New York State leads the nation in rat-infested cities with five, including third-ranked New York City.
Orkin released its annual rundown of 50 cities where it treated the most places for rodents in the year ending Sept. 1. They included Albany, which was 31st nationally, followed by Buffalo at number 41, Rochester at 43 and Syracuse, which narrowly made the cut by landing the 48th spot on the list.
New York City finished third in the extermination company’s 2023’s rankings.
Earning the top-spot among ratty cities for the tenth year in a row was Chicago. Los Angeles finished second to The Windy City.
Orkin warned in its annual press release that mice and rats torment more than 20 million homeowners each fall when temperatures drop and critters look for cozy places to spend the winter.
A rat is pictured outside NYCHA housing on Sands St. in Brooklyn, New York, in this file photo. (Theodore Parisienne for New York Daily News)
In addition to causing structural damage to houses, hungry rats present immediate safety concerns, according to Orkin National Accounts Entomologist & Quality Manager john Kane.
“These tiny culprits tend to chew through wiring, which poses an increased risk of fires,” he warned in his pest-control company’s report.
Rodents can also spread illnesses including leptospirosis, plague and typhus.
New York City has toyed with numerous solutions to get its rat problem under control. Mayor Eric Adams appointed a rat czar to deal with the matter in April 2023.
“I will bring a science and systems-based approach to reducing New York City’s rat population, with a strong focus on cutting off the food, water and shelter rats need to survive,” ex-Brooklyn charter school teacher Kathleen Corradi said upon accepting that job. “There’s a new sheriff in town.”