There’s no denying that pests are a common problem in New York. There are over 2 million rats in New York City, millions of mice, and an immeasurable number of roaches, flies, and bed bugs.

New York City has a pest problem.

That’s why it helps to look at the bright side. There are millions of pests in New York City, but there are some pests that do NOT live here. The following are some of the few bugs that do not affect those here in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the other bureaus.

Pests That Are Not in NYC

It is theoretically possible to see almost any type of insect, especially if they caught a ride with a car or truck that drove a long distance. The banana spider – one of the most deadly spiders in the world – has been found on bananas shipped from areas like Brazil. But in general, there are several US based pests that are highly uncommon in the NYC area. These include:

  • Scorpions – Sure, NYC has house centipedes the size of rats, but we are lucky enough to avoid scorpions. Scorpions tend to live in desert climates, and are far less common to find in this type of urban environment.
  • Fire Ants – There are a LOT of ants in New York City, but there are not yet fire ants. Fire ants are one of the few ants that can aggressively bite humans. They tend to live in warmer climates, which is why they are usually found in the South. There is some bad news, though. As the climate warms, these fire ants are moving upwards. Still, that is at least a few decades away.
  • Brown Recluse Spiders – This is not entirely true. There are sightings of brown recluse spiders in NYC. But in general, they are far more common in the Southern states, while only migrant brown recluse (those that hitched a ride from a truck, for example) are found in NYC. As one of the only spiders capable of severe tissue damage, brown recluse are thankfully not too common in this area.

That doesn’t mean that you cannot see these pests in NYC, especially with all of the tourists that come to and from the city. But at least you don’t have to worry about them on a regular basis. All you have to worry about is rats, mice, cockroaches, ants, bed bugs, centipedes, spiders, mosquitoes, pigeons, fleas, ticks, moths, and probably alligators.

Call One Hour Pest Control at (646) 568-7150 to protect against all of the New York City pests, and if you want to avoid the fire ants, scorpions, and brown recluse, stay away from Arizona.