Chicago Holds Top Spot on Orkin's 'Rattiest Cities' List

ATLANTA — Orkin released its top 20 rattiest cities. The markets are ranked by the number of rodent treatments the company performed in 2013.

    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

According to a 2013 Orkin survey, one-third of Americans saw a rodent in their home in the last year. Rodents eat between 15 and 20 times a day, so nearly 40 percent of homeowners saw rodents for the first time in kitchens. While rodents are commonly found eating human or pet food, they are also found chewing and gnawing other materials, causing damage to furniture, clothing, wiring, insulation and piping.