NYC’s restaurants graded for the second time

Posted on August 9, 2010 with No Comments

Yesterday the NY Post published an article about the second round grades for New York City’s top restaurants.  Last week, 24,000 of New York City’s finest restaurants were graded on a new scale to judge the cleanliness of the dining area.  If a restaurant gets a low grade, they have two more inspections to improve or else their grade will be open to the public.  The second inspections were conducted this past week.  The final inspections will be conducted in the following week and then that’s it. Restaurants will be required to show the grade they are given right at the front door or window for the public to see.  The following violations will earn restaurants points:

-          Keeping cold foods at a temperature higher than 41 degrees

-          Evidence of pests or rodents

-          Employees not wearing hair nets

-          Eggs are cracks

-          Food is left uncovered

-          Not vermin-proof

-          Plumbing issues

-          Light bulbs not shielding

These are just of the few violations that can make restaurants earn a C.  The article lists some of the finest restaurants in the city that are struggling to make the cut.  If you are struggling with a pest or rodent problem in your home or business, JP McHale can help.  We are the leading pest control company in New York that will solve your pest problems! Contact us by phone 800-479-2284, email, live chat, twitter, or facebook for an inspection!

Keep your cats indoors! They can become prey!

Posted on August 5, 2010 with No Comments

Yesterday Boston.com published an article that warns residents in and around the Boston area to keep their house cats indoors. The fisher, a close relative to the weasel, has been spotted in neighborhoods and shortly after residents cats have gone mission.  The fisher, which can grow up to 3 feet long from nose to tail, weighs approximately 8 to 16 lbs is known to feed on rodents and cats.  One woman who was interview said she said she saw this creature then went inside because the sight of the creature startled her.  Then later that day her cat went missing.   She said the fisher looked like a raccoon, but three times larger.  In 2006 the fisher was first spotted in Cape Cod and last year there were two reported cases.   MassWildlife suggests residents to keep their pets indoors, especially cats.  If you have a rodent issue, JP McHale can help.  Contact us by phone 800-479-2284, email, live chat, twitter, or facebook.

Sport arenas food vendors in NYC cited for health violations

Posted on July 27, 2010 with 1 Comment

Earlier today the NY Post published an article that talks about the vendors in sports areas and how they are not up to the health code.  ESPN surveyed 107 sports areas across the county and the results they found are disturbing.  The Version Center in Washington, DC topped the list.  100% of the vendors inside the arena were cited with health violations.  Madison Square Garden rated the worst among the New York stadiums with 61% of their vendors being cited.  Yankee Stadium and Citi Field rated above MGS, but not by much.  Yankee Stadium had 48% of their vendors cited and Citi Field had 45%. The health violations include inspectors finding mouse droppings and roaches in the area where food is being prepared. Many spectators were interviewed and most of them had the same response.  They are going to continue to go to the sporting events, just going to think twice about getting a hot dog.  The spectators are also angry at the fact that they pay good money to see the sporting event and feel the least that the stadium could do is provide them with a healthy food vendor.  If you have dropping or cockroaches in your home or business, JP McHale can help. We are a Pest Control Company in Westchester New York that serves the tri-state area.  Contact us by phone 800-479-2284, email, live chat, twitter, or facebook for an inspection!

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Stories from the Field: Don’t look up!

Posted on July 19, 2010 with 3 Comments

On Friday, one of our technicians was called out to check one of the hibachi restaurants we service.   As he crawled under one of the tables, he picked his head up and lightly banged it under the table.  Little did he know his head had hit a glue board which is used to trap mice and he ended up getting the board stuck to his head!  Instead of catching a rat, the glue board caught an exterminator! JP McHale is a Westchester Pest Control company.  We are licensed in rat extermination and would love to help you with your rat problem! Contact us by phone 800-479-2284, email, live chat, twitter, or facebook.

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Rats have taken over an apartment building in the East Village

Posted on July 19, 2010 with No Comments

Yesterday New York 1 reported that an apartment building in the East Village has been infested with rats.  There are rats in the windows, halls, and even ceilings.  The tenants are not happy at all with the issue but have got very little attention from state and city officials that they have tried to reach out to.  They claim the conditions are not sanitary and this can pose as a threat to the tenants.  When the news station visited the building there were two dead rats outside the building and one dead rat in the hallway.  The rats will even eat through walls.  In just one apartment exterminators found 2 dozen dead rats.  Rats can carry diseases so if you find a rat or rodent in your home, please contact a pest control company immediately.  JP McHale is a Westchester Pest Control company.  We are licensed in rat extermination and would love to help you with your rat problem! Contact us by phone 800-479-2284, email, live chat, twitter, or facebook.

Stories from the Field: Your morning coffee served with a Mouse!

Posted on June 23, 2010 with No Comments

Yesterday, one of our techs was called out to a home.  He was doing a routine check on a customers home and started to check the cabinets for any pests.  He got around to the counter where the the home owners kept the bread and coffee on, and in that cabinet you won’t believe what he found.  In the very back corner of the cabinet, there was a family of mice! The tech saw about 6 baby mice and two adults.  Mice can get into the tiniest of areas, so make sure you seal the smallest of holes!  JP McHale PM knows exactly where to check for pests, unlike some homeowners that might miss an area.  If you have a mice problem feel free to contact us. JP McHale is a pest management company in Westchester, New York.  We would love to help you with your pest problem! Contact us by phone 800-479-2284, email, live chat, twitter, or facebook.

