Chicago: Rattiest City in America for 10th Year!

CHICAGO — For the tenth consecutive year, Chicago has been designated the “Rattiest City” in the United States, according to a report released Monday by Orkin pest control.

This “decade-long supremacy” in rodent infestations is largely attributed to the city’s numerous alleyways, which serve as “hidden sanctuaries” for rodents, providing ample space for concealment while they scavenge for refuse, as stated in an Orkin news release.

Los Angeles ranks second, while New York City — whose indicted mayor appointed its first “rat czar” last year to address the rodent issue — comes in third. The three largest cities in the U.S. have consistently occupied the top positions since 2017.

Orkin compiled its rankings by monitoring new residential rodent treatments from September 1, 2023, to August 31, 2024, according to the news release.

Mayor Brandon Johnson’s 2024 budget allocates $14.85 million to the Bureau of Rodent Control for the fiscal year, representing an increase of approximately $1.5 million from the previous year. These funds are earmarked for various “rodent control” initiatives, including inspections, baiting of alleys and sewers, and the removal of deceased rodents from public areas, as outlined in budget documents.

This financial boost follows an investigation by Block Club Chicago and the Illinois Answers Project, which revealed that the city has struggled to manage escalating rat infestations that surged during the pandemic. The investigation highlighted that responses to rat complaints were notably slow in certain West and South Side neighborhoods.

In 2022, Chicagoans lodged over 50,000 rat complaints. The city’s Inspector General’s Office has announced plans to audit the rodent control bureau due to its inadequate preparedness for the influx of complaints and its failure to effectively exterminate rodents.
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