Why winter weather is no match for rats in America's 'rattiest city'
CHICAGO – Chicagoans hoping that brutal cold and epic snowfall would wipe out the rat population in America’s “rattiest city” should know: Rats are much tougher than that.
Pest control experts told the Tribune a few more rats than normal might die this winter, but this spring we’ll still have a full crop of rattus norvegicus.
After all, rats can survive a decade of bombardment by atomic bombs on Pacific atolls. What chance does a few extra inches of snow have?
“Rats can survive in tough environments. They’re tough. They’ll burrow underneath the snow as deep as they can and they can survive this,” said Robert Villamil, owner of Chicago-based Crow Pest Control. “The smaller rats will die off. … But rats are going to make it through.”
As the COVID pandemic took hold last year, forcing restaurants and bars to close, Chicago saw an explosion of rat complaints as the creatures scurried to find alternate dining, another rat expert said.
This winter, there have been more calls, and more urgent requests, as the creatures have gone inside to escape the harsh conditions, said Janelle Iaccino, spokeswoman for Rose Pest Solutions in Chicago.
Exterminators even found fresh rat tracks — tail and all — in the snow that drifted through a crack in the shop’s garage floor, Iaccino said. That shows the importance of using weather stripping, door sweeps, and mesh screens to close any gap the size of a quarter or larger where rats can get in.
“They’re trying to escape the elements,” she said. “They go wherever they can take advantage of human error.”
She urged city residents to call 311 or use the CHI311App to report the rodents.
Rats burrow in the snow, the same way they do in dirt, digging up to 3 feet down, and then moving laterally under concrete slabs or into structures. The rats also pull material, such as newspaper or garbage bags, into their burrows for warmth. Come spring, Villamil warned, the rats that survive the winter and are looking to mate may get more aggressive and brazen.
“Sanitation is key,” Villamil said. “Rats are only here because there’s food for them. They can’t survive here without humans.”
The snow may also lull human beings into a key tactical mistake: not picking up dog poop. That could be a rat’s next easy meal.
And if rats gets really lean? They’ll cannibalize other rats.
Recent snow-delayed garbage pickup left extra meals for rodents. But the Chicago Department of Streets and Sanitation continues rat poisoning year-round, spokeswoman Cristina Villareal said.
“The extreme cold helps to slow down breeding, but we will continue to aggressively bait,” she said. “Snow is helpful for our work, because we can track rodents easier and find their burrows. We recommend residents continue to clean up after their dogs and contain their garbage to help support our efforts.”
