{"id":680,"date":"2020-09-22T23:41:24","date_gmt":"2020-09-22T23:41:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.renthop.com\/content-manager\/?post_type=studies&p=13254"},"modified":"2020-09-25T15:56:26","modified_gmt":"2020-09-25T15:56:26","slug":"rodent-crisis-is-getting-worse-in-major-u-s-cities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.renthop.com\/research\/rodent-crisis-is-getting-worse-in-major-u-s-cities\/","title":{"rendered":"Rodent Crisis is Getting Worse in Major U.S. Cities"},"content":{"rendered":"

Have you ever come across rats carrying bits and pieces of leftover food? Or maybe you\u2019ve seen them in your kitchen and gone completely wild trying to kill them? It is known that rats are rampant in the city and live among us, taking refuge and shelter on the streets, and even sometimes in our homes. What\u2019s worse is that rodents are a major public health problem, and more and more resources are invested in rodent inspection and prevention.<\/p>\n

Each year, we at RentHop<\/a> examine the data from major U.S. cities, hoping to help renters and homeowners make an informed decision when it comes to housing. This year, we again reviewed the rat sightings data, and what we discovered isn\u2019t great. Our study this year includes Boston<\/a>, Chicago<\/a>, and Washington D.C.<\/a>, and unfortunately, all three cities saw a drastic increase in the number of rodent complaints.<\/p>\n

Figure 1<\/a><\/div>\n
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Figure 1<\/a> below illustrates the number of rodent complaints from January through August in the past five years. In Boston, the number went up 33.5%<\/strong> to 3.42 rodent complaints\/1,000 population. In D.C., the number is slightly worse. As of August 31, 2020, DC 311 has received 5,848 rodent complaints<\/strong>, or 8.29 complaints\/1,000 population. This number is 30.7% higher<\/strong> than in 2019.<\/p>\n

Chicago, a.k.a. the rat capital, not surprisingly, has had the greatest number of rat sightings\/1,000 population among the cities included. The number reached its lowest in 2018 but has since been rising significantly. From January 2019 through August 2019, the city\u2019s 311 reporting system received 28,249 rodent complaints or 10.5\/1,000 population. This number since jumped to 34,501, or 12.8\/1,000 population in 2020, a 22.1% increase<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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Select one of the cities below to learn more:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\nBoston<\/a> | Chicago<\/a> | Washington D.C.<\/a><\/div>\n

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Rodent complaints rose 33.5% in Boston<\/strong><\/h4>\n

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Founded in 1630 by the Puritans, Boston is one of the oldest cities in the United States and played a crucial part in our history. As we all know, old infrastructure often makes perfect habitats for rats. Rodents thrive in outdated subway systems, sewers, parks, and in foundations of old homes and buildings, and pose a threat to humans.<\/p>\n

And this summer, Boston has to deal with a serious rodent crisis.<\/p>\n

As of August 31, Boston 311 has received 2,368 rodent complaints in 2020<\/strong>, which translates to 3.4 complaints per 1,000 population. Now, while it might seem very few compared to Chicago or DC, this number, however, is 33.5% higher<\/strong> than the same period in 2019.<\/p>\n

The CDC attributed such an increase to the coronavirus lockdown. The agency warned that a possible increase in rodent sightings as restaurants and other sources of food shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic. It is worth noting, however, that the number had been increasing since January 2020, way before the first confirmed COVID-19 case and lockdown were announced in Boston. The rats were particularly active this past summer. August 2020 marked the worst month in the past five years, with a total of 530 rodent complaints filed to the city\u2019s 311 reporting system. Could it be the warm weather? After all, winter 2019-2020 ended over 2\u00b0F above the twentieth-century average, making it one of the warmest winters on record.<\/p>\n

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Figure 2<\/a><\/div>\n
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Which neighborhoods are run by rats this year?<\/strong><\/h5>\n

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According to the city\u2019s Inspectional Services Department, it is launching a campaign to reduce the rodent population that has been running wild around neighborhoods. Do you know if your neighborhood will be one of the firsts visited by the agency? Well, let\u2019s find out!<\/p>\n

The interactive map below indicates the concentration of rodent complaints in Boston. Neighborhoods in darker shades have a higher concentration of rodent complaints in 2020. It is highly possible that larger neighborhoods receive more complaints than smaller neighborhoods, and so we normalized the number of rodent complaints by land size. You can click on the polygons to learn more about each neighborhood.<\/p>\n