NYC Building Pest Myths Debunked — From an Associate Certified Entomologist (ACE)

⏱ 5 min read

New York apartments run on folklore — the super’s quick fix, the landlord’s reassurance, the trick a neighbor swears by. As an Associate Certified Entomologist (ACE), I spend a lot of time undoing these beliefs because they waste money and let infestations grow. Here are the ones that cause the most damage in NYC buildings.

Myth 1: “Cinnamon / peppermint oil / essential oils keep pests away”

Reality: Strong scents may briefly irritate or deter a few insects in a dish, but they do not control an infestation and do nothing to a population breeding inside your walls or appliances. A German cockroach colony will walk past a cotton ball of peppermint oil to reach food. These remedies feel proactive but buy the infestation time to grow.

Myth 2: “Mothballs repel mice (and roaches)”

Reality: Mothballs are a registered pesticide for fabric pests in sealed containers, not a rodent repellent for living spaces. The amount needed to bother a mouse would be hazardous to you, and using them loose in closets or under sinks is both ineffective against mice and a misuse of the product. Mice are not meaningfully deterred by the smell.

Myth 3: “NYC winters are cold enough to kill bed bugs”

Reality: Bed bugs die from sustained cold only at temperatures well below freezing held for days — conditions that never occur inside a heated NYC apartment. Putting an infested item on the fire escape overnight will not reliably kill bed bugs, and brief cold does nothing. (Sustained, controlled heat is the temperature tool that works, which is why professional heat treatment exists.)

Myth 4: “A bug bomb / fogger will clear my roaches”

Reality: For German cockroaches, total-release foggers are not just ineffective — they often make things worse. The repellent pushes roaches deeper into wall voids and into adjacent apartments, scattering the population instead of controlling it. Foggers also coat surfaces while missing the harborage where roaches actually live, and they are a real fire and inhalation hazard in a small NYC apartment. Targeted treatment that reaches harborage is the opposite, and correct, approach.

Myth 5: “Boric acid alone will solve German cockroaches”

Reality: Boric acid can be a useful component, but as a standalone fix it rarely ends a German cockroach infestation, because it does not reach the tight harborage where they cluster and breed, and it does nothing to stop reproduction. Effective German roach control reaches the harborage directly and adds an insect growth regulator to disrupt breeding — the logic behind our microinjection protocol. See our German cockroach service.

Myth 6: “A clean apartment never gets roaches or bed bugs”

Reality: Cleanliness helps with food-driven pests, but it does not immunize you. Bed bugs hitchhike on luggage and used furniture regardless of how clean you are. American and Oriental cockroaches (“water bugs”) come up from the building’s plumbing, not your dishes. Blaming hygiene shames tenants and delays the real fix — which is often a building-level pathway, not housekeeping. We cover this in water bug or cockroach?

Myth 7: “One treatment and it is done”

Reality: Many pests are tied to a life cycle. Bed bugs and German cockroaches have eggs that are not affected the same way as adults, so a single visit rarely ends it — which is why responsible programs include follow-up or use methods (like heat, or an IGR) that account for the cycle. A company promising one-and-done for a heavy infestation is overpromising. Read our honest take on pest control guarantees in NYC.

Myth 8: “A cat will keep the mice away” / “ultrasonic repellers work”

Reality: Some cats hunt; many ignore mice or only catch the occasional one while a wall-dwelling population continues breeding. Ultrasonic plug-in repellers have repeatedly failed to show meaningful, lasting pest control in testing — mice habituate quickly. Neither replaces exclusion: sealing the quarter-inch gaps mice use is what actually works.

Myth 9: “The super’s quick spray fixed it”

Reality: A perimeter spray can knock down the roaches you see and create the impression of a fix, while the German cockroach population in the harborage rebounds within weeks. For building roaches and mice, the durable answer is harborage treatment plus exclusion — closing the pathways — not a recurring surface spray that treats the symptom.

NYC Pest Myths FAQ

Does peppermint oil really repel mice and roaches?

No, not in any reliable way. Strong scents may briefly deter a few insects but do nothing to a breeding population in walls or appliances. They are not a substitute for trapping, exclusion, or targeted treatment.

Can cold weather kill bed bugs in NYC?

Not inside a heated apartment. Bed bugs only die from cold that is well below freezing and sustained for days — conditions that do not occur in your living space. Controlled heat, not cold, is the effective temperature method.

Why shouldn’t I use a bug bomb for cockroaches?

Because for German cockroaches, foggers typically scatter the population deeper into walls and neighboring units rather than controlling it, while missing the harborage where roaches live. They are also a fire and inhalation hazard in a small apartment. Targeted harborage treatment is the correct approach.

Is boric acid enough for German cockroaches?

Rarely on its own. It does not reach tight harborage or stop reproduction. Effective control reaches the harborage directly and pairs it with an insect growth regulator to disrupt breeding.

Does a clean apartment prevent bed bugs?

No. Bed bugs hitchhike on luggage and used furniture regardless of cleanliness, and building cockroaches come up through plumbing. Cleanliness helps with some pests but does not immunize an apartment.

Reviewed by Jorge Bedoya, Associate Certified Entomologist (ACE), New York Exterminating. Always follow pesticide product labels — the label is the law.