Where Does Detroit Fall on List of America's Rattiest Cities?

Detroit made exterminator Orkin’s annual list of the 29 rattiest cities in America, but the Motor City hasn’t completely gone to the rodents.

Detroit ranked seventh in the count, based on the number of rodent treatments performed in 2013.

Here’s the list.

1. Chicago
2. Los Angeles
3. Washington, DC-Hagerstown
4. New York
5. San Francisco-Oak-San Jose
6. Seattle-Tacoma
7. Detroit
8. Cleveland-Akron-Canton
9. Baltimore
10. Miami-Fort Lauderdale
11. Dallas-Fort Worth
12. Denver
13. Houston
14. Atlanta
15. Boston-Manchester
16. Minneapolis-St. Paul
17. Sacramento-Stockton-Modesto
18. Syracuse, NY
19. Indianapolis
20. Charlotte, NC

Each fall, rats and mice invade an estimated 21 million American homes, Orkin said. It only takes a hole as small as a dime for a mouse to squirm through, but rodents also chew around holes to make them larger so they can easily slip into homes.

“Each city on this list is a major urban area that provides ideal conditions for rats and mice to thrive,” said entomologist and Orkin Technical Services Director Ron Harrison, Ph.D. “Commensal rodents depend on humans and their resources to survive, so unless residents and city officials take proactive steps to prevent rodents, infestations can easily get out of hand.”

Rodents are more than a nuisance; they also pose severe health threats. They can carry hundreds of pathogens that spread through their urine, droppings and bites. They are known carriers of deadly neurological and respiratory diseases like lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) and Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome. Ticks, mites and fleas can feed on infected rodents, which can then transmit diseases like pox, plague and typhus indirectly to humans.

Pregnant women and young children are especially at risk when exposed to rodents. The diseases rodents transmit can cause severe illness or developmental defects in newborns, and rodent droppings can trigger asthma and allergic reactions, especially in children.

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.

Orkin recommends the following tips to help prevent rodents around the home:

• Regularly inspect the home – inside and outside – for rodent droppings, rub marks or burrows.
• Seal all cracks and gaps around utility penetrations larger than 1/4 of an inch, as well as install weather stripping at the bottom of exterior doors.
• Trim overgrown branches, plants and bushes near the home, and consider keeping a 2-foot barrier between any landscaping and the home.
• Store all food (including pet food) and garbage properly in sealed containers both indoors and outdoors.
• Remove all pet bowls after animals are finished eating, and remove pet waste from the lawn promptly.
• Contact a pest professional for assistance managing rodents, as these pests can be dangerous and difficult to control.

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