Windy City topped the list The roughest city In the United States for the sixth year in a row.

“Rodents are experts in sniffing food and shelter, and they are flexible in their methods of obtaining both,” said Ben Hotel, an entomologist in Orkin, at the company. Press release. “Residential properties provide an ideal habitat for rodents, and once they are stable, they are able to reproduce quickly and in large quantities.”

Efforts to tame rat populations have continued in the city for years. Chicago’s War on the Rat Mounted With the introduction of a new rat task force in 2016. Residents are even starting to adopt cats to crush their numbers.

Los Angeles, New York, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Detroit, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Denver, and Minneapolis were among the top ten on Orkin’s list.

How the epidemic exacerbated the rat population

According to Orkin, statewide mandates to stay at home and close businesses didn’t just affect residents.

According to the site, “the closures at the community level have led to a decrease in the food available for rodents, especially in dense commercial areas.” “Some jurisdictions have reported an increase in rodent activity as rodents search for new sources of food.”

Orkin warns that the activity of the mice “will only continue to increase” as the rodents begin to seek warm shelter in the cooler months.