Get in touch
Tell us what you are seeing
Four questions, answered by a person within one business day. If it is urgent, call: the line is answered at any hour.
Part of Landscape Pest Risk Mitigation, across New York City and Long Island.
What makes Nassau County different?
Nassau County yards are established. Foundation plantings put in when the house was new have grown up against the siding; ivy and pachysandra cover the shade; mulch has been added year after year. Those mature landscapes look settled, but they often give rats and mice exactly what they want: cover against the foundation and soil to burrow in.
Yards here are also redone constantly: new patios, pools, outdoor kitchens, retaining walls and plantings. Each project is a chance to rebuild the yard so it stops supporting rodents.
What we look at
- Foundation beds. Planting moved back from the house, with a gravel or paved strip along the base and mulch kept shallow near the wall.
- Shrubs and trees. Spaced, lifted and pruned off the siding, with branches kept away from the roof line and utility lines.
- Ground covers. Dense mats such as ivy removed from the house perimeter and replaced with open plantings.
- Patios, pools and walls. Compacted bases, sealed edges and a rodent-resistant barrier along the perimeter before the pavers go down.
- Decks and sheds. Built so the space beneath is visible or closed at the base.
- Irrigation. Heads and lines aimed away from the foundation.
Working with Graduate
Plan reviews, site visits and follow-up are explained under landscape pest risk mitigation. For the house, see pre-construction pest risk mitigation in Nassau County. For eastern Long Island, see Suffolk County.
Common questions
Why does landscaping matter in Nassau County?
Many Nassau homes are surrounded by plantings that have grown for decades: foundation shrubs touching the siding, ivy and ground covers, and deep mulch beds. When a yard is redone, that is the moment to rebuild it so it no longer shelters rodents against the house.
We are putting in a pool and patio. What should we plan for?
Rats dig under patios, pool surrounds and retaining walls and use the voids as burrows. A compacted base, sealed edges and a rodent-resistant barrier such as Xcluder GEO along the perimeter, specified before the pavers go down, keep them out.
What about the shrubs along the front of the house?
Foundation shrubs should be spaced and lifted so there is open ground beneath them and pruned back off the siding. Branches should be kept well away from the roof so they do not give animals access to the eaves.
Is ivy really a problem?
Yes. Dense ivy and similar ground covers are a well-known rat shelter. UC IPM notes that roof rats commonly nest in dense vegetation such as ivy, and Norway rats burrow beneath it.
How deep should mulch be near the house?
University of Florida extension guidance recommends no more than two inches within 12 inches of the foundation. Deeper mulch holds moisture and shelters insects against the house.
How do we start?
Send the landscape plan or describe the project. We review it, visit before work begins, and give you and your landscaper a short list of changes.
Landscape Pest Risk Mitigation in Nassau County
Start with a free consultation
A consultation is a phone call with us about your problem. You tell us what you are seeing, where in the building, and how long it has been going on, and we tell you what it most likely is and what it will take to fix. There is no charge for the call.
Work like this starts with a paid on-site inspection. We go through the building, find how the problem is getting in and why it is staying, and give you a written plan and scope of work. The inspection fee is quoted before the visit and is credited toward the job if you go ahead.
Call (631) 212-9601Schedule an inspection
Answered at any hour.