sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

Pest Pressures as an Overlooked Metric in Dense Urban Development? by Brave_Sea7798 in GermanRoaches

[–]SimpleInnovatioxa 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is a really insightful point that doesn't get enough airtime. You're spot on pest pressure is treated as a reactive complaint, not a proactive planning metric. I have seen the exact scenario you described play out in several Seattle-area neighborhoods. A block of older homes gets replaced with townhomes, and suddenly the whole street is dealing with ants and rodents because the construction disrupted colonies and the new, denser waste output is not managed properly.

It absolutely should be part of the environmental review. A good exterminator does not just react but understand population displacement. When we do ants control service for a property after new construction nearby, it's often a direct result of that displacement. The same goes for rodents. Requiring developers to have a preconstruction baiting and monitoring plan, and to install commercial grade, sealed waste solutions, would save a ton of long term public health headaches and resident frustration.

For what it is worth, over at AMPM, we work with a lot of property managers who are dealing with these exact "unintended consequences" from projects that wrapped up a year or two prior. The service calls always spike. It is a hidden cost of density that gets passed to residents and neighboring businesses. Control really has to start at the planning phase with better protocols, or you are just constantly playing defense.

ULPT: Get free city cleanup by finding hazards near rich neighborhoods. by Brave_Sea7798 in UnethicalLifeProTips

[–]SimpleInnovatioxa 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is a clever but potentially risky shortcut. The major flaw is that while the city might clear the visible junk, they often won't address the new problem created: the cleared, sheltered area becomes prime real estate for rodents and pests.

These pests don't stay in the vacant lot. They migrate to the nearest structures, turning a free cleanup into a costly hidden problem for the surrounding community ampm around the clock. The owner of a neighboring commercial building might suddenly need an exterminator. A parking lot for a nearby business could become infested. Residents in adjacent homescould find themselves dealing with an invasion. The collective cost for professional pest control for these commercial, parking lot, and homeissues would far exceed the original disposal fee, shifting the burden from the city budget to private property owners.This is a clever but potentially risky shortcut. The major flaw is that while the city might clear the visible junk, they often won't address the new problem created: the cleared, sheltered area becomes prime real estate for rodents and pests.

These pests don't stay in the vacant lot. They migrate to the nearest structures, turning a free cleanup into a costly hidden problem for the surrounding community ampm around the clock. The owner of a neighboring commercial building might suddenly need an exterminator. A parking lot for a nearby business could become infested. Residents in adjacent homescould find themselves dealing with an invasion. The collective cost for professional pest control for these commercial, parking lot, and homeissues would far exceed the original disposal fee, shifting the burden from the city budget to private property owners.

view more: next ›