Pest Control & Rodent Exclusion, Long Island & NYC

Second-Generation, Family-Owned Since 1983 · Entomologist on Staff

Licensed, certified, accountable

What we hold

Each badge links to the credential in full, with the issuing body, what it required and what it does not cover.

What we are known for

Rodent exclusion, rodent control and IPM

Between Arnold and Ryan Katz, Graduate brings a combined 70 years of experience in New York City, and in that time we have seen just about everything a building can do to let pests in. Ryan has traveled throughout the United States and internationally to consult, treat and teach.

We are students of the science: why and how these animals function, and what makes them succeed as a species. Understanding how a rat or a mouse lives is what lets us take away what it needs, instead of treating the same problem every season.

70combined years in New York City
1983founded by Arnold Katz, entomologist
U.S. & abroadconsulting, treating and teaching

Rodent exclusion

We find every opening mice and rats are using and close it for good: custom-cut galvanized sheet metal, hardware cloth, copper or stainless mesh, and mortar, fastened mechanically. Never foam.

Rodent exclusion →02

Rodent control

Population first, then the building, then verification. Droppings, rub marks and tracks show where they run, and detection dogs find activity behind walls and under slabs that nobody can see.

Rodent control →03

Integrated pest management (IPM)

For food plants, restaurants and commercial buildings: monitoring, device maps, trend reports and corrective actions, documented to stand up to SQF and third-party audits.

IPM for food facilities →04

Consulting and teaching

Other pest control companies, property managers and facilities bring us in to diagnose buildings, write exclusion specifications and train their crews, across the country and overseas.

Exclusion consulting →

61 reviews. Every one of them five stars.

Long Island and New York City homeowners, co-op boards and food facilities, since 1983.

Ryan and his team were successful and efficient in a short time period in eradicating a rodent problem in an apartment in Manhattan. They offer research based solutions, which are unique from others in the industry. And they are just nice people. I tried other companies, which all failed to actually create a long-term solution. I would easily recommend this vendor over others in the industry.
Reena A.Manhattan
I had a mouse problem that was getting out of hand, and called Ryan. He handled it quickly and professionally. They were responsive from the first call, explained the process clearly, and showed up on time. The technician was knowledgeable, thorough, and took the time to identify where the mice were getting in, not just treat the symptoms. Since the service, I’ve seen a huge improvement and no new activity. I also appreciated the prevention tips they gave to help avoid future issues. Overall, reliable service and effective results. I would definitely recommend them to anyone dealing with a mouse problem.
Christopher C.
I was dealing with an ant issue at my house in Commack that wouldn’t go away. Ryan from Graduate Pest Control answered right away and came the same day. He found where they were getting in, sealed it up, and solved the problem. Great service and very knowledgeable. I’ll definitely be using him for quarterly service going forward.
Meisi L.Commack

Read all 61 reviews on Google →

In the press

News 12 Long Island · 1 July 2026Three ways to get rid of mosquitoes in your garden this summer, and a common myth
News 12 Long Island · 17 December 2025It’s mice season (and you might not even know you have them)
News 12 Long Island · 30 July 2025Garden Guide: How to get rid of a yellow jacket nest

What Ryan Katz was asked, and what he said

What we handle

Core services

Structural ExclusionThe service the whole practice is built on: seal the entry points, and the pest problem stops being recurring.
Rodent ControlA mouse needs a quarter-inch gap and a rat needs a half-inch. Rodent work that does not close the building envelope is a subscription, not a solution.
Cockroach ControlGerman cockroach pressure tracks plumbing chases and shared risers far more reliably than it tracks housekeeping.
Ant ControlAnt activity is a moisture signal before it is a pest problem: colonies exploit damaged wood, failed flashing and wet sill plates.
Wasp & Hornet RemovalNests concentrate at soffit returns, ridge vents and gable louvers: the same envelope gaps that let everything else in.
Bed Bug TreatmentIn multi-unit buildings bed bugs move through shared walls, chases and conduit. Unit-by-unit treatment without a building plan fails.

