Orkin, an Atlanta-based pest control service, ranks U.S. cities by the number of new rodent treatments each year from September 1st to August 31st. The result is a list of 50 cities and most places change whenever the list is updated. However, Chicago is still number one.
The top ten on Orkin’s list were Los Angeles, New York, Washington DC, San Francisco, Detroit, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Denver, and Minneapolis.
How the pandemic worsened the rat population
According to Orkin, statewide orders to stay at home and stay at businesses close to you didn’t just affect the population.
According to the website, “Community-level closures have reduced the amount of food available to rodents, especially in dense commercial areas.” “Some jurisdictions have reported increased rodent activity as rodents search for new food sources.”
And Orkin warns that rat activity “will continue to increase” as rodents begin to seek warm shelters as the moon gets colder.