Evidence-Based Pest Prevention
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) — the approach endorsed by the EPA and NYC DOHMH — prioritises exclusion, sanitation, and habitat modification over chemical application alone. This page covers prevention strategies supported by the research evidence.
What Is Integrated Pest Management (IPM)?
IPM is a science-based decision-making process that combines biological, cultural, physical, and chemical tools to minimise pest damage while reducing risks to people, property, and the environment. It is the standard of care endorsed by the EPA and mandated in NYC public schools (NYC Health Code § 81.53) and city-owned housing.
Identify
Correctly identify the pest — different species require different strategies.
Monitor
Track population levels and locations before deciding on action.
Prevent
Eliminate food, water, and shelter; seal entry points.
Control
Apply the least-toxic effective control when prevention is insufficient.
Rodent Prevention
The NYC DOHMH and EPA both identify exclusion as the only durable rodent-prevention strategy. Rodent populations will re-establish within weeks if entry points remain open.
Exclusion — the foundation
- Seal gaps ¼ inch (6 mm) or larger in foundations, walls, around pipes, and utility entries — Norway rats can compress through openings as small as ½ inch
- Materials: ¼-inch hardware cloth, sheet metal, cement mortar, copper mesh (not steel wool — it corrodes and re-opens)
- Door sweeps: metal, tight-fitting; gap under exterior doors is a primary entry vector
- Drain covers: heavy-gauge drain covers prevent sewer rats from entering via plumbing
Sanitation — eliminate food and harborage
- Secure garbage in rat-resistant containers; NYC requires covered bins for residential waste
- Compost containers must be rodent-resistant; open compost piles are a direct food source
- Bird feeders on ground level maintain a permanent food supply — remove or raise to 4 ft
- Eliminate dense ground cover, wood piles, and construction debris within 1 metre of buildings
Cockroach Prevention
German cockroaches require moisture, warmth, and food to establish. In multi-family buildings, they spread through shared wall voids and plumbing — making building-wide treatment more effective than unit-by-unit approaches.
- Fix leaks immediately — cockroaches can survive for a week without food but need water every few days; a dripping pipe under a sink is a population anchor
- Caulk cracks and crevices in kitchen and bathroom areas — primary harborage gaps include the space behind refrigerators, under sinks, and around pipe penetrations
- Gel bait, not spray — the EPA and NYC DOHMH recommend targeted gel bait in cracks over aerosol sprays, which drive cockroaches deeper into walls and are less effective at reducing population
- Clutter removal — cardboard boxes and paper bags in kitchens provide both harborage and food (cockroaches eat the glue)
Bed Bug Prevention
Bed bugs are introduced almost exclusively via infested items — furniture, luggage, clothing, and second-hand goods. There is no environmental treatment that prevents introduction; the primary strategy is early detection.
- Inspect second-hand furniture before bringing into the home — focus on mattress seams, box spring folds, and upholstery creases
- Encasements — mattress and box spring encasements remove harborage sites and make detection easier; not a treatment, but a monitoring tool
- Travel protocol — inspect hotel room mattress seams and headboard; keep luggage off the floor and bed; launder clothes on return at high heat (>48°C kills all life stages)
- Report early — NYC landlords must treat bedbug infestations; early reporting under the NYC Admin Code bedbug disclosure framework (§ 27-2018.1) is a tenant right