Pest Control in Riverdale, Bronx
Riverdale is the leafy northwest corner of the Bronx, perched on hills above the Hudson River between Van Cortlandt Park and the Yonkers line. It feels more suburban than urban, with winding streets, stone walls and large houses set among old trees, alongside co-op apartment towers along the Henry Hudson Parkway and Riverdale Avenue. Wave Hill, a public garden and cultural center on a former estate, overlooks the Hudson and the Palisades. Riverdale Park stretches along the river bluffs. The area is home to several private schools, a large Jewish community and many families who commute via express buses, the 1 train in nearby Kingsbridge, or Metro-North's Hudson Line at Riverdale station.
Also known as: North Riverdale, Hudson Hill.
About Riverdale
In the mid-1800s wealthy New Yorkers built country estates here after the Hudson River Railroad made the area reachable, and Wave Hill hosted residents including Mark Twain and Arturo Toscanini. Riverdale remained a place of estates and villas into the early 20th century. The Henry Hudson Parkway opened in the 1930s, and after World War II many estates were subdivided for apartment towers and co-ops, giving Riverdale its current mix of mansions and high-rises.
Common Pest Problems in Riverdale
Riverdale's steep, wooded terrain and proximity to the Hudson, Riverdale Park, Wave Hill and Van Cortlandt Park make wildlife a bigger concern than in most of the city. Raccoons regularly nest in attics, chimneys and under decks, squirrels chew their way into rooflines, and skunks den beneath porches and sheds. Many homes are surrounded by mature trees whose branches overhang roofs, providing easy access for climbing animals. Spring is the peak season for these calls, when raccoon and squirrel mothers look for warm, protected places to raise their young.
Wood-frame and Tudor houses on large lots are also vulnerable to subterranean termites, especially where mulch beds, firewood or old stumps sit against the foundation. Carpenter ants and pavement ants are common in spring. In the co-op towers along the Henry Hudson Parkway, mice are the most frequent indoor issue, entering through garage levels and service areas, and building managers typically rely on ongoing rodent control programs to keep them in check.