Where Are NYC's Insect and Vermin Complaints Concentrated?
Top ZIP codes for UNSANITARY CONDITION — PESTS complaints (January 2025 – June 2026 (18 months)). Distinct from the rat-complaint geographic ranking — this map is led by The Bronx, not Brooklyn.
Source: NYC 311 Open Data (erm2-nwe9). Pull date: 2026-06-25.
Which NYC ZIP codes have the most insect and vermin complaints?
Unlike rodent complaints — which concentrate in Brooklyn and East Harlem — insect and vermin complaints (UNSANITARY CONDITION — PESTS) are dominated by The Bronx, which holds 7 of the top 10 ZIP codes and 10 of the top 20. ZIP code 11226 (Flatbush, Brooklyn) leads the citywide ranking with 2,847 complaints, followed immediately by Bronx ZIPs: 10457 (Tremont), 10458 (Belmont / Fordham), and 10456 (Morrisania).
The Bronx's outsized representation reflects its large stock of older multi-family housing — pre-war apartment buildings with shared basements, interconnected utility chases, and aging plumbing — that provide persistent harborage for cockroaches and other vermin. Under the NYC Housing Maintenance Code (§27-2018), landlords are legally required to exterminate vermin and pests; complaints in this dataset reflect conditions referred to NYC Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) for enforcement.
| Rank | ZIP | Neighborhood | PESTS Complaints |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | 11226 | Flatbush | 2,847 |
| #2 | 10457 | Tremont | 2,729 |
| #3 | 10458 | Belmont / Fordham | 2,704 |
| #4 | 10456 | Morrisania | 2,645 |
| #5 | 10452 | Highbridge | 2,494 |
| #6 | 10467 | Allerton | 2,424 |
| #7 | 10453 | Morris Heights | 2,416 |
| #8 | 10460 | East Tremont | 1,898 |
| #9 | 11207 | East New York | 1,819 |
| #10 | 11212 | Brownsville | 1,782 |
| #11 | 10468 | Fordham | 1,710 |
| #12 | 10459 | Longwood | 1,643 |
| #13 | 10031 | Hamilton Heights | 1,490 |
| #14 | 11213 | Crown Heights | 1,433 |
| #15 | 10032 | Washington Heights | 1,415 |
| #16 | 11233 | East New York (West) | 1,404 |
| #17 | 10451 | Mott Haven | 1,288 |
| #18 | 11225 | Prospect Lefferts Gardens | 1,283 |
| #19 | 11221 | Bushwick | 1,240 |
| #20 | 11208 | East New York | 1,191 |
Source: NYC 311 Open Data (erm2-nwe9), complaint_type='UNSANITARY CONDITION', descriptor='PESTS'. Pull date: 2026-06-25. Total measured citywide PESTS complaints: 92,958.
How does this differ from the rat complaint map?
The geographic distribution of insect/vermin complaints is markedly different from rodent complaints. Brooklyn leads rodent complaints; The Bronx leads insect/vermin complaints. ZIP 10035 (East Harlem) tops the rat index but does not appear in the top 20 for insect/vermin complaints. This divergence points to different underlying housing conditions and pest types in each borough. See the pest-type breakdown for the full category analysis. For Bronx residents dealing with the roach and vermin complaints that dominate this ranking, Big Apple Pest Solutions' cockroach control covers the Bronx as well as Manhattan.
Disclosure: Big Apple Pest Solutions is operated by the same network that publishes this site. Not a paid placement.