Chicago Ranks At The Top Of The 'Rattiest Cities' List
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Just in time for Halloween, the rats are out wandering the city.
For the third consecutive year, Chicago ranks at the "rattiest city" on Orkin's 'Top 50 Rattiest Cities' list.
In fact, service calls in Chicago are up 32 percent.
"It does surprise me. Chicago has quiet a number of conducive conditions of its own and a lot of opportunity for improvement," said Orkin Entomologist and Technical Director of Orkin's Midwest Region, John Kane.
"Chicago certainly has a lot of mice and rat pressure. We have a lot of square mileage spread out and we also have quiet a lot of alleys in which we put our garbage."
New York is a close second, followed by Los Angeles and San Francisco, he said.
Kane said as the weather gets colder, unwanted pests like mice and rats look for food, water and shelter to survive the winter.
"Rats and mice begin looking for warmer, more insulated places to get through the winter, and these too often happen to be our homes or businesses," Kane said. "Rodents like to chew on wood and electrical wires, increasing the fire danger behind your walls and potentially damage to your home.
"Rats can squeeze through a hole the size of a quarter, while mice can fit through a hole the size of a dime. Even if they can't find an opening, they can often chew their way in."
Mayor Emanuel has proposed spending an additional $1.5 million next year to get rid of rats.
The rankings are based on the number of rodent treatments the company performed from Sept. 15, 2016 – Sept. 15, 2017, including both residential and commercial treatments.
Orkin's full list of the Top 50 Rattiest Cities include:
1. Chicago
2. New York
3. Los Angeles
4. San Francisco - Oakland
5. Washington, DC
6. Philadelphia
7. Detroit
8. Baltimore
9. Seattle - Tacoma
10. Dallas - Ft. Worth
11. Denver
12. Minneapolis - St. Paul
13. Cleveland - Akron
14. Atlanta
15. Boston
16. Hartford - New Haven
17. Portland, OR
18. Miami - Ft. Lauderdale
19. Indianapolis
20. Houston
21. Milwaukee
22. Pittsburgh
23. New Orleans
24. Cincinnati
25. Richmond - Petersburg
26. Sacramento - Stockton
27. Kansas City
28. Charlotte
29. Norfolk - Portsmouth - Newport News
30. Buffalo
31. Columbus, OH
32. St. Louis
33. Raleigh - Durham
34. Grand Rapids - Kalamazoo
35. San Diego
36. Albany - Schenectady
37. San Antonio
38. Tampa - St. Petersburg
39. Rochester, NY
40. Nashville
41. Champaign - Springfield - Decatur
42. Greenville - Spartanburg
43. Memphis
44. Phoenix
45. Syracuse
46. West Palm Beach
47. Orlando - Daytona Beach
48. Madison
49. Flint - Saginaw
50. Green Bay - Appleton
