Orkin ranks top 50 ‘rattiest’ US cities

Orkin released its Top 50 Rattiest Cities list in a blog post on Oct. 16, ranking Chicago No. 1 for the third consecutive year.

“Rats and mice begin looking for warmer, more insulated places to get through the winter, and these too often happen to be our homes or businesses,” says John Kane, entomologist and technical director of of Orkin’s Midwest region. “Rodents like to chew on wood and electrical wires, increasing the fire danger behind your walls and potentially damage to your home.”

Photo: ©istock.com/Dieter Meyrl

The markets are ranked based on the number of rodent treatments the company performed between Sept. 15, 2016, and Sept. 15, 217, including residential and commercial treatments.

1. Chicago
2. New York
3. Los Angeles (+1)
4. San Francisco – Oakland (+1)
5. Washington, DC (-2)
6. Philadelphia (+1)
7. Detroit (+2)
8. Baltimore (-2)
9. Seattle – Tacoma
10. Dallas – Ft. Worth (+4)
11. Denver (-1)
12. Minneapolis – St. Paul (-4)
13. Cleveland – Akron (+2)
14. Atlanta (+2)
15. Boston (-3)
16. Hartford – New Haven (+1)
17. Portland, OR (+3)
18. Miami – Ft. Lauderdale (-5)
19. Indianapolis
20. Houston (+1)
21. Milwaukee (+2)
22. Pittsburgh (-4)
23. New Orleans (+15)
24. Cincinnati (+10)
25. Richmond – Petersburg
26. Sacramento – Stockton (+6)
27. Kansas City (+3)
28. Charlotte (-1)
29. Norfolk – Portsmouth – Newport News (-5)
30. Buffalo (-1)
31. Columbus, OH (+6)
32. St. Louis (-4)
33. Raleigh – Durham (-11)
34. Grand Rapids – Kalamazoo (-1)
35. San Diego (+12)
36. Albany – Schenectady (-10)
37. San Antonio
38. Tampa – St. Petersburg (-7)
39. Rochester, NY (-4)
40. Nashville (-1)
41. Champaign – Springfield – Decatur
42. Greenville – Spartanburg (-2)
43. Memphis
44. Phoenix (+1)
45. Syracuse
46. West Palm Beach (-10)
47. Orlando – Daytona Beach (-1)
48. Madison (+1)
49. Flint – Saginaw (-8)
50. Green Bay – Appleton (-6)