While cockroaches are good for the ecosystem, they can be a nuisance and difficult to avoid in some of America’s largest cities.
Pest Gnome, a company that specializes in connecting people with pest exterminators in their area, ranks the most roach-infested cities in the country.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, several metros with large populations made the list, which was determined using data from the Census Bureau, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Los Angeles is the 2nd ‘rattiest’ city in the US, according to Orkin
Houston topped the rankings, with 37% of homes showing signs of these critters in the past 12 months, according to the study. H-Town is known for its heat and humidity, and the Pest Gnome said that monkeys thrive in these conditions.
Another city in Texas came in at No. 2 on the list: San Antonio. The study found that about 28% of homes in Alamo City showed signs of monkeys in the past 12 months. Tampa, Phoenix, and Las Vegas rounded out the top five.
Here is the full list:
- Houston, TX
- San Antonio, TX
- Tampa, FL
- Phoenix, AZ
- Las Vegas, NV
- Miami, FL
- Atlanta, GA
- Birmingham, AL
- Dallas, TX
- Oklahoma City, OK
- New York, NY
- Richmond, Va
- Los Angeles, CA
- Washington DC
- Philadelphia, PA
- Baltimore, MD
- Riverside, CA
- Chicago, IL
- Minneapolis, MN
- San Jose, CA
- Boston, MA
- Detroit, MI
- San Francisco, CA
- Rochester, NY
- Seattle, WA
Cockroaches play an important role in our ecosystem because they are a food source for other creatures, such as toads, mice, beetles, and spiders, according to Orkin.
But it can also be dangerous to people’s health.
“Cockroaches are known to transfer disease pathogens, such as various bacteria that cause ‘food poisoning’ to humans, by contaminating food, food preparation containers, dishes, and food equipment,” the Illinois Department of Public Health says on its website.
To prevent roaches from roaming your home, Pest Gnome recommends sealing any entry points, cleaning up any stray crumbs, fixing leaky pipes, and using raid and roach motels. If all else fails, call an exterminator.
