All Hail The Rat King! Chicago Named Rattiest City For 3rd Year

CHICAGO, IL — For a third year, Chicago has earned the dubious distinction of rattiest U.S. city by Orkin, which released its list of the top 50 rodent-infested metro areas Monday. The Atlanta-based pest control company determined its ranking by the amount of residential and commercial rat and mice treatments it performed between Sept. 15, 2016, and Sept. 15, 2017. Chicago topped the list in 2016 and 2014 (the company didn't compile rankings in 2015).

Along with Chicago, Orkin's top 5 rattiest metro areas include New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco-Oakland and Washington, D.C., respectively. New Orleans — up 15 spots to No. 23 — and Cincinnati — up 10 spots to No. 24 — made the biggest jumps on the list from last year.

The national rat recognition comes on the heels of the city announcing Friday that it will be spending more on rodent control and abatment next year. Chicago's 2018 budget includes adding five more rodent baiting crews and buying more than 10,000 additional black garbage carts, Mayor Rahm Emanuel's office said in a release. (Get Patch real-time email alerts for the latest news for Chicago — or your neighborhood. And iPhone users: Check out Patch's new app.)

So far this year, the city has responded to more than 39,000 requests for rodent complaints, and complaints as of the end of September were up by about 1,500 compared to the same time last year. In 2016, there were more than 45,000 complaints, the most since 2011.

"With Mayor Emanuel's support, we will continue our zealous fight against rodents, ensuring that every report is addressed within five days or less," Department of Streets and Sanitation Commissioner Charles L. Williams said. "The rodent battle will only benefit from the investment in garbage carts which helps ensure that residents can swap out any damaged carts for a new or refurbished one in a timely manner."

The additional rat crews will push the department's total to 30 in 2018 and cost more than $1 million, the mayor's office said. Stocking up on more garbage carts will run the department around $500,000, and these expenses will be paid for from savings created by changes to the city's garbage pick-up system.

More on Chicago's Rat Problem on Patch:

• Warm Chicago Weather Plus Dog Poop Equals Rat Heaven
• Chicago Named Rattiest City, Despite Efforts To Lose This Rat Race
• Chicago's Rats Love the North Side
• Feral Cats Used to Control Rat Problem on North Side
• Meet the Cool Cats Who Protect a Chicago Brewery From Rats
• Chicago's Rat Problem: How Do You Handle the City's Rodent Residents?

Starting last year, the DSS began using dry ice to help curb the rat population. The process involves pouring spoonfuls of the extremely cold substance into burrows and covering them. The dry ice then melts and turns to carbon dioxide, which suffocates the rats.

The city also created a Bureau of Rodent Control in 2017 and began testing a rodent fertility bait designed to reduce the pests' reproduction rates.

WATCH: Orkin's top 10 rattiest cities in the U.S.:

Go to Orkin's website for the complete list of rattiest cities.

Photo by Frank Franklin II | Associated Press

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