Turning Point USA

San Francisco has been named the second-highest city in the US for rat infestation, according to a report by the Daily Mail. Over 40,000 homes in the city showed signs of rat activity in 2022, and the problem has worsened to the point where rats are damaging cars, and businesses are being forced to take action.

Rich Neumann, a founder of a video tech company in the city, has been battling the issue for years. He shared his experience with the Daily Mail, explaining, “When I moved into this house, the garage which faces the ally and the crawl space under the house was infested with rats.” He added, “It’s not uncommon to see rats scurrying down the alley—especially at night.”

The ranking was released by Terminix, a national pest control company, which placed New York City in the top spot for rat infestations. San Francisco has climbed the list in recent years, moving from fifth to second place.

“San Francisco is pushing for higher human density, like having people convert garages into rental units. More people equals more rats,” Neumann said. He also pointed to the city’s homeless problem, noting that human waste on the streets is attracting more rodents.

Neumann shared his personal experience from 2017, when the check engine light on his Dodge Ram 1500 came on. After taking it to a mechanic, he learned that rats had chewed through his gas tank. Over the years, he spent more than $6,400 on repairs as rats chewed through the tank multiple times. He also noted that his neighbors have had similar problems. “That’s three people in a quarter block. Not unreasonable to assume this is a problem across the city,” Neumann cited.

The nearby city of Oakland has also faced a rampant rat population. In May, McDonald’s workers went on strike due to a large rat infestation at their location. “The rat problem has progressed since I started my job here,” an employee explained to CBS News. “We’ve seen dead rats; the smell is terrible. The odor from their feces and urine. It’s gotten us to this point where we’re now speaking up.”

Since 2019, San Francisco has been using ContraPest, a form of birth control for rats, to reduce the population. According to the Daily Mail, burrow counts have decreased by 65 percent since last year, but the infestation problem remains significant. With the city still having an overwhelming amount of homelessness and trash on the streets, it appears unlikely that the problem will be relieved anytime soon.