Atlanta – The City of Rats?
December 13, 2022
Orkin, an Atlanta-based pest control company and the citizens of Atlanta have found countless rats around Atlanta. From Sept. 1, 2021, to Aug. 31, 2022, Orkin ranked Atlanta 14th on their annual “rattiest cities” list. The influx of rats is due to the recent winters, more trash, and items that attract rodents. As a result, Atlanta’s rat population has increased
in the last few years.
The main types of rats living in Atlanta are Norway and Roof rats. The Norway rats are the larger of the two, growing up to 12 inches long from the tip of their heads to the end of their tails. Suspicious scurrying in the walls indicates that rats have infiltrated your home. The smell of ammonia keeps rats away, but the smell of food and garbage attracts them.
Robert Johnson says, “I was an adjunct professor at Georgia State, and I saw a rat jump in the trash can once.” Malcolm Johnson stated, “I see a lot of rats downtown. I see them near the Marta Station.” In 2020-2021, Atlanta ranked 15th on the list of “Rattiest Cities.”
When asked what rank he thought Atlanta had on the list of the 50 most rat-infested cities in the US, Malcolm Johnson said, “I think it’s fifth.” While we may see rats in the subways or scurrying about the streets downtown, consider that Atlanta is not in the top 5 cities. New York City is number two on the list of cities with the most rats. To remedy their problem, CNN states that NY currently has a job posting for a “Director of Rodent Mitigation.” That’s a fancy term for rodent exterminator, or, as the New Yorkers call it, “Rat Czar.”
Chicago is rated number one for rat infestation. Still, the world atlas rates it as the tenth most visited city in the US. A rat infestation has no effect on the appeal to visitors.
Leah Jacobs • May 15, 2024 at 1:49 pm
This article “Atlanta- The City of Rats” by Hayes Heise and Sam Sangaraboina really made be think of how dirty Atlanta is. But other than that every time I have visited Atlanta for somewhat reason, I have never seen a rat. In the article it says “Atlanta is ranked 14th of the “Rattiest Cities” in the US” which I think is unbelievable. If Atlanta is ranked 14th in the US, I think that the government should do something about this.
Hannah Hong • May 15, 2024 at 11:23 am
The article “Atlanta- City of Rats?” is truly eye-opening. It is truly disturbing how Atlanta is ranked the 14th “Rattiest Cities”. The worst of all, the population of rats in Atlanta has increased due to the recent winters, trash, and items that attract rodents. The government should really do something about this.
Erin Eisele • May 15, 2024 at 11:09 am
Would you want to visit a rat infested city? Why or why not? The article “Atlanta – The City of Rats?” made me learn a lot about the city of Atlanta. I never thought Atlanta was the epitome of clean, but I would have never thought it was one of the most rat-infested cities. I also did not know that winters cause more rats. Even though there are a lot of rats in Atlanta, it is still a city I like to visit.
Lily C • May 15, 2024 at 10:20 am
The article Atlanta- The City of Rats? By Hayes Heise and Sam Sangaraboina on boothwarriortimes really grossed me out. Rats are one of my fears because of how disgusting they are. To think that they are all over Atlanta made me gross out. I’m now going to think more about where I throw away my trash to not attract rats. No way do I want any rats in my home and where I live.
Awriel Jean-charles • May 13, 2024 at 2:03 pm
The article ” Atlanta- The city of rats?” by Hayes Heise and Sam Sangaraboina, I found it very disorienting. I was reminded of the years I spent living in New york city and there were more rats there than ever than atlanta. When I moved here I went to the Marta Station in the city and never found it that dirty to were it’s ranked ” 15th on the list of the Rattiest Cities.” To be honest, here me out being a New yorker for 95% of my life, I think there is more rats there. And the 2 years we spent during covid leading up to now our Poverty levels have greatly increased which mean more food and trash and hiding places in NYC. Which was why I was confused. So because I haven’t lived here for long I might need some more experience in Atlanta.
