Rats have been a rising problem in New England cities and some have been named among the most rat-infested cities in the country.
Boston; Hartford; Portland, Maine; and Burlington, Vermont, were the cities in New England included in the top 50 for 2022. Chicago, New York City and Los Angeles topped the list.
Boston is the rattiest New England city, coming in at No. 13. Hartford was No. 19, Portland No. 45 and Burlington No. 50.
The list, from extermination company Orkin, ranks cities by the number of new rodent treatments performed from Sept. 1, 2021, to Aug. 31, 2022.
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Cities in the Boston area and across the Northeast have recently been facing a worsening rat problem, WBUR reported in August. The NPR affiliate reported last month that in the City of Boston, rat and rodent complaints increased by 48% from 2019 to 2021.
City leaders said at a meeting at the time that Boston needs to "redouble" its efforts in controlling the rat problem, The Boston Herald reported.
