This certainly isn't a list Chicago wants to top.
Orkin named the Windy City the No. 1 "rattiest city" in a new list of 20 cities with the most rodent treatments performed by the company last year. Los Angeles comes in second followed by Washington, D.C.-Hagerstown, New York and San Francisco.
“Each city on this list is a major urban area that provides ideal conditions for rats and mice to thrive,” entomologist Ron Harrison said in a statement. “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."
Orkin said cooler temperatures mark the season when rats and mice start to search for shelter, water and food in homes and businesses.
Rats and mice invade about 21 million U.S. homes every fall, according to the company, and a 2013 survey by Orkin showed one-third of Americans saw a rodent in their home in the past year.
"It only takes a hole the size of a quarter for a rat to squeeze inside, and a hole the size of a dime for mice. ... It is not uncommon for homeowners and businesses to begin spotting rodents beginning in October."
This isn't Chicago's first run-in with Orkin lists. The city topped Orkin’s list of the top 50 bed bug cities this year for the second year in a row.
Top 20 Rattiest Cities
1. Chicago
2. Los Angeles
3. Washington, D.C.-Hagerstown
4. New York
5. San Francisco-Oak-San Jose
6. Seattle-Tacoma
7. Detroit
8. Cleveland-Akron-Canton
9. Baltimore
10. Miami-Ft. Lauderdale
11. Dallas-Ft. Worth
12. Denver
13. Houston
14. Atlanta
15. Boston-Manchester
16. Minneapolis-St. Paul
17. Sacramento-Stockton-Modesto
18. Syracuse
19. Indianapolis
20. Charlotte
