Los Angeles has been named the second “rattiest” city in the country by pest control company Orkin on the company’s annual list of metropolitan areas ranked by the severity of rodent infestations, released on October 22.
Orkin based its ranking on the number of new rodent treatments performed over a year-long period and stated that the list “indicates the efforts that residents and businesses of the top cities have taken to treat rodent issues.”
L.A. ranked right behind nine-time first-place winner Chicago, but leads New York City which settled for third place. The news took USC students by surprise, who were unaware of the magnitude of rodents in the city.
Junior computer science student Nick Marker believes the infestation of rats in L.A. is tiny compared to NYC. “I personally don’t mind the rats and the ones in New York are huge and scary. The ones here are tiny, so I don’t obviously love them but [I’m] not afraid,” Marker said.
Senior astronautical engineering student Andrew Pena said L.A. is fairly dirty as a whole. “I used to think it was just my neighborhood because it was really trashy, but I think most of the city is pretty dirty,” Pena said.
Rats not only can cause damage to property, but they also carry many diseases including Hantavirus, Leptospirosis and Monekypox, according to the CDC.
Alexis Mesa, a junior majoring in law, history, and culture, said it’s “sickening” that L.A. ranks so high.
“That’s disgusting, I feel like around here on campus I don’t see a lot [of rats] but I understand why. I feel like in a lot of low-income communities around, trash pickup is rare. Generally in downtown L.A. I don’t think waste management is that good,” Mesa said.
According to Orkin, every fall, mice and other rodents invade an estimated 21 million homes in the United States. They typically enter homes between October and February looking for food, water and shelter from the cold.
In addition to posing health issues, rodents are also capable of causing structural damage. They have strong jaws and are well-suited for burrowing. A variety of potential threats, including electrical wires, gas lines and water pipes, can be chewed.
Pena expressed that money can be an important solution to the problem of rats. “Just more funding, I’ve never seen them clean the streets at all. So I don’t know whose jurisdiction that goes upon. But they just need to get somewhere to clean,” Pena said.
The County of L.A. Public Health advises removing any sources of food and water and getting rid of items that can provide rodents shelter, so they will be less likely to nest and breed in your yard. Cracks around doors, vents, windows, and other such openings should be covered with “rat proof” materials, such as sheet metal.
Fall has kicked in, but is your house rat proof yet?