It seems no industry is immune to the sour economic climate, which means even exterminators are getting fewer calls.
And that can mean only one thing for busy New York workers: There are more mice and cockroaches running around through the cracks of your office cubicles.
Pest-control veterans told The New York Times that they're experiencing a drop in business, both with their commercial clients and residential. Landlords and managers of office buildings are trying to cut expenses any way they can. One customer told the Control Exterminating Company that having an exterminator is a "luxury item."
"We'll step on the bugs and kick the mice," the man told Control, according to the Times.
Fortunately -- or unfortunately -- restaurants continue to operate as they normally do. Cutting back on pest control would lead to large fines, so it makes sense for them to continue calling the Orkin man with normal regularity.
New York's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene reported a small drop in pest-related violations in a recent inspection sweep. But that leaves one to wonder if maybe the department, like everyone else, has cut personnel and maybe has fewer people to make the rounds.
