WASHINGTON — On a list that no city wants the honor of topping, D.C. ranks in the top five.
Orkin, a pest control company, released its annual "Top 50 Rattiest Cities" list on Oct. 23. For the ninth year in a row, Chicago takes the first place title in the rat race.
Los Angeles moved up to second place, taking New York's spot -- bumping the Big Apple down to number three. In the fourth place spot, *drum roll please*, is the nation's capital -- Washington, D.C.
The list is made based on the number of new rodent services which showcases the demand and also shows the efforts that residents and businesses have taken to treat rodent issues in the top cities. The rankings were determined by new rodent treatments performed from Sept. 1, 2022, to Aug. 31, 2023.
According to Orkin, each fall, mice and other rodents invade around 21 million homes across the country. They typically enter homes between October and February -- which are colder months.
“Rodents multiply swiftly and when an infestation is left unattended, they can cause extensive damage to homes and yards,” said Ben Hottel, an Orkin entomologist. “Rats are capable of squeezing into spaces through holes as small as a quarter, which makes it especially important to seal cracks from the outside.”
A few signs of a rodent infestation in homes and other buildings include rodent droppings, gnaw marks, nests, dark grease or dirt rib marks, and strange noises. To avoid rodents in buildings, Orkin suggests to store food away, declutter, maintain landscaping, inspect both inside and outside of your home, and look for possible entry points and seal any holes or cracks.