CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Queen City is on a list it doesn't want to be a part of. According to Orkin, Charlotte ranks in the top 50 for rattiest cities in the country.
In the report, Charlotte secured the No. 38 spot on the list. It's four places higher than last year.
Just behind Charlotte at #39, the City of Buffalo sits with a population of 267,000 people. Just a rat tail ahead of Charlotte, New Orleans clinches the #37 spot with a population of 376,000 people.
"The rats in New York, those rats are growing enormous," David Goodson said.
Clay Ramsey with Carolina Pest Management said he has been getting more calls about rat management year-over-year. At one time it was once a week and now it could be multiple times a day. He said it's not surprising.
"It’s a combination of more people moving here, more restaurants, food sources everywhere, if you go down, I won't tell you the place – but there are a few places that are known for rodent problem," Ramsey said.
To combat the issue, Mecklenburg County started a new $100-a-day fine this year for property owners who let their rat population get out of hand. It is not clear what number constitutes "out of control."
"They are going to go to the food source and that food source starts with sanitation number one," Ramsey said.