The experts say there are more rats and mice in Manhattan than people. I remember, not too long ago, standing in the lobby of a 235-unit coop apartment building that we service on 145th street, talking to the doorman, and a rat ran from the sidewalk right into the building. So much for professional courtesy! I asked the doorman how often that happens. His response surprised me. Every time they do construction on the water mains or the sewers, the rodents seem to run wild.

The experts say New York City has been at war with the rodents for a decade and I'm not sure they're winning.

As my company has a zero tolerance for rodents and insects, I try to make into account the environment in which we live. As I tell the management companies and the homeowner associations which run these buildings or the studio renter in SoHo, we eliminate them and we try to keep them out. In exterminating rodents, we use snap traps, pre-baited glue boards, tracking powder and rodent boxes with third generation rodenticides inside. I prefer First Strike® by Lipha-Tech, which is a one chew fatal for rodents, although they cost a bit more, it does the job well. The rodent boxes are tamper resistant for children and animals, requiring a special key to open them up.

The second part of the solution in apartments in Manhattan is rodent proofing. That is where the technician gets on his hands and knees and seals the holes that rodents squeeze through. We use a product that is specifically designed for that purpose, Stuff-It, and is made of steel mesh. From penthouses to studio apartments, we go under the sink in the kitchen and where pipes go through the wall, they are usually enlarged, we seal it with Stuff-It. We also check behind the stove, under vanities in the bathrooms, and the radiators where the pipes run through the floor to seal those holes as well.

Arnie Fishon is the founder and owner of AAA Abco Termite & Pest Control, Inc, a veteran and family owned business, and has served on the Board of Directors of the Professional Pest control Association of New York City. He is a member of the National pest Management Association and the New York Pest Management Association

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