California's Rat Problem Could Raise Costs for Homeowners

Rat populations in California are increasing, and homeowners and business owners might end up footing the bill for pest mitigation, rodent experts told Newsweek.

Why It Matters

The states facing the biggest struggle against rodents are typically in the Northeast because of the region's older infrastructure. However, the rat population is also on the rise in the Golden State.

Last year, Los Angeles was the second rattiest city in the United States, according to a report by pest control company Orkin. Chicago secured the top spot, with New York City coming in third.

On Orkin's 2024 Rattiest Cities List, San Diego ranked No. 18 and Sacramento was listed at No. 20.

In September 2024, the California legislature passed the Poison-Free Wildlife Act, which bans some rat poisons. In the months since, some people have claimed an increased rodent population has been to contend with.

Rodents can cause numerous issues such as structural damage and health risks.

What To Know

Rats pose such an issue in some municipalities that officials are creating staffing positions to address the problem.

In April 2023, New York City Mayor Eric Adams appointed the city's first "rat czar," Kathleen Corradi, with a $3.5 million budget behind her to reduce the city's rampant rat population.

In California, however, there is no such position.

Experts told Newsweek the best way to decrease rat populations is by improved trash control. Already, local programs in California require that resident and business waste be "fully secured in curbside containers with closed lids," Lance Klug, public information officer for CalRecycle's Office of Public Affairs, told Newsweek.

If municipalities do establish specific programs to address the issue, Blair Calder, the president of Automatic Trap Company, told Newsweek that ultimately, homeowners and business owners are going to pay that cost.

"The city will charge them directly or indirectly," Calder said.

However, control efforts change depending on the location. Calder said one such solution is to use lidded bins in dense urban areas to rat-proof trash receptacles.

"If the rat can simply not get in somewhere, that's the best way to prevent it from getting access to food," Calder said. "Exclusion is always the best. Bins at any level, any place, is the best solution to the problem."

Urban rodentologist Bobby Corrigan told Newsweek that the number one "most impactful force upon local rat populations" is effective mitigation strategies.

"I can say, on a global scale, the city rat (Rattus norvegicus) cost billions in all sorts of ways to humans," Corrigan said. "And to that point, most cities have dreadfully underspend allocations for the sophisticated urban rat mitigation programs that are now needed for any modern-day city that is rat-afflicted due to perhaps two centuries of allowing rats to be merely culled (harvested) vs. eliminated—when the costs of total population extermination was actually within an economic reach."

What People Are Saying

Lance Klug, public information officer for CalRecycle's Office of Public Affairs, told Newsweek: "Communities that identify pest problems may choose to increase outreach and enforcement of their existing standards. The state is not aware of any local waste collection pilot programs created specifically to address pest deterrence."

President of Automatic Trap Company Blair Calder told Newsweek: "The rat isn't out to get us. It's trying to survive and we're providing it an environment where it can reproduce and thrive. We shouldn't be surprised that they're doing that. But we can't coexist with them. They carry disease and destroy property. The best course of action is to take responsibility for what we're doing."

Calder added that "millions of dollars are spent" in cities trying to mitigate rodent populations.

What Happens Next?

Experts said the best way to mitigate pest issues is through proper sanitation and structural controls, such as keeping dumpsters closed and practicing sound sanitation and trash management, such as more frequent trash pickups.