In urban areas like NYC and Jersey City, wild animals often look to apartment buildings or office spaces for shelter. There are roughly 3 million rats hidden away in NYC, and they often find their way into the walls or basements of buildings. This article will discuss some of the most common wild animals encountered in the urban centers of New York and New Jersey.
Urban Rats & Mice
Rodents like mice and rats can sneak into buildings and live in the walls. They breed quickly, leading to exponential colony growth. Commercial, residential, and industrial buildings alike have to deal with rats from time to time. Even homes and buildings that are well-kept and clean may end up with a rodent problem on occasion.
Raccoons
Raccoons are nocturnal critters that love urban sprawl. Restaurant and apartment garbage bins are around every corner, providing plenty of food for them. Raccoons tend to find dens near and around abundant food sources. While they may hide out in dumpsters or alleyways, proper shelter in a building is ideal for them. Keeping your garbage area clean and well-protected with sturdy, animal-proof bins can go a long way in defending against raccoons.
Opossums
Opossums are North America’s only marsupials. These nocturnal critters also like to plunder garbage cans and left-out trash. Unlike raccoons, they cannot generally knock over bins. Often, they clean up the messes that raccoons and rats make of your spilled-over trash. While less common in urban areas than rodents or raccoons, they are a lot less dangerous. They are also generally less aggressive. Opossums are also highly resistant to rabies.
Pigeons
Pige
ons are a common nuisance animal in urban areas. They can carry a wide assortment of diseases. Pigeon feces are also very corrosive. It can corrode stone and brick facades over time. Pigeons can roost on top of buildings, under awnings, in signage, and inside ventilation ducts.