Also offered

Mosquito ManagementMosquito pressure is a drainage and standing-water problem on the property, not a fogging schedule.
Rodent Exclusion & Pest-Proofing ConsultingBuilding exclusion into a structure at design, during construction, or as remediation afterwards: working alongside the architect, GC or engineer.
Canine Rodent Detection & AbatementHugo and Mia locate burrows and harborage that are not visible from the surface, including under dense groundcover where visual inspection simply fails.
Canine Bed Bug DetectionA NESDCA-certified handler team answers the question a board actually has: which units, and how far has it spread.
Food Safety & SQF Program ConsultingDeveloping the pest program for an SQF facility and writing the pest portions of the food safety plan, in the language the rest of the plan is already written in.
Rodent Monitoring Program ConsultingDevice layout, trend reporting an in-house team can actually run, and an audit of a program that is producing records instead of data.

See all services and how each one is scoped →

Why a building-science approach

Pest problems are building problems, and they need permanent structural solutions.

Field record · Exclusion

Before and after: exclusion work

Openings in the building itself, closed in hard materials. Drag the handle on each photo.

Open void beneath a radiator in a Manhattan apartment, with loose wiring, debris and droppings — **Under the radiator.** In a large Manhattan apartment building, the open space under the radiator was full of droppings and debris. It was cleaned out and closed with a sheet metal panel fitted along the floor.

The same space beneath the radiator closed off with a sheet metal panel along the floor — **Under the radiator.** In a large Manhattan apartment building, the open space under the radiator was full of droppings and debris. It was cleaned out and closed with a sheet metal panel fitted along the floor.

Metal duct passing through a cellar window grate, with open gaps around the duct into the cellar — **Duct through a cellar window.** A duct run through a window grate leaves gaps all around it. The opening was closed with sheet metal fitted to the duct, and mesh went in behind the grate.

The same cellar window closed with sheet metal around the duct and fine mesh behind the grate — **Duct through a cellar window.** A duct run through a window grate leaves gaps all around it. The opening was closed with sheet metal fitted to the duct, and mesh went in behind the grate.

Standard rubber door sweep leaving an open gap at the corner where the door meets the frame — **Door sweep.** A standard sweep leaves a gap at the corner, and a rodent can chew through the rubber. The Xcluder sweep closes the bottom of the door with a seal a rodent cannot chew through.

Xcluder rodent-proof door sweep fitted tight to the floor at the same door — **Door sweep.** A standard sweep leaves a gap at the corner, and a rodent can chew through the rubber. The Xcluder sweep closes the bottom of the door with a seal a rodent cannot chew through.

Open, foam-packed gap where the house framing sits on a block pier under a deck — **Under a deck.** Under a deck on Long Island, mice were getting in where the framing sits on the block pier, and the gap had only been packed with foam. The pier was parged and the corner closed with sheet metal.

The same corner parged smooth and closed with sheet metal fitted along the framing — **Under a deck.** Under a deck on Long Island, mice were getting in where the framing sits on the block pier, and the gap had only been packed with foam. The pier was parged and the corner closed with sheet metal.

Electrical line entering a rough hole in the wall behind a dishwasher, with droppings on the floor — **Behind a dishwasher.** The electrical line behind a dishwasher ran into a hole in the wall, with droppings all around it. With the dishwasher pulled, the whole wall base behind it was closed in sheet metal.

The same dishwasher space lined with sheet metal along the wall base, the line passing through a fitted opening — **Behind a dishwasher.** The electrical line behind a dishwasher ran into a hole in the wall, with droppings all around it. With the dishwasher pulled, the whole wall base behind it was closed in sheet metal.

Open gap where a timber floor meets the wall, with a cable running through it — **Floor edge gap.** The gap where a floor meets the wall is a hidden doorway. It was closed with sheet metal, which a rodent cannot chew through.

