The Windy City is still stuck with the alternative nickname as The Ratty City, as Chicago ranked first in Top 50 Rattiest Cities List for the tenth straight year.
Orkin ranks cities based on data collected by tracking new residential rodent treatments from Sept. 1, 2023, to Aug. 31, 2024. Chicago’s perennial placement at the top of the rankings was attributed to an “abundance of alleys provides rodents with hidden havens, offering plenty of space to hide while feasting on trash.”
Joining Chicago in the top five rattiest cities were Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco and Washington, DC. New York State had the most cities in the list’s top 50 – New York City, Albany (#31), Buffalo (#41), Rochester (#43) and Syracuse (#48).
“Rodents can cause a lot of structural problems for property owners,” says John Kane, Orkin national accounts entomologist & and quality manager. “They can get in around piping and even chew through walls. These tiny culprits tend to chew through wiring, which poses an increased risk of fires.”
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