- New York City leads U.S. in rat infestations
- San Francisco, Los Angeles, Philadelphia follow closely
- Rats pose serious health risks, structural damage
New York is known as the most rat-infested city in the United States, but can you determine the other worst-plagued areas?
These dreaded vermin are synonymous with city life, although some urban areas have a more excellent rat issue than others.
California’s San Francisco Bay and Los Angeles were ranked second and third, respectively, followed by Philadelphia.
Rats transmit diseases that can infect humans, including fatal infections such as Leptospirosis, hantavirus, and rat bite fever. When they infest buildings, they can inflict extensive structural damage.
Terminix, a national pest control firm, investigated which of its 300 branches provided the most rodent control services in 2023, then ranked the cities with the most demand.
New Yorkers will not be surprised to find their city at the top of this list. The Big Apple’s rat problem is almost as ancient as the city itself and has grown in recent years.
According to research conducted by the worldwide pest management company Orkin, the New York metropolis reclaimed its title as America’s most rat-infested metropolis after Chicago dethroned it in 2022.
Denver, Dallas, and Sacramento are among the cities on the list that are less well-known for their rat problems.
According to MMPC, a Long Island-based pest management firm, there could be up to 3 million rats in New York City as of 2023.
That is one million higher than was expected in 2010.
The rodent problem has become so bad that Mayor Eric Adams has declared them ‘public enemy number one’ and named the city’s first ‘Rat Czar,’ or director of rodent mitigation, for 2023.
For New Yorkers, these bugs are more than a nuisance; they represent a health risk. In April, the city issued a health alert due to increased Leptospirosis, a fatal rat-borne disease.
In 2023, New York City reported 24 cases of Leptospirosis, eight times the total number of instances over the previous two decades. By April 2024, six further cases had been documented.
This is one reason Mayor Adams and his administration have adopted a more aggressive approach to rat control, investing $3.5 million in rodent mitigation in Harlem.
The most rat-infested cities on the list are on the West Coast, with San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose requiring the second most rat control services in 2023.
The greater San Francisco area has experienced several notable rat infestations this year.
In Oakland, a family’s flat has become infested with rodents, forcing them to leave because neither the landlord nor the city has addressed the issue.
In June, a grocery store in San Francisco was briefly closed after an inspection revealed rat droppings and gnawed-through food containers, including tortillas, bread, cookies, and chips.
The San Francisco Department of Public Health declared the store a major rodent violation and ordered its immediate closure on June 27. The store reopened the following day after a mandated cleaning and sanitation procedure.
California’s rat problem is not limited to the larger San Francisco area. Terminix put Los Angeles third on their list. Rats are common in Los Angeles, particularly in trash-filled regions near the city’s center.
The city’s rat population has caused health concerns in recent years. In 2018, 124 Los Angeles residents became ill as a result of a typhus outbreak—a bacterial infection transmitted to humans by fleas that had bitten diseased rats.
In 2023, Los Angeles’ famous Olvera Street retailers claimed that a rat infestation jeopardized their business. According to footage obtained by local news channel KTLA, rats were seen scurrying around streets, sidewalks, and under vendor stalls, hunting for food.
Philadelphia is the fourth most rat-infested city on the list. However, according to city officials, this is no surprise to Philly residents, who have complained about rat sightings for numerous years.
However, this latest rating may indicate some improvement in the city’s rat problem. A 2021 American Housing survey previously listed Philadelphia as the second-most rat-infested city in the United States, with nearly 20% of households reporting vermin.
In some parts of the city, citizens have banded together to confront the issue head-on. In South Philadelphia, for example, residents met with city authorities to draw attention to
As rats have plagued South Philly, residents gathered with municipal authorities to draw attention to local businesses that incorrectly store their waste, which they feel contributes to the local rat epidemic.
The meeting, held in June, left people ‘cautiously optimistic’ that the city would interfere.
Washington, DC, is the fifth most rat-infested city in the United States. Even the city’s wealthiest neighborhoods aren’t immune to these pests.
In July, Gerard Brown, the city’s ‘Rat Czar,’ confirmed the presence of ‘active rat burrows’ outside a high-end apartment building in Dupont Circle.
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Over 100 neighbors have complained about rats entering their apartments, devouring their food, and spreading droppings all over their flooring.
In 2023, the DC Department of Health received over 16,000 complaints about rodent sightings and infestations, indicating that the city’s rat problem was worsening. Officials have identified increased waste and the pandemic as the primary causes of this problem.
In 2023, Brown told local news channel 7News, “We were shut down, the city was closed, restaurants were closed, and rats migrated to the residential areas.”
Even if your city isn’t on the list, you should know the indicators of a rodent infestation in your home. These include droppings, a urine odor, gnawed holes and markings, and scampering sounds.
You should also look for rodent nests and unusual behavior from your pets. When rats arrive, dogs and cats may become more vigilant and paw at possible hiding places, such as below your refrigerator, stove, or furniture.
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