Chicago has been dubbed the most rat-infested city in the United States, based on a study of pest-control treatments performed by Orkin.
The Atlanta-based company reported that the Windy City has the biggest rat infestation problem, followed by Los Angeles, Washington, New York and the San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose region in California.
“Each city on this list is a major urban area that provides ideal conditions for rats and mice to thrive,” said Ron Harrison, an entomologist and Orkin’s technical services director. “Commensal rodents depend on humans and their resources to survive, so unless residents and city officials take proactive steps to prevent rodents, infestations can easily get out of hand. It’s important to remember that this list is based solely on the number of treatments Orkin performed last year. While your city may not be ranked high on the list, that does not mean you should be any less vigilant.”
Other cities named to Orkin’s “rattiest” list include the Seattle-Tacoma area, Detroit, the Cleveland-Akron-Canton region and, further down the list, Atlanta, the Boston-Manchester area and Indianapolis.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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