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The on-going problem in New York City: Rats in the subways

Posted on June 16, 2010 with No Comments

In today’s paper, an article on the front page of the NY Post talks about the on-going issue of rats living in the subways.  Previously, the MTA (Metropolitan Transportation Authority) treated the pest problem by setting up bait stations with position inside with hopes of killing the rats.  The rats still came back.  The city is now going to approach this problem the scientific way.  Researchers are going to study 29 factors in the subway including holes is the walls, where the trash is located, and where the poison baits is stationed. A Health Department member says that rats live in cinder block walls, like people in an apartment building, and up to 8 to 12 in one block!  Rats cause many problems to people in the subway and the way the trains run.  Rats are known to chew electrical lines,   leave their droppings everywhere, and even scare some people to the extent of people jumping onto the tracks!  Wherever rats can find food and water, they will stay.  Rats reproduce heavily so if a rat finds a comfortable environment, there will be many more to come.  The city hopes to think up a new plan to exterminate the rats in the next year or two.  If you have a rat problem, contact us by phone 800-479-2284, email, live chat, twitter, or facebook.

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Mice Are Invading New Zealand Homes By The Masses

Posted on March 8, 2010 with 3 Comments

Mice have been running wild in Southland, New Zealand, getting to the point where it has gotten almost plauge-like in Southland. Fiordland, Te Anau, Stoney Creek and Five Rivers are the main areas that are having a serious problem with the mice population. The problem it seems is that these mice are breeding at a high pace. Gestation period for mice is only about 20 days, with 10-12 being born during optimal breeding. The reason for the high abundance of mice is that there seems to be a huge excess supply of food for the mice. It has gotten to the point where homes were catching up to 9 mice a night in their houses. Farmers are seeing hundred of mice scatter when they are scared away.

Southland is trying to control the population, however, is having trouble figuring out how. Some households say that their cats and dogs have been eating the mice, which has helped a little. However, with such a large population, it would be extremely tough to get rid of all of them, so they are focusing on limiting the food supply of the mice. However, they are finding that now Southland has a few more unwanted visitors, in weasels and rats. When the mice die off in the winter, officials are worried that these other pests will more onto the bird population. As of now, they are just urging people to do whatever they can do to get rid of these pests.

Though this widespread mouse problem is happening in New Zealand, these creatures can be infesting your home. If you would like a free inspection or more information about our rodent control services, please contact us.

Waybright Elementary School Reopens After Rat Infestation

Posted on February 25, 2010 with 3 Comments

Waybright Elementary School in Mass. has recently reopened after a rat sighting caused the school to close for a day. During school, a student saw a rat running down a stairwell. This isn’t the first time the school has had a problem with rats. In December, a construction project disrupted where some rats where living, causing them to go into the school. The school called a pest management professional, sealed off entranceway and set traps. Until they were sure the problem went away, they asked students to not leave food in classrooms and stopped serving hot lunches. They thought the problem was gone until the lone rat was spotted.

There were no signs of more rats being in the school. They didn’t find any feces or rats in traps that would indicate more than the lone rat. During the incident in the winter, there was evidence of burrowing by the rats. However, the building was swept and no burrowing was located this time around. The school reassured everybody that every precaution was taking place to prevent further incidents. They also said this is not an event isolated to just the school. Homes around the area have been having similar problems. The school has spent upwards of $30,000 already clear the rats out of the school, and expects to spend more money in the future.

If you have seen a rat or mouse in your home please contact us for a free inspection. Winter is the most common time to see a rodent in your home.

Wicked Local reported about this story first.

Ireland Hospitals See Rodent and Insect Infestation

Posted on February 17, 2010 with 1 Comment

Hospitals in Mullingar, Ireland and Ballinasloe, Ireland have run into a problem over the past 4 years. Different types of rodents and insects (rats, mice, ants, silverfish) have been a common site in these hospitals. 58 total pest control incidents were recorded in the past 4 years between those two hospitals. While mice and rats where the main cause of the 32 pest control calls in Mullingar, Ballinasloe has had the problem of insects on top of it. Ants are a common insect, however silverfish not so much. Silverfish is a wingless insect that usually feeds on adhesives. When no adhesives are in sight, they will eat cotton, linen, and silk, making it a household pest.

These two hospitals aren’t the only ones to have to deal with pests. A hospital in Tullamore, Ireland has possibly an even worse problem. In the same time period, they have experienced 112 pest control calls. There is a logical reason however for this large number. During this time, they were building a new hospital in Tullamore, which tends to lead to more insects and rodents. Since the new hospital is now complete, the calls have reduced significantly. Spokesman for the hospitals have made one thing clear however, that this is a serious issue. They recognize that this is something that needs to be taken care of, and they will be implementing the strategies that they are told at once. After four years of problems at these hospitals, it will be interesting to see if the suggestions eliminate their problems.

The story was first reported on TheWestmeath