Warm Chicago Weather Plus Dog Poop Equals Rat Heaven

CHICAGO, IL – Street rats are as much a part of Chicago’s history as corrupt politicians, and of course share similarities: they drain public coffers, spread fear, and are full of crap. But predictable politician jokes aside, rats couldn’t be happier this fall—not only do they like the warm weather, but it also means more people are out walking their dogs and leaving poop behind. In neighborhoods such as West Town, Logan Square, and Mount Greenwood, aldermen and other community leaders say irresponsible dog owners have played a big role in the growing rat problem.

In a town hall meeting in September, Ald. Matt O'Shea (19th) reminded residents that the city's ability to crack down on the rat problem is complaint based. He urged people to call 311 and report neighbors who aren't cleaning up after their dogs.

"If you put a plate of filet mignon out and you put a plate of dog crap out, in the morning, the filet mignon will still be sitting there," O'Shea said in a quote from DNAinfo. (For more local news, subscribe to free email news alerts and a daily newsletter for your hometown Patch.)

Rat complaints to the city's 311 call center and through its online portal have seen a huge spike over the past year in many neighborhoods. According to the Chicago Tribune, the city received 46,879 rat complaints in 2016--the most of any year since 2011, which was the first year the city made the complaint data available. 2015 saw only 13,000 complaints comparatively. And the city said 2017 has seen at least 1,500 more complaints by the end of September than this time last year.

So it comes as no surprise that Chicago was named the rattiest city in the United States last year by the extermination service Orkin, which released its top 50 most rat-infested metropolitan cities. Chicago also occupied the top spot of Orkin's list in 2014.

According to the city, the species of rat found in Chicago is the Norway rat, and their risk of spreading disease can be high. They carry a variety of potentially infected fleas and ticks, which can be passed along to people. Norway rats are excellent climbers, swimmers, and as Chicagoans all know, love to come out at night.

And if you're wondering why your local, cocky neighborhood rats act like they own the place, well, Norway rats are known for living in colonies and having well-defined territories, and the strongest colonies get the best places to live.

Occasionally, Norway rats will even bite humans or pets if cornered, so rather than taking matters into your own hands, the city recommends calling 311 or filing a complaint online.

Photo via Pixabay