New York improves in battle against rats, Chicago takes top spot on 'Rattiest Cities List'
NEW YORK (WABC) -- New Yorkers might be shocked to learn that the city isn't the rattiest city in the country.
In fact, it is actually improving and seemingly putting up a good fight against the rat problem, but Chicago on the other hand continues to top Orkin's "Top 50 Rattiest Cities List."
Chicago has taken first place on this list for nine years in a row.
The runner up is Los Angeles, moving up a spot, as New York improved and now comes in third place.
Jumping up 10 whole spots this year is Houston, landing at number 20.
Grenensboro, North Carolina, also made a drastic jump to 50th place, 17 spots up from last year.
Orkin creates their list from numbers of new rodent services both residentially and commercially.
For more information about Orkin's list, click here.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams and the Sanitation Commissioner Jessica Tisch have waged a war on rats. In fact, the city announced a new plan to containerize trash at nearly all residential buildings in New York City earlier this month.
New York City officials say leaky trash bags are basically a buffet for the rodents. In an effort to deal with the problem, the city has already announced that all businesses will soon be required containerize their trash.
But now private residences will have to be a part of the solution too. The city will soon require buildings with nine or fewer units to containerize their trash -- that's approximately 765,000 New York City buildings and about 95% of residential properties across the five boroughs.
It's the next step in the plan to get the black trash bags off the sidewalks by requiring a secure, lidded container.
Starting March 2024, all businesses in the city will be required to place their trash in containers. They estimate that will get 20 million pounds of trash off of city streets each day.
And it was also announced that the city is starting a competitive process to design, build and sell the new wheelie bin.
The next phase will have to be implemented starting fall of 2024, but the official wheelie bins will be required by summer of 2026 after a design is finalized. The city says they will cost less than $50 each.
ALSO READ | Sanitation commissioner says new trash rules are helping to rid city of rats
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