When It Comes To Rats, Chicago Is Again Second City To None: Study

CHICAGO — Chicago’s long-standing rat relationship has been well-documented but for the ninth straight year, the city is certainly not The Second City to anyone.

Chicago topped Orkin’s list of “Rattiest Cities” once again, finishing ahead of Los Angeles and New York. Los Angeles leapfrogged New York for the second spot while Washington, D.C., and San Francisco rounded out the Top 5 in the annual study, which is produced by pest control company Orkin.

Cities were ranked by Orkin according to the number of new rodent treatments that were performed between Sept. 1, 2022, and Aug. 31 of this year. The rankings include both residential and commercial buildings, Orkin said in a news release.

Each fall, mice and other rodents invade an estimated 21 million homes in the United States. They typically enter homes between October and February looking for food, water, and shelter from the cold, Orkin said.

“Rodents multiply swiftly and when an infestation is left unattended, they can cause extensive damage to homes and yards,” Ben Hottel, an Orkin entomologist, said in a news release. “Rats are capable of squeezing into spaces through holes as small as a quarter, which makes it especially important to seal cracks from the outside.”

Rodents can cause health issues and severe structural damage with their strong jaws and burrowing skills. They have oversized front teeth for gnawing, and teeth that are adapted for chewing a variety of items including electrical wires, water pipes, and gas lines, Orkin said.

Because of the threats that rodents pose, it’s important for homeowners and business owners to know how to spot a rat or mouse infestation in order to take a proactive approach to eliminate them from their homes and facilities.

In response, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s proposed budget for 2024 includes nearly $15 million to the Bureau of Rodent Control –an increase of $1.5 million from the previous year, Block Club Chicago reported.

More than 50,000 complaints related to rats were filed by city residents last year, Block Club reported. Although nearly 39,000 similar complaints have been lodged so far this year, city officials expect the number of complaints to be lower than in previous years.