If you've ever been to New York City, you know rats are a problem. When I lived in the city, I remember seeing the boldest rats ever. Actually, I'm not even sure I had seen a real rat before I lived in New York City. But, you might be surprised to know that there are other cities in upstate and other parts of New York that have rat problems too.

Orkin pest control released its 2021 list of the 50 cities in America with the biggest rat problems. Four cities in New York State landed on the list.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, rats can directly transmit a number of diseases to human beings, including,

Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome
Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome
Lassa Fever
Leptospirosis
Lymphocytic Chorio-meningitis (LCM)
Omsk Hemorrhagic Fever
Plague
Rat-Bite Fever
Salmonellosis
South American Arenaviruses (Argentine hemorrhagic fever, Bolivian hemorrhagic fever, Sabiá-associated hemorrhagic fever, Venezuelan hemorrhagic fever)
Tularemia

Rodents can also indirectly transmit disease, so it's imperative that you eradicate any rats in your living or working space.

Orkin, which provides pest control, used data from areas it served the most to formulate the list,

Orkin ranked metro regions by the number of new rodent treatments performed from September 15, 2020 to September 15, 2021. This ranking includes both residential and commercial treatments.

Here Are The Four 'Rattiest' New York Cities For 2021:

Ranked #46 - Syracuse

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Ranked #41 - Buffalo

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Ranked #31 - Albany

By Google Maps
By Google Maps
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Ranked # 3 - New York City

Spanish Artist Jaume Plensa's "Water's Soul" Sculpture Sits At Bank Of Hudson River Facing Manhattan
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The number one ranked 'rattiest' city in America for 2021 wasn't in New York; it was Chicago, so at least there's that.

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