5 Locations In NY Loaded With Filthy Dirty Rats

With the cooler temperatures, rats and mice are on the hunt for a warm spot to live through the Winter. Sometimes it ends up being our house. 

Orkin has released the fourth edition of "Top 50 Rattiest Cities List, " and unfortunately for us, NY lands on the list five times. Chicago earns the top spot on the list for the third year in a row (they probably don't want those bragging rights), while NYC still holds on to 2nd place.

If there's any good news to be had from this list, it's that the next four locations have dropped in their ranking from last year.

Buffalo drops a spot landing at #30
Albany – Schenectady fall an amazing ten spots to come in at #36
Rochester loses four spots and checks in at  #39
Syracuse holds steady at #45

Rats and mice can chew there way into your home, but all it takes for a rat to enter is a quarter size hole, and a mouse can get in through a hole the size of a dime. Once inside Orkin says the rodents will eat just about anything including wood and insulation around wires which can cause a fire. They can also contaminate your food and make you and your family very sick with their urine and feces. Here are some basic guidelines to prevent rodent infestations according to the Orkin website.

• Inspect both inside and outside the home for rodent droppings, burrows and rub marks along baseboards and walls. The more quickly rodents are detected, the better.
• Look for possible entry points outside the home and seal cracks and holes if any are found. Think, “where would YOU hide or enter if you were a rodent?” It’ll be hidden, dark, probably warm, and difficult to reach!
• Install weather strips around entryways, especially under doors, to help block rodents from sneaking inside.
• Store food properly by keeping it sealed tightly in rodent-proof containers like plastic bins or metal canisters. Otherwise, rodents may smell food and break into weaker containers.
• Clean up crumbs and spills as soon as they happen to avoid leaving food residue or sugary substances that can attract rodents.
• Cut back trees and bushes to at least three feet away from homes to avoid giving rodents a “jumping off” point to access the gutters, roof or other hidden openings.

Bonus Video: