What to do about a lying super? (apartment, appliances)

[goob2]

I have lived in my apartment for about 3 months. About a week after move-in, I saw a mouse in my kitchen. I told the super immediately, who informed me that the exterminator comes on a specific day each month and that luckily he'd be coming the following week.

I called on the appropriate day to remind the super to have him exterminate (I work during the day and can't be there), only then he forgot to let the guy in. I asked if there was anything else we could do in the meantime (I'm horribly afraid of mice), and he said that he had already patched up all the holes in the apartment before we moved in, and promised to give us traps, which took three weeks to find their way under my door.

To make a long story short, the next month the exterminator sprayed ONLY 2 small areas of the kitchen (even though I had told the super several times that we were seeing mice in the bedrooms and living room), and this past month despite the exterminator supposedly spraying the whole place, we have already seen 3 mice in the week since he came. Throughout this time, I have told the super once or twice every week about the problem (it has forced me to keep a light on in my room 24-7 to try to deter mice from entering and has caused me to leave the city almost every weekend to catch up on the sleep I'm losing during the week), but each time he shoos me away and tells me he's done everything he could.

Finally this week, I decided to take matters into my own hands and began searching for holes. Immediately, I found 2 huge holes under the sink, making it obvious that the super has been lying all along about patching them up (and for all I know, about the exterminator coming as well).

Is there anything I can do about this? I hesitate being aggressive with him because this will give him more incentive not to help us. As I've indicated, the situation is making me pretty miserable and is costing a lot of money in electricity and travel. Sorry for the lengthy post.

[LynnePatrice]

OMG! I would move out if I had a mouse problem in a new apartment. Have you contact the property management company?

[mir_ny]

call the management company.

[Irish Eyes]

Patch the holes.

[jflores]

you get useto it after a while. Im refering to the rat and the lying super of course.

[SeventhFloor]

call 311, make a complaint, and they'll send an inspector from HPD to come out...if they find evidence of vermin they will issue a violation.

[rlrl]

To make a long story short, the next month the exterminator sprayed ONLY 2 small areas of the kitchen (even though I had told the super several times that we were seeing mice in the bedrooms and living room), and this past month despite the exterminator supposedly spraying the whole place, we have already seen 3 mice in the week since he came. Throughout this time, I have told the super once or twice every week about the problem (it has forced me to keep a light on in my room 24-7 to try to deter mice from entering and has caused me to leave the city almost every weekend to catch up on the sleep I'm losing during the week), but each time he shoos me away and tells me he's done everything he could.

Finally this week, I decided to take matters into my own hands and began searching for holes. Immediately, I found 2 huge holes under the sink, making it obvious that the super has been lying all along about patching them up (and for all I know, about the exterminator coming as well).


**I remember I developed a mouse problem in my old apt after living there 7 years. It took me from 1998 (when the problem began) to 2001 to know where they were actually coming from, the man made gap in the beam that connects the kitchen floor with the base of the kitchen cabinet, I saw a mouse jump into the gap. I just put in some stuff bought at a hardware store into the gap and it stopped. I too left my apt for an entire day that weekend the first time it happened and to this day I keep a light on in the kitchen (even tho I'm in another apartment bldg)

As you know you have to treat the cause itself. You don't want any mice dying in traps or from poison you can't easily reach later(and having to disconnect the stove to get to the trap) . Be aggressive with the super and tell him you want any and all holes in the kitchen plugged up and you may want to get a "pest contro" device (you plug it in by the appliances and it is supposed to give off a silent vibration that throws off the mice)

[doughen55]

Put all opened food packages in the refrigerator esp Cereals, Rice, Sugars, Grains. Plug all holes and areas around pipes with heavy duty steel wool. Don't leave any dirty dishes around. Keep an eye out for droppings in hidden areas and see if they lead to any points of entry. Get a cat. Good luck!

[thomas_72]

Come on the answer to this is so easy: