Hartford and New Haven Rank on List of Rat-Infested Cities

Many people think of New York as the rat capital of the United States.  While it is the second most rat-infested city, according to a new survey, Hartford and New Haven came in at 17th.

Pest control company Orkin released its annual list of Top 50 Rattiest Cities, finding New York the second "rattiest" city in the country, second only to Chicago.

The list was compiled from a survey assessing the number of commercial and residential rodent treatments the company performed across the country over the last year.

New Yorkers may not be surprised to top the list. The city reported that complaints about rats in the city are coming in at record numbers.

In 2015, an unprecedented 29,314 rodent complaints were logged with 311, the city says, and so far this year complaints are well on track to shatter that record.

Washington, D.C., came in at third rattiest, and Philadelphia wasn't far behind in seventh place.

Boston came in at number 12.

The Midwest was over-represented on the Top 50 Rattiest Cities, taking 13 of the top spots.

Orkin Midwest technical director John Kane said fall marked the start of rodent season, as rodents seek out warmth and shelter.

“Just like we put on a warm coat and turn up the heat indoors, rodents look for a warm place to nest."

Orkin says fall is a very popular time for rodents to work to enter homes.

Check out the top 20 rattiest cities below according to the survey:

1. Chicago

2. New York

3. Washington, D.C.

4. Los Angeles

5. San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose

6. Baltimore

7. Philadelphia

8. Minneapolis-St. Paul

9. Detroit

10. Denver

11. Seattle-Tacoma

12. Boston

13. Miami-Ft. Lauderdale

14. Dallas-Ft. Worth

15. Cleveland

16. Atlanta

17. Hartford & New Haven, Conn.

18. Pittsburgh

19. Indianapolis

20. Portland, Ore.

The survey covers rodent treatments performed between Oct. 1, 2015 and Sept. 30, 2016.