Rodent Control in Park Slope

Rodent Pressure in Park Slope

Park Slope is defined by two primary geographic features: Prospect Park on its eastern border and the ridge of brownstones that descend from Flatbush Avenue to Fourth Avenue on the west. The brownstones on the slope — built primarily in the 1880s and 1890s — are among the best-preserved in the city, but their age and original construction make them highly vulnerable to Norway rat entry at the foundation level.

The blocks closest to Prospect Park — those on Prospect Park West, and the cross-streets from 1st Street through 16th Street — experience the highest rat pressure in the neighborhood from the park margin population. The wooded areas of the park near the Parade Ground and the Long Meadow provide extensive harborage. Buildings on these streets with garden levels are particularly vulnerable: rear gardens adjacent to the park are prime Norway rat territory.

5th Avenue from Union Street to 15th Street is the neighborhood's main commercial strip, with a high density of restaurants and food retail that generates Norway rat pressure on the surrounding residential blocks. The cross-streets between 5th and 6th Avenues on the residential slopes see elevated pressure from the commercial corridor. The F and G trains at 4th Avenue have station infrastructure that connects to the surrounding sewer network.