Pest Control in Laurelton, Queens
Laurelton is a suburban-feeling neighborhood in the far southeastern corner of Queens, bounded by Springfield Gardens to the west, Cambria Heights to the north, Rosedale to the south and the Nassau County line to the east. Tree-lined streets of detached Tudor and Colonial houses give it a distinctly residential character. Merrick Boulevard is the main shopping street, with Caribbean restaurants, beauty shops and churches, and the Laurelton station on the Long Island Rail Road offers a direct ride to Jamaica and Atlantic Terminal. The landscaped Laurelton Parkway section of the Belt system runs along its eastern edge. Most residents are African American or of Jamaican, Haitian and other Caribbean heritage, and homeownership is high.
About Laurelton
Laurelton was farmland and meadow until the early twentieth century, when real estate investors laid out streets around a new railroad stop and marketed the area as a garden suburb. Much of the housing was built in the 1920s and 1930s, favoring Tudor details, brick and stucco. The neighborhood was largely Jewish and Italian American in the postwar years. From the 1960s onward, Black and Caribbean families became the majority, and they have kept the housing stock and street trees carefully maintained.
Common Pest Problems in Laurelton
Laurelton's detached homes are mostly close to a century old, and their wooden sills, porch framing and garage structures are prime targets for subterranean termites. The neighborhood's low elevation near Jamaica Bay also means higher groundwater and damp basements, which draw house centipedes, along with the silverfish and small insects they eat. Mice take advantage of settling foundations and gaps around old utility entries when the season turns. Homes near the Laurelton Parkway embankment often report both problems at once.
The Laurelton Parkway greenway and nearby Brookville Park create a corridor of trees and brush that wildlife uses to move through the area. Raccoons regularly raid garbage cans and climb into attics, while skunks dig beneath porches, sheds and backyard decks. In summer, ant colonies in lawns and flower beds often send foragers indoors, particularly into kitchens with doors that open onto a patio or garden. Bird feeders and uncovered compost only add to the draw for night-roaming animals.