Pest Control in Mill Basin, Brooklyn
Mill Basin is an upscale waterfront neighborhood in southeastern Brooklyn, built around an inlet of Jamaica Bay of the same name. The Mill Island section on the east side is known for its large custom-built homes, many with backyards opening onto the water and private boat docks. Kings Plaza shopping center anchors the area at Flatbush Avenue and Avenue U, and the Belt Parkway runs along the southern edge. Nearby residents enjoy access to Marine Park and the Jamaica Bay shoreline. Mill Basin has a well-established Jewish community along with Italian American and Russian-speaking families, and it is served by buses rather than subways, so most residents drive.
Also known as: Mill Island.
About Mill Basin
Mill Basin takes its name from the tide mills that operated along its inlet during the colonial era, when the area was part of the town of Flatlands. For much of the 20th century the basin's shores held industrial uses and marshland. Kings Plaza opened in 1970 on the waterfront at Flatbush Avenue, and during the same era developers filled marshland to create house lots. The Mill Basin Bridge carrying the Belt Parkway was replaced with a new, higher span in the 2010s.
Common Pest Problems in Mill Basin
Mill Basin's waterfront homes sit on filled marshland with a high water table, so basements, crawl spaces and wood decks stay damp much of the year. Those conditions favor subterranean termites, which can reach structural wood through landscaping, docks and decks attached to the house. Centipedes also move indoors from the humid ground, particularly into finished basements and lower-level guest rooms. In homes with bulkheads, the wood near the waterline is especially vulnerable, and damage can spread unnoticed behind finished walls and flooring.
Surrounding marsh, the Jamaica Bay shoreline and nearby Marine Park give raccoons easy routes into backyards, where they investigate pool houses, boat storage and trash enclosures. Gray squirrels are common in the mature trees around the larger homes and frequently enter attics. Rats forage around the Kings Plaza loading areas and marina, while mice find their way into garages and basements when cold weather sets in. Pool houses and cabanas used only in summer are frequent nesting sites.