Denver is known for many great things to do, including breweries, access to beautiful mountain ranges, and outdoor recreation. But one of the things Denver residents want to hide is the overwhelming number of rats crawling through the streets and backyards. Denver was infamous for being ranked ninth in the country out of 50 cities surveyed by Orkin, the leading pest control company in the United States, in the annual ranking of cities with the most rats in the United States. Okin ranks metropolitan areas across the United States based on the number of new rodent control measures implemented each year from September 15 of last year to September 15 of that year. The rating includes both household and commercial control cases. Over the past year there has been a dramatic increase in the number of rats in most U.S. cities. “The COVID-19 pandemic has forced restaurants to close and rodents, including rats, had to find new sources of food. “Malnourished rodents displayed unusual and aggressive behavior and are easy to spot when clearing new areas.” Since then, as food and drinking water supplies replenish as they slowly recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of rodents is on the rise again. In New York alone, the number of rodent complaints received in March 2021 increased by 80%.
The rat infestation prompted the Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to warn that rats were once infested in homes, and they also issued guidelines to prevent entry, Okin said. The top five in the rat-rich cities rankings this year are unchanged from the 2020 rankings. Chicago retains the number one bad reputation in the country for seven consecutive years, followed by Los Angeles, New York, Washington DC, and San Francisco at second and fifth, respectively. Baltimore finished sixth, Philadelphia seventh, Detroit eighth, Denver ninth and Cleveland tenth. Cleveland entered the top 10 for the first time this year, and Baltimore is up two spots from last year’s rankings. Seattle, Minneapolis, Boston, Indianapolis, Atlanta, Pittsburgh, San Diego, Houston, Cincinnati and Dallas ranked 11th and 20th in descending order. O’Kinn says rats can cause significant structural damage to buildings, as well as create many health risks. This is a dangerous animal that can pose a risk of injury, so the following methods have been introduced to get rid of the mice.
Strict food and waste handling: Small crumbs such as grains, cereals and food waste are popular food for rats. They should be stored in closed metal or glass containers to prevent rats from eating them. Do not create cluttered places: Chewable objects that look like cardboard are very attractive for rodents to use as nests. Be mindful to clean up and organize the cluttered and dirty areas of your home. Take care of landscaping as well: trees and tall grass around the house are ideal habitats for rodents. Branches located next to the house provide unhindered access for rodents to the attic of the upper floors of the building. Find and remove rodent marks inside and outside your home: Inspect and remove rodent droppings, burrows and rubbing marks from walls around your home frequently. The sooner traces of rodents are found, the better. Look for possible entry points (cracks, holes, etc.) To prevent rodents from entering your home, install seals around doorways, especially under doors.