The large city lifestyle is not for everyone. There’s the noise, the expensive costs of living, and the rats, of course. The rats usually keep to themselves, although this isn’t always the case. Rodents are more of an issue in some of the largest cities in America. According to recent data, these cities throughout the country are the most rat-infested.
Data from pest management companies revealed that rats and mice were more noticeable than ever in several cities. However, rat sightings do not always imply that you live in one of America’s most rat-infested cities.
The rankings are based on the number of individual rodent treatments done from September 2020 to September 2021, and are based on internal data.
These are the top ten cities with the most rat infestations:
- Chicago, Illinois
- Los Angeles, CA
- New York City
- Washington, D.C.
- San Francisco, CA
- Baltimore, Maryland
- Philadelphia, PA
- Detroit, Michigan
- Denver, Colorado
- Cleveland, Ohio
Some of these cities will presumably come as no surprise. You’ve undoubtedly seen your fair share of rats if you’ve lived in or visited New York for more than a day. (We all remember the Pizza Rat sensation on social media a few years ago, too). Los Angeles and Chicago are in the same boat.
For the seventh year in a row, Chicago has been ranked first. Cleveland, on the other hand, made its maiden appearance in the top ten. Similarly, Baltimore has consistently risen in the rankings, edging closer to the top five by two points.
Many pest management firms attribute the increased visibility of rodents in cities around the world to the pandemic. Rats and mice were forced to look for food elsewhere when restaurants closed. Furthermore, while many people fled cities when the pandemic initially began, their return brought swarms of hungry rodents ready to eat anything they could find.
Rodents aren’t going anywhere as winter approaches. Anywhere but inside your house, where you can stay warm and eat any crumbs you drop. Do you want to be sure you’re ready? Check out our guide to removing mice and rats from your home.