Priya Joiner • May 13, 2024 at 2:02 pm
After reading the article, “Atlanta – The City of Rats?” written by Hayes Heise and Sam Sangarabonia, I have come to realize how common rats are in Atlanta, and other large cities. I didn’t realize how littering can effect us in such ways. Although it is not considered the “rattiest city”, people still claim to see rats very frequently. This gives me a glimpse of what the rat problem is like in Chicago, rated number one on the “rattiest cities” list. Now that I am aware of this situation, I wonder if the cities are contemplating any solutions to this situation.
Cole Johnson • May 13, 2024 at 1:58 pm
You know, the text, “Atlanta-The City of rats?” written by Sam Sangaraboina and Hayes Heise really got me thinking. I don’t see many rats where I live, but somewhere which is considered part of Metro Atlanta, and because of the fact that rats can carry diseases and are very intelligent, this article has really made me think that I should look very closely for any signs of rats in my house, and I mean VERY closely, because rats are smart, so I don’t think they’d leave behind many tracks, but I also feel I need to look closely because I don’t want to catch a disease from any. So, in conclusion, I think that this article really got me aware of rats possibly being near the place I live, and that I should make sure none are in my house, this article truly got my eyes to open up.
Isair Uribe • May 13, 2024 at 12:06 pm
The article “Atlanta – The City of the Rats?” is jaw dropping and eye opening because it taught me how dirty the city is. it is astonishing how fast the spread of rats can be, why is the government not doing anything to stop this?
Luke Kirby • May 13, 2024 at 11:28 am
I learned that Atlanta is ranked the 14th “rattiest” city. New York City ranks #2. I think this is gross and makes me feel bad for Atlanta. Rats carry a lot of diseases and eat out of trash bins. This is not healthy or sanitary.
hwiseong Yoon • May 13, 2024 at 11:19 am
The article “Atlanta-The City of Rats” is an amazing article to read.I never knew a rat could grow up to 12 inches long. Also, Haveing a lot of rats in Atlanta is cool. The Nickname “Rattiest Cities.” is a funny name. It fits the city too.
Sankalp • May 13, 2024 at 11:18 am
The article “Atlanta-The City of rats?” by Hayes Heise and Sam
I have been to Atlanta so many times I go at least once a week. Some places have been nicer than others but Ive never seen rats in Atlanta. Although 14th in America isn’t to bad if you consider the large population. Still a rat that a foot long!! I didnt know that was possible. Maybe it is best if we try to mittigate the population of rats in atlanta.
Ashlynn Clarke • May 13, 2024 at 11:14 am
The article “Atlanta-The City of rats?” by Hayes Heise and Sam Sangaraboina I thought was intriguing. It made me think about the times I’ve been in Atlanta because I never thought it was that dirty because off all the people there cleaning up the streets. I have never seen a rat in Atlanta through the many times I have been there.to think that there are rats living there it is really confusing to not have seen any off the rats when i walk around. I hope to have Alanta get more clean every year but i don’t think that will happen.
hwiseong Yoon • May 13, 2024 at 11:10 am
The artivle “Atlanta-Th City of Rats?” is an amazing story about how rats are taking over atlanta. It was suprising that the rats could grow over 12 inches. Also, I did not knew that there was a lot of rats in Atlanta.
Alec Rogers • May 13, 2024 at 10:07 am
The article “Atlanta- The City of Rats ?” by Hayes Heise and Sam Sangaraboina was very iinteresting . it explained how dirty Atlanta really was, and how infested by rats it was. I was fascinated by the fact thr rats were up to a foot long and I have never seen one. That’s why I think the article “atlanta- The city of Rats” was interesting and imformative.
