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Houston ranked Top 20 Rattiest Cities in the US, Orkin study says

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Published  October 24, 2023 3:57pm CDT
Houston
FOX 26 Houston

HOUSTON - Well, Houston, we've made another list, and this time not for the best reasons.

Orkin, a pest control company, recently released their list of cities in the United States with the most rats. Houston has jumped up 10 spots from last year's list and is now the 20th city in the U.S. with the most rats.

According to Orkin, the Rattiest Cities List is based on the number of new rodent services with demand and the efforts residents and businesses in a city have taken to treat rodent issues.

RELATED: Houston among most pest-infested U.S. cities, study finds

Their list ranked metro regions by the number of new rodent treatments performed from Sept.1, 2022, to Aug. 31, 2023, Orkin said.

Chicago maintained their top spot on the list for the ninth straight year. Los Angeles also moved up to the second-place spot knocking New York down to third for 2023.

Unfortunately, this is not the first time Houston made a pest-related list.

Back in August, we shared another report in which New York-based pest inspectors Doctor Sniffs used 2021 U.S. Census data to find the metropolitan areas with the most rat and cockroach sightings and Houston was sixth on their list.

The city had a combined rat and cockroach sighting rate of 50.4 per 100,000 residents in 2021, the study reported.

The top 20 Rattiest Cities according to Orkin are:

  1. Chicago
  2. Los Angeles                           
  3. New York
  4. Washington, D.C.
  5. San Francisco
  6. Philadelphia
  7. Baltimore
  8. Denver
  9. Detroit
  10. Cleveland-Akron
  11. Minneapolis-St. Paul
  12. Seattle
  13. Boston
  14. Atlanta
  15. Indianapolis
  16. Pittsburgh
  17. Hartford, Conn.
  18. Columbus, Ohio
  19. Miami-Ft. Lauderdale
  20. Houston

Click here to view the full list and see where other cities ranked.

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Orkin also shared some tips and ways to spot if a home or business has a rat infestation:

  • Keep a look-out for rodent droppings
  • Watch for gnaw marks on the walls, wood, and wiring
  • Look for nests in dark, secluded areas
  • Rats can leave dark grease or dirt marks along the floor and walls
  • Listen for strange noises like scurrying in the walks or attics