Pest Control in Grymes Hill, Staten Island
Grymes Hill is one of the tallest points on the North Shore, a wooded ridge rising above Stapleton and Tompkinsville with sweeping views over New York Harbor. Howard Avenue winds along the crest, passing Wagner College and the Staten Island campus of St. John's University, whose students add a youthful presence to an otherwise quiet residential area. Grand old mansions, some now part of the campuses, sit alongside mid-century houses and a handful of apartment buildings. Steep, curving roads, heavy tree cover and rock outcroppings make the hill feel secluded even though the ferry and Victory Boulevard are just downhill.
About Grymes Hill
The hill is named for Suzette Grymes, widow of Louisiana governor William C. C. Claiborne, who later married lawyer John Randolph Grymes and built an estate here in the 1830s. Through the nineteenth century wealthy families built country houses on the ridge to enjoy its views and breezes. Wagner College moved to the hill in 1918, taking over the former Cunard estate, and later development added more modest homes and apartment buildings.
Common Pest Problems in Grymes Hill
Grymes Hill's thick tree canopy and steep, wooded lots make it prime territory for raccoons and gray squirrels. Large old houses with slate roofs, dormers and ornate eaves have plenty of spots where wood has softened or flashing has lifted, and animals exploit those gaps to nest in attics and wall voids. Skunks dig beneath porches and garden sheds on the rockier lots, and their smell can linger for days if one sprays near a foundation vent.
Big historic homes and campus buildings with spacious attics can also host little brown bats, which slip in through narrow gaps at the roofline during summer. Because bats are protected, removal has to be done through exclusion rather than killing. The mansions and mid-century houses alike rest on wood sills vulnerable to subterranean termites, and mice move in each fall when the woods cool. Apartment and dorm buildings see occasional mouse activity near kitchens and trash areas.