The same floor edge closed with a sheet metal channel along the wall base — **Floor edge gap.** The gap where a floor meets the wall is a hidden doorway. It was closed with sheet metal, which a rodent cannot chew through.

Seeing openings like these at your building?

Call (631) 212-9601 Request a free consultation

Field record · Landscape

Before and after: landscape work

Planting beds are where rats burrow in. These are rebuilt so they cannot be dug into. Tap through the phases, or drag the handle on each photo.

Front garden behind an iron fence before the work, with hostas and bare soil — **Front garden in Brooklyn Heights.** Rats were burrowing all through this front garden. The soil was dug out, Xcluder GEO was laid across the whole bed, and the garden was replanted through the barrier and finished in rock, so there is nothing left to dig into.

Rat burrow running along the base of the iron fence in loose garden soil — **Front garden in Brooklyn Heights.** Rats were burrowing all through this front garden. The soil was dug out, Xcluder GEO was laid across the whole bed, and the garden was replanted through the barrier and finished in rock, so there is nothing left to dig into.

Overgrown backyard with dense plantings, a basketball hoop and debris before the work — **Backyard in Windsor Terrace.** An overgrown backyard was cleared down to the dirt. The fence line was trenched and filled with concrete so nothing can dig in under it, and the yard was finished in gravel and stone.

Crew clearing the overgrowth in the backyard, with cut plants across the ground — **Backyard in Windsor Terrace.** An overgrown backyard was cleared down to the dirt. The fence line was trenched and filled with concrete so nothing can dig in under it, and the yard was finished in gravel and stone.

Raised street planter with loose, burrowed soil and bare shrubs before the work — **Raised street planter.** Loose soil in a street planter is where rats dig in. The bed was cleared, rebuilt and capped with stone so it can no longer be burrowed.

The same raised planter replanted with a Japanese maple and covered with river stone after the work — **Raised street planter.** Loose soil in a street planter is where rats dig in. The bed was cleared, rebuilt and capped with stone so it can no longer be burrowed.

Wooden planters along a lattice wall mid-rebuild, with soil bags and tools on the patio — **Lattice planters.** A full patio planter run reworked end to end, so the whole wall line is closed, not one corner of it.

The finished lattice planters replanted along the patio wall — **Lattice planters.** A full patio planter run reworked end to end, so the whole wall line is closed, not one corner of it.

Field record · Demolition and remediation

When it takes opening the building up

Some problems are not at the surface. These jobs went down to the dirt and into the walls to reach the cause. Tap through each phase.

Brick-arched valve vault with a dirt floor, buckets and debris around the fire service valves — **Basement vault rebuild.** We were called in because there were rats in this basement by the hundreds. Con Edison had opened a hole around the pipeline where it comes into the vault and left it open. We also found openings all through the brickwork, so everything was repointed, the masonry was rebuilt in mortar to restore its structural integrity, the pipes were sealed off, and the vault was poured, parged and left clean.

Dirt-floored basement vault with rubble, a ladder and snap traps along the walls — **Basement vault rebuild.** We were called in because there were rats in this basement by the hundreds. Con Edison had opened a hole around the pipeline where it comes into the vault and left it open. We also found openings all through the brickwork, so everything was repointed, the masonry was rebuilt in mortar to restore its structural integrity, the pipes were sealed off, and the vault was poured, parged and left clean.

Stained, broken-down seam where the brick wall meets the cladding in a side passage — **Side passage wall.** Activity along a side passage traced back into the wall itself. The seam where the brick met the cladding is what gave it away. The cladding came off, the nesting and debris were cleaned out in protective suits, and the tear-out revealed the holes the rodents were using, including one through a ceiling joist inside the house once the ceiling came down. The wall base was closed in cement, the ceiling opening was closed off in sheet metal, then the wall was built up solid in cinder block and finished with a brick face.

