New York State Has A Massive Rat Problem

Which cities in New York State have the worst problem with rats?  Unfortunately, there is more than one city that struggles with them in the Empire State.

Rats in a city = Dirty city

Most people equate cities that are infested with rats as being dirty or unclean.  It's understandable.  Many times when rats set up a home somewhere it's because there's plenty of food and shelter there for them.  For instance, if there are buildings that are easy to get into and food scraps are left out and not picked up, they'll eat them.  So which cities have the biggest rat problem here in New York?

There's more than one city with a rat problem in the Big Apple

A study was done by the extermination company Orkin to determine the "Rattiest Cities in the United States."  They based their ranking on the number of new rodent services showcasing the demand and also on the efforts that residents and businesses of the top cities have taken to treat rodent issues.  So, how many rats need to be dealt with, and how are they dealing with them?

New York showed up on the top 50 list (in the entire country) not just once or twice.  They were there five times (six if you count Burlington-Plattsburgh)!

Which cities in New York are the "rattiest?"

It makes sense that many of the biggest cities in New York have the most rats.  New York City was the rattiest in New York and was third on the list of the top 50 in the country.  Buffalo was next in New York and came in at #38 on the national list but dropped 5 spots from last year. The last three cities in order were Albany-Troy (42), Rochester (46 - up 5 spots from last year), and Syracuse (48 - down 9 spots from last year).

But don't people keep rats as pets?

Plenty of people will tell you that rats can be great pets.  The important part about keeping a rat as a pet though is to keep in its own habitat.  When rats become a problem is when they begin to share YOUR habitat with you.  They have incredible burrowing skills and can cause big problems to your home with their oversized teeth that can chew electrical wires, water pipes, and gas lines.