Orkin has collected data to help predict where rats are likeliest to be found, inviting a flood of political jokes. (John Downer / Getty Images; Smith Collection – Gado / Getty Images)
By Jared Harris November 3, 2024 at 8:30am
An American pest-control giant has released its annual ranking of U.S. cities and there’s a connection being made that some politicians won’t like at all.
Orkin released 2024’s Top 50 Rattiest Cities List on Oct. 21, highlighting Chicago for a particular dishonor. This year marks one straight decade of the city’s position at the top of the ranking.
The company explained Chicago, like many big cities, is inherently hospitable to rats.
“Chicago’s abundance of alleys provides rodents with hidden havens, offering plenty of space to hide while feasting on trash,” Orkin’s news release announced.
“Rodents also love to burrow, finding shelter beneath subway tracks or around underground pipes. In these hidden spots, the rodent population can grow if left unchecked.”
While the spotlight is on Chicago, it’s the common denominator uniting the vast majority of the list that deserves the real attention.
Most of the cities on the list are headed by a mayor belonging to the Democratic Party.
Beyond that, many of those at the cities at the top of the list include the progressive “utopias” of San Francisco, California; Seattle, Washington; and Portland, Oregon.
It’s not only Democrats having trouble tackling the rodent scourge.
Do you live near one of these cities?
There are very few Republican-led cities on the list, notably Dallas, Texas; Miami, Florida; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; and one of the cities — Honolulu, Hawaii, boasts an independent mayor.
While correlation does not equal causation, one political party’s dominance of the list is not going unnoticed by the public.
are we talking the politicians again?
— Wood Fire Enjoyer (@nodoomforyou) October 30, 2024
Wow, with all the dirty rats in D.C. I figured it would have been number one on this list…
— Jason@jasonsemerau (@jasonsemerau) October 23, 2024
I think DC is number 1
— ⚜️ (@Cie2Believe) October 23, 2024
Orkin explained how its ranking was determined, and it has nothing to do with politics.
“This year’s data was collected by tracking new residential rodent treatments from September 1, 2023, to August 31, 2024,” the company wrote.
“This data helps Orkin better understand how likely homeowners in each city are to have a rodent problem.”
Jared has written more than 200 articles and assigned hundreds more since he joined The Western Journal in February 2017. He was an infantryman in the Arkansas and Georgia National Guard and is a husband, dad and aspiring farmer.
Jared has written more than 200 articles and assigned hundreds more since he joined The Western Journal in February 2017. He is a husband, dad, and aspiring farmer. He was an infantryman in the Arkansas and Georgia National Guard. If he’s not with his wife and son, then he’s either shooting guns or working on his motorcycle.
Location
Arkansas
Languages Spoken
English
Topics of Expertise
Military, firearms, history
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