Washington, D.C., is ranked at No. 4 of the most rat-infested cities, following Chicago, New York City, and Los Angeles.
Orkin, an industry leader in pest control services, released its yearly “Top 50 Rattiest Cities List” on Monday. The standings were determined by the number of rodent treatments performed from Sept. 1, 2021, to Aug. 31, 2022.
Chicago held on to its No. 1 spot for the eighth consecutive year, according to a press release. D.C. has remained No. 4 since 2018, when it switched places with No. 5 San Francisco.
DC COMPLAINS AS CITY OVERRUN WITH RATS
The lowest-ranking cities included Charleston, Fort Wayne, Orlando, and Burlington, at 47 through 50, respectively.
Mice and other rodents invade approximately 21 million homes across the United States each fall, usually in colder months between October and February.
“Rodent infestations are among the top pest issues of the fall and winter seasons,” Ben Hottel, an Orkin entomologist, said in the release. “Not only are mice and rats a nuisance, but they are known to spread a variety of dangerous diseases, including Salmonella and Hantavirus.”
Washington, D.C., is working to address the rat infestation crisis. In August, several community members, including small-business owners, gathered in Logan Circle to talk with D.C. Health about measures to end the rat problem in the city.
D.C. Health rolled out a citation program for property owners who don’t put lids on trash cans or have debris surrounding their can, drawing rats into the area. Restaurants and small businesses were cited as a main source of the problem because they tend to decline or cannot afford weekend trash services.
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Several indicators of rat infestations included gnaw marks on walls or wires, droppings near food storage, and scurryinglike noises. Shredded paper, cotton, or packing materials can be evidence of nests as well.
