New York Mayor Creates New Position for Rat Control
San Francisco Ranks 2nd... Followed by LA and Philadelphia
New York City, considered one of the three major metropolitan cities in the United States along with Los Angeles (LA) and Chicago, has earned the unfortunate distinction of being the city with the most rats in the U.S.
On the 19th (local time), the New York Post reported that based on data collected last year from 300 branches nationwide by the American pest control company Terminix, New York City ranked first as the city that requested their services the most.
New York has been struggling with rats for more than just a day or two. Some statistics estimate that about 3 million rats live in 90% of New York City's area. There is even a saying that "there are more rats than people in New York."
In response, New York City Mayor Eric Adams created a new position last year called the "City Rodent Reduction Supervisor." The supervisor, known as the so-called "Rat Czar," has an official annual salary of $155,000 (approximately 206.2 million KRW).
Since then, New York City has taken active measures such as delaying garbage disposal times from 4 PM to 8 PM, installing rat traps, and injecting carbon monoxide into rat holes to suffocate the rats.
However, despite these efforts by the city, Terminix found that residents in all five boroughs of New York frequently request rat extermination services.
Meanwhile, the city with the second most rats after New York was San Francisco, followed by Los Angeles in third place, Philadelphia fourth, and Washington DC fifth. Chicago ranked sixth, Houston seventh, Boston eighth, Dallas-Fort Worth ninth, and Atlanta tenth. These well-known major U.S. cities all occupied the top ranks.
The reason why large cities like New York have gained notoriety as "rat paradises" is because they offer abundant food and hiding places. An expert explained, "Rodents have an excellent ability to find food or shelter by smell," adding, "Cities like New York have proven to be the best places that provide both of these elements simultaneously."
The expert also added, "Once they settle in, rodents rapidly reproduce and increase their population."
Additionally, experts explained how to identify signs of rats in the home. If small droppings are seen on the floor behind drawers and cabinets or along walls, there is a high possibility that rats have invaded. If food packaging has holes or bite marks, or if wires or baseboards have been gnawed, the presence of rats should be suspected.
Furthermore, they advised, "If there are urine stains on shelf corners or cabinets, or footprints and tail marks in dust, it is best to call a professional to check."
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