Side passage wall with the cladding removed and insulation hanging out of the opened cavity — **Side passage wall.** Activity along a side passage traced back into the wall itself. The seam where the brick met the cladding is what gave it away. The cladding came off, the nesting and debris were cleaned out in protective suits, and the tear-out revealed the holes the rodents were using, including one through a ceiling joist inside the house once the ceiling came down. The wall base was closed in cement, the ceiling opening was closed off in sheet metal, then the wall was built up solid in cinder block and finished with a brick face.

Narrow brick vault with a loose dirt floor, rubble and a shovel — **Brick basement vault.** A brick vault with a dirt floor full of rubble. It was cleared out, and the floor and walls were parged in cement so there is no soil left to burrow into.

The same brick vault with the floor and walls parged smooth in cement — **Brick basement vault.** A brick vault with a dirt floor full of rubble. It was cleared out, and the floor and walls were parged in cement so there is no soil left to burrow into.

Low basement passage with a dirt floor, stone walls, a gas meter and snap traps — **Basement crawl passage.** A dirt-floored passage under the building, with traps already set along it. The floor and walls were parged in cement, and the passage is now monitored with traps and bait stations on hard ground.

The same basement passage with a cement floor and parged walls, with traps and bait stations set along it — **Basement crawl passage.** A dirt-floored passage under the building, with traps already set along it. The floor and walls were parged in cement, and the passage is now monitored with traps and bait stations on hard ground.

In the field

Ryan Katz inspecting an unfinished basement wall with a flashlight — Every job starts with an inspection. The flashlight goes along the wall lines, pipe runs and ceiling edges where pests travel and get in.

Custom metal fabrication

26-gauge galvanized sheet metal, fabricated to fit each opening. A rodent cannot chew through it, and it can be shaped around pipes, lines and framing that no other material closes cleanly.

Custom-cut sheet metal channel fastened along the wall base of an empty dishwasher bay — The full wall base of a dishwasher bay, closed in sheet metal so the gap where the floor meets the wall is gone.

Custom-bent sheet metal along the wall base behind a range, with the gas line passing through a fitted cutout — Behind a range, the metal is shaped around the gas line and the bracket so the line passes through and the wall base stays closed.

Where we work

We work across all of Long Island and in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens. The 50 communities on our service area list are where we work most often, not the edge of where we go. If your town is not on it, call.

Common questions

What areas does Graduate Pest Control serve?

We work across all of Long Island, Nassau and Suffolk, and in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens. The 50 communities on our service area pages are where we work most often, not the limit of where we go, so call even if your town is not listed.

What makes Graduate different from other pest control companies?

We treat pest work as building science. Most infestations are a symptom of a structural condition, a moisture path, an open sill, an unsealed penetration, and we correct the condition rather than spraying on a schedule.

How long has Graduate Pest Control been in business?

Graduate Pest Control was founded in 1983 by Arnold Katz, who holds a B.S. in Entomology from the University of Georgia. It is now run by his son, Ryan Katz.

Do you work with co-op and condo boards?

Yes. Building-wide work for boards, property managers and commercial accounts is a core part of the practice, including the documentation those buildings need for their statutory obligations.

Do you handle commercial and food facilities?

Yes. We work with restaurants, food manufacturing and processing facilities, hotels and property management portfolios, including audit-ready program documentation.

How do I get started?

Start with a free consultation: call (631) 212-9601 or use the form. You tell us what you are seeing and where, and we tell you what it most likely is and what it will take to fix. Most routine work can be priced on that call.

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.

Pest control

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. We tell you what it most likely is, what is causing it, and what it will take to fix. Most routine work can be priced on that call.

There is no charge and no obligation. If we are not the right fit, we will say so before anyone books a visit.

Call (631) 212-9601 Schedule an inspection

Answered at any hour.

Pest Control, Rodent Exclusion and IPM for Long Island and New York City

Scratching in the walls at night?