities, but all major urban centers coast to coast.
Aging infrastructure was one identifying factor. Older cities have aging sewer and subway systems that provide ideal breeding places for rats. Housing in poor condition is another part of the problem. The study examined thirty of the largest metropolitan areas in the United States. In addition to New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Detroit, all more than 300 years old, there were eleven other cities over 200 years old.
American cities have been enjoying gentrification and development, leading to a resurgence as residential areas. Metropolitan areas grew by nearly ten percent during the 1990s, with the greatest growth in the South and the West. The density of the population guarantees an abundance of food waste from residents, businesses and local restaurants. Ironically, the building or renovation of structures often reveals large rodent populations and causes them to migrate elsewhere in the city.
In contrast to growing populations, the federal subsidies for rodent reduction and prevention programs that many cities received during the 1970s and 80s, were eliminated and, as a result, many cities had to either pick up their portion of the $12 to $15 million awarded yearly or eliminate the programs by replacing them with those that only responded to citizen’s complaints. “Cities without a pro-active rodent control program have learned the hard way that Mother Nature does not take a vacation when federal monies dry up,” said Douglen.
The study further cited weather as a factor. Many U.S. cities are either ports on the East and West Coasts, as well as the Gulf of Mexico, but are also subject to warm and even tropical weather. These contribute to an increased rate of deterioration, as well as the growth of weeds and overgrown areas that provide natural food and cover for rodents.
“For New Jersey homeowners and apartment dwellers, autumn is the season when rodents want to move indoors where they can find warmth, water, and food,” said Douglen, “and this is reflected in the rise in the number of calls our members are receiving in response to sightings of rodents.”
“There are some steps people can and should take to reduce the potential for a rodent infestation,” said Douglen. The New Jersey Pest Management Association advises people to keep any trash in sealed containers and to remove any piles of junk around their residences or in garages.”
“A home or apartment structure should be carefully inspected for any cracks in its foundation because rodents can gain access through a crack as small as a dime. In a similar fashion, bushes and other vegetation should be kept back at least a foot from any building. Rats, however, are also excellent climbers and overhanging trees and utility lines often provide access.
“Leaving food on kitchen counters overnight or pet food is an invitation to rodents,” warned Douglen.
“If do-it-yourself efforts with traps and baits don’t work—and they usually don’t—people should contact a pest management firm. They not only have a variety of tools appropriate to exterminating a rodent population, but they also have received the training necessary to know the difference between rat and mouse behavior. All pest management firms and their technicians are licensed and certified by the State.”
“Our association’s website at http://www.njpestcontrol.com provides a complete list of our members and where they are located so anyone can find a firm that maintains the highest standards of service.”