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Chicago tops list of cities with the most rats

The Windy City has made the top spot of Orkin’s “Top 50 Rattiest Cities List” for the third straight year.

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CHICAGO, Illinois -- The Windy City has made the top spot of Orkin's "Top 50 Rattiest Cities List" for the third straight year.

The list was released Monday, October 16th and is based on how many rodent treatments Orkin performed over the course of a year. Both residential and commercial jobs are considered when the list is made.

(Scroll down to see the full list)

Orkin's Technical Director of the Midwest Region, John Kane , said that rats start looking for warmer places to get them through the winter, and he said it's not hard for them to get inside your home.

"Rats can squeeze through a hole the size of a quarter, while mice can fit through a hole the size of a dime," he said. "Even if they can't find an opening, they can often chew their way in."

There are a few ways you can prevent rats from getting inside your home or business: Look for rodent droppings and burrows to catch them early, look for possible entry points around your home and seal any cracks or holes, install weather strips around entryways, store food properly, clean up crumbs and spills immediately, cut back trees and bushes to at least three feet away from your home.

Here's the full list: