Pest Control in Mariners Harbor, Staten Island
Mariners Harbor occupies the northwestern corner of Staten Island, where Richmond Terrace follows the Kill Van Kull toward the Arthur Kill and the Goethals Bridge. The neighborhood includes the large NYCHA Mariners Harbor Houses and Arlington developments, newer attached homes and a handful of surviving nineteenth-century captains' houses along the Terrace. Industrial sites, container yards and shipping businesses line the waterfront, and Arlington Marsh, a restored salt marsh, sits along the shore. Forest Avenue and several bus lines connect residents to Port Richmond, the mall and the ferry, and a future North Shore transit route has long been discussed.
Also known as: Arlington.
About Mariners Harbor
Mariners Harbor was once home to oyster captains and ship owners, who built fine houses along the shore in the nineteenth century when oystering in nearby waters was a booming business. Pollution and industrialization ended the oyster trade in the early twentieth century, and factories, shipyards and rail lines took over much of the waterfront. Large public housing projects were built after World War II, reshaping the neighborhood into one of the densest parts of the North Shore.
Common Pest Problems in Mariners Harbor
Rats are the headline problem in Mariners Harbor. Shipping yards, rail spurs and vacant industrial lots along Richmond Terrace provide abundant harborage, and the marsh edges add more. Trash areas at the large housing developments can become feeding stations when bags overflow, and rats burrow in lawns and planting beds between buildings. Mice and German cockroaches are common in the high-rise and garden apartments, spreading through compactor chutes and shared plumbing.
Along the neighborhood's edges, the marsh and overgrown lots provide cover for raccoons and opossums that roam into yards at night looking for garbage, pet food and shelter beneath decks and sheds. The low-lying ground near the Kill Van Kull keeps many basements damp, which suits house centipedes and the small insects they hunt. Homes closest to the water benefit from moisture control and from sealing basement windows, bulkhead doors and cellar vents.