Your car is full of wires. Tasty, tasty wires. More than ever, rats are making an expensive meal of them. The New York Times reports, “Rats bedding down under car hoods is nothing new for New Yorkers, but over the last two years, many of the city’s auto body shops have seen the number of drivers coming in with rodent-related issues climb significantly.”
Rats either getting more common or bolder It’s not just New York. The city came in third in Orkin’s most recent ranking of the 50 Rattiest Cities (yes, they rank that). It’s based on the number of extermination calls the pest control company gets asking them to deal with rodent problems. It lists Chicago and Los Angeles ahead of the Big Apple, but cities in 33 states and the District of Columbia made the list. Rat populations may have exploded during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, or we may simply be seeing more than we’re used to because their behavior changed. The Associated Press explains, “whether the rat population has increased is up for debate, but the pandemic might have made the situation more visible.” With restaurants shut down, rats sought out new food sources. They found, incredibly enough, wires. Also see: A drain, power outlets and a secre …