Pest Pressure Around PHL Airport and the Delaware River

Why is pest pressure different along the Delaware River?

Water is the short answer. The Delaware River, the lower reach of Darby Creek and the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge wrap around much of the township, so almost every property sits within a short walk of a shoreline, a ditch or a marsh edge. Rats burrow in banks, mosquitoes breed in shallow standing water, and moisture-loving insects such as millipedes and earwigs do well in the damp soil.

The housing adds to it. Census (ACS) estimates put the median Tinicum home at 1956 and about 34% of homes renter-occupied. Mid-century twins, small singles and apartments share walls, slabs and utility runs, which means a pest that gets into one unit has an easy path to the next.

Homes and businesses in Essington and Lester see more riverfront rodents and more mosquitoes than towns a few miles inland, and the commercial strip brings its own problems.

Riverfront rodents: rats along the water and the freight corridor

Norway rats are the main rodent concern near the river. They dig burrows in soft banks, under slabs and beside foundations, and they travel along shorelines, rail lines and drainage ditches at night. Food from restaurant dumpsters, bird feeders and outdoor pet bowls keeps them close to houses.

Unlike mice, which tend to nest inside walls, rats usually live outside and come in to feed. That changes the approach: sealing gaps around the foundation and controlling the burrows outside matter as much as anything set inside. Our rat control page explains how we inspect and treat, and the wider rodent control section covers mice and exclusion work.

• Burrow openings about 2 to 4 inches across along fences, sheds, slabs and creek banks.
• Smooth, packed runways through grass or along the base of a wall.
• Dark greasy rub marks where rats squeeze past the same corner every night.
• Capsule-shaped droppings about 1/2 to 3/4 inch long near trash, compost or feeders.
• Gnawed corners on doors, garage seals or plastic trash cans.

Heinz refuge mosquitoes and the marsh edge

The Heinz refuge holds one of Pennsylvania's largest remaining areas of freshwater tidal marsh, and the shallow water at its margins produces mosquitoes from late spring into fall. Most of the bites in a backyard, though, come from mosquitoes that breed much closer to home, in clogged gutters, tarps, tires, planters and boats left uncovered.

That is good news, because a property owner can do a lot about the near sources even if the marsh will always be there. Tipping out containers once a week breaks the breeding cycle in summer heat. For yards that border the refuge or a creek, scheduled treatments help, and our mosquito control page describes how that works.

Airport, hotels and freight: the commercial side

The airport and the businesses around it change the township's pest picture. Cargo buildings, warehouses and trucking lots handle a steady flow of boxes and pallets, and German cockroaches, stored product beetles and the occasional rodent ride in with shipments. Airport hotels see travelers from everywhere, which raises the odds of bed bugs arriving in luggage.

Restaurants and food handlers along the river deal with flies and rats drawn by grease and dumpster areas. For these businesses, pest control is about routine: regular inspections, tidy loading docks, lids that close and written records a manager can show an inspector.

Boats, trailers and waterfront storage: a winter rodent magnet

Marinas and boat storage along the Essington waterfront add a pest problem most inland towns never see. When nights cool in October, mice look for the nearest dry, quiet shelter, and a covered boat, a camper or a packed shed beside the river fits perfectly. Inside, they shred cushions and life jackets for nesting, chew wiring and fuel lines, and leave droppings throughout the cabin. A few habits prevent most of it:

• Take cushions, bedding, snacks and fishing bait out of boats and campers before they go into storage.
• Set snap traps inside the cabin or under the cover, and check them when you check the boat.
• Keep grass and weeds cut short around trailers, and do not park them against a hedge or woodpile.
• Store birdseed, grass seed and pet food from the shed in metal containers with tight lids.
• In spring, inspect wiring and hoses before launch, and dump water from covers and tarps before it turns into a mosquito nursery.

Pest control in Tinicum Township: pressure by setting

The pests you deal with depend a lot on where your property sits. This is a general guide from what is typical in the area, not a prediction for any one address.

What should Essington and Lester homeowners check first?

Start with the jobs that remove food and shelter near the house. In a riverfront neighborhood, those few chores do more than any spray.

• Keep trash in metal or heavy plastic cans with tight lids, and do not set bags out the night before pickup.
• Bring in pet food at night and hang bird feeders away from the house, with the ground under them swept.
• Seal gaps around utility lines, dryer vents and garage door corners; a rat can fit through an opening about the width of a quarter.
• Clear wood piles, old boards and dense ground cover from along the foundation and fence lines.
• Tip out water from buckets, boat covers and planters every week from May through September.