Actions

Green Bay and Appleton make list of top 50 'rattiest' cities

By: Marisa DeCandido

Posted at 12:05 PM, Oct 18, 2017

and last updated 2017-10-18 13:15:57-04

Bad news, Northeast Wisconsin - the Green Bay and Appleton areas have made the list for top 50 cities with the most rats, according to Orkin!

Orkin released the list of Top 50 Rattiest Cities Monday. The rankings are based on total number of rodent treatments at both residential and commercial properties from September 15, 2016-September 15, 2017.

The Green Bay-Appleton metro area came in at number 50.

For the third year in a row, Chicago topped the list. Milwaukee came in at 21.

Fall is the start of rodent season, Orkin explained. To prevent rodents from entering your home this year, Orkin has offered the following tips:

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.

Here is the full list of "rattiest" cities in the country: