What are the ‘rattiest’ cities in America? Two in Texas make the list, Orkin says

Pest control company Orkin released its 2020 list of the 50 “rattiest” cities in the country — and two Texas cities are among them.

The Dallas-Fort Worth area ranked 16th this year, falling one spot from the 2019 list, Orkin said.

If the ranking surprises you — especially given Fort Worth’s Great Swamp Rat Invasion of 2020 — that could be because Orkin determined the ranking by the number of new rodent treatments it performed between Sept. 2019 and August 2020.

Houston followed in the No. 17 spot, the same as last year.

Chicago ranked first for the sixth year in a row with Los Angeles, New York, Washington, D.C., and San Francisco rounding out the top five, respectively.

Orkin called 2020 an “unprecendented year” for rodent visibility, explaining that coronavirus-related restaurant closures forced the animals to find new sources for food.

The lack of food waste led rodents to scavenge in new areas and display unusual — and sometimes aggressive — behavior, Orkin said.

Experts expect rodent activity to ramp up as the weather cools and the animals search for warmth.

“Rodents are experts at sniffing out food and shelter, and they’re resilient in their ways to obtain both,” entomologist Ben Hottel said in a news release. “Residential properties offer the ideal habitat for rodents, and once they’ve settled in, they’re capable of reproducing rapidly and in large quantities.”

Rodents are known to carry myriad diseases, including Lassa fever and the plague. To prevent an infestation in your home or business, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend sealing up any holes which rodents could use to enter, and placing traps inside your building.

Be sure to remove heavy vegetation and debris from your yard and ensure lids fit tightly over garbage cans, the CDC said. You should also remove any pet and bird food from your yard.

Food and cardboard can both attract rodents, so always put both away, Orkin suggested. Keep an eye out for rodent droppings, rub marks along baseboards and burrows to ensure you catch a potential rodent infestation as early as possible.

This story was originally published October 19, 2020 at 11:17 AM.