SC has one of the most rat infested cities in the US for 2024, Orkin says. Here’s where
Where people go, rats follow.
You’d be hard pressed to find a city or town in America that didn’t have its fair share of rats. But some places are far worse off than others.
Pest extermination company Orkin recently released its annual Top 50 Rattiest Cities and a South Carolina city has again made the list. However, it’s ranking isn’t quite as high as last year.
The city of Greenville ranked 33rd on the list, one step below the 32nd ranking it earned last year. Greenville is still ranked about 10 spots higher than it was in 2022.
Meanwhile, Chicago snagged the top spot on the list for the 10th year in a row. Los Angeles took second place and New York ranked third on the list.
According to Palmetto Exterminators, the most common rat in South Carolina is the brown rat, which originated from Mongolia and China. The brown rat prefers urban environments and can often be found in sewers, scavenging for trash.
The growing Greenville area has mainly earned accolades and ‘best of’ rankings from various publications in recent years. Last year it earned a top spot among best South Carolina cities to live in for 2023, best place in the state to call home and was ranked one of the best places to retire in the South.
Greenville was also recently named one of the best places to spend Christmas in the U.S.
However, Greenville has had its struggles this year. Hurricane Helene ripped past the city in September, caused significant damage and a few deaths.
Rattiest city methodology
Orkin ranked metro regions by the amount of new rodent treatments performed from Sept. 1, 2023 to Aug. 31, 2024. The rankings include both residential and commercial pest control treatments.
Cities on the list are based on the number of new rodent services, showcasing the demand and indicating the efforts residents and businesses of the top cities have taken to treat rodent issues, Orkin states.
Signs of rodent infestation
Here are a few of the more common signs that you might have a rat or rodent infestation in your home.
- Bite marks: Mice are known to bite through walls and wiring.
- Droppings: Rodent droppings can often be found in places where food is stored, such as kitchen cabinets or pantries and inside cardboard boxes.
- Rub marks: Rats will often leave dark grease or dirt marks along walls and floorboards as they move along their trail between food and their nest.
- Nests: Rodents like to nest in secluded spots. Be on the lookout for shredded paper products, cotton and packing materials, which rodents like to use to make nests.
- Strange noises: Scurrying in the walls or in an attic could mean a rodent family is there.
