I wouldn’t worry about it.

Ain't rats, ain't never rats.

I have a massive phobia of rats / mice and will forever own cats (that receive regular rabies vaccines) for that reason

[deleted]

Where are you in DC? The amount of rats I've seen here is insane and dwarfs NYC atleast in residential areas.

I saw the most brazen rat strolling across a street I was driving down last night before the sun was even down.

Watch your back LA we're coming after you!

I saw this on WUSA9 yesterday, and they recommended...

> Brown offers a few suggestions:

>* Avoid throwing food waste in trash cans, and use your garbage disposal instead possible >* Wait to bring food waste out to the trash til pickup day >* Collect garbage in a bin with a lid >* Call 3-1 to report issues

I feel like plumbers are going to love that first suggestion.

The "study" is only based on where pest control company Orkin is popular, and it only took into account last year's data.

> Orkin ranked 50 of America’s big cities according to the number of rodent treatments the pest control company performed in homes and businesses from September 2021 through August 2022.

The list is also based on sheer number of treatments - it's not a rate, so the list is just a bunch of populous cities where I assume Orkin is popular (people's ability to afford pest control for rats also might significantly contribute):

1. Chicago

2. New York

3. Los Angeles

4. Washington, D.C.

5. San Francisco

6. Philadelphia

7. Baltimore

8. Cleveland

9. Detroit

10. Denver

The rats in DC compared to NYC rats are huge and absolutely fearless. They don’t scurry away like NYC rats, they just stare at you like they own the sidewalk and you’re the pest.

Any time it rains around the mall (especially the Lincoln memorial) you can see rats scrambling everywhere

I used to live in Chicago and a rat literally chewed through the wall under my sink to get to the scraps in my trash can. Don't leave food waste in open trash cans in your home.

Can confirm. I've had rats in my cars engine bay SEVERAL times and they will just sit there and look at me when I open the hood.

> I've never seen a rat in DC

I honestly don't know how that's even possible.

No way in hell that New Orleans isn’t number one on this list. That shithole is a rat city that they allow people to live in sometimes when it is above water.

Sounds delightful. Glad I haven't run into any yet!

I live in the 'burbs currently but am in regularly (used to be in every day until the kids came along). I've only been to NYC half a dozen times in my life and managed to see at least 3 every trip, usually in the subways or at the train station. Frankly, I'm feeling a bit lucky right now I have been able to avoid them. Those monsters creep me out 😂

Just lucky I guess. I truly haven't, which does surprise me given that data. That said, I'm also genuinely terrified of them, so maybe it's an unconscious blindness. We used to have them in my farm in Maine as a kid. Hated the way they chewed through everything. Made me feel like there was no safe place!

Good luck, when we found a mouse my cats just stared at it kinda confused before getting bored of it.

> Call 3-1-1 to report issues

It took me weeks of bothering 311 to get them to come poison the rat colony in the alley behind my old apartment.

It ended up doing nothing because the pre-k next door kept vast amounts of food waste unsecured.

Have you taken the metro? Or used a public trash can in DC?

Yes to both. Often

I, for one, am glad that our local news outlets are always on top of companies' marketing press releases.

Interestingly enough, I’ve spent lots of time in both Philly and DC and have seen way more rats in Philly despite DC ranking higher on Orkin’s list

And that’s without counting a single politician, lobbyist, or attorney

We just trying to chill. 😔

Guess no one gets the reference, lol.