Justine Delvenne • Nov 6, 2023 at 4:59 pm
The article “Atlanta-The City of rats?” by Hayes Heise and Sam Sangaraboina I thought was intriguing. It made me think about the times I’ve been in Atlanta because I never thought it was that dirty. It could be that I just never thought about it though. I have never seen a rat in atlanta through the many times I have been there. I also was really fascinated about how big the rats can get too. I mean 12 inches long, that’s crazy!!! That is why I think that the article “Atlanta-City of rats?” is intriguing.
Lucas Tang • Nov 6, 2023 at 4:00 pm
In the article, “Atlanta – The City of Rats ” I’ve learned how dirty Atlanta is. In the text, it states that Atlanta is ranked 14th on the most infested citys, with rats. Many people complain on how badly this city is infested with rats, and the goverment should take care of this soon.
Sophie • Nov 6, 2023 at 2:34 pm
The article “Atlanta- The City of Rats?” by Hayes Heise and Sam Sangaraboina was an interesting story. I never would think that Atlanta was counted as one of the rattiest city. Rats carry a lot of diseases this is not healthy or sanitary. I would have never assumed that. This should be dealt with by cleaning up the streets of Atlanta.
Brianna Ridley • May 24, 2023 at 10:03 am
The article “Atlanta- The City of Rats?” by Hayes Heise and Sam Sangaraboina was an interesting story. I never knew that Atlanta was counted as one of the rattiest city, I also didn’t know that Atlanta had some many rats in it. The article stated, “the reason why there’s so many rats are because of the winters, trash, and items that attract these types of rodents.” I knew that Atlanta was a little dirty but to have so many rats I would have never assumed that. When writing this as the author, did you want people to understand the gravity of Atlanta’s rodents situation?
Silas Clark • Apr 28, 2023 at 10:56 am
In “Atlanta – The City of Rats?” showed me how dirty Atlanta is with all the rats. I was very surprised since there are other cities that are bigger and cleaner. Atlanta is very dirty now that I’ve seen compared to other cities. I also never knew that rats could be 12 inches long. This should be dealt with by cleaning up the streets of Atlanta.
Anna Wheeler • Apr 27, 2023 at 12:14 pm
All this time I knew that Atlanta was dirty since it is a large city, but i never realized exactly how dirty it was. The fact that Atlanta is ranked 15th dirtiest city really says a lot about it. It shocks me because I lived there and never saw a ton of rats. They must be pretty sneaky!
Kennedy Moultrie • Apr 24, 2023 at 2:10 pm
In the article “Atlanta – The City of Rats?” it showed me how many rats there are in Atlanta. I don’t visit Atlanta that much, so, I don’t really encounter that many of these crawly creatures. I also didn’t notice how dirty this city really is. I can’t believe that rats can basically multiply that fast, and I didn’t know that Atlanta was this low on the list of all of the cities. New York didn’t really surprise me much because it’s really dirty with a bunch of homeless people.
Luke Kirby • Mar 3, 2023 at 4:25 pm
I learned that Atlanta is ranked the 14th “rattiest” city. New York City ranks #2. I think this is gross and makes me feel bad for Atlanta. Rats carry a lot of diseases and eat out of trash bins. This is not healthy or sanitary.
Leah Jones • Mar 2, 2023 at 2:14 pm
In “Atlanta City of Rats” I Was very amused that Atlanta was a city full of rats. To me, it was kind of gross because I don’t like rats but this story made me think about how dirty Atlanta really is because I thought that it was a nice city. But at least the rats have somewhere to live.
Charli Hoffman • Mar 1, 2023 at 2:03 pm
Before I saw this article I never really thought of Atlanta as a raty city. I thought atlanta was a place that was sort of free from wild animals of all kinds. “Atlanta – The City of Rats?” Has really changed my perspective on how common I thought rats are. Now I know that wherever I go rats are a fact of life.
Caroline Pang • Mar 1, 2023 at 1:54 pm
The article, “Atlanta – The City of Rats?” written by hayes Heise and Sam Sangaraboina made me see that Atlanta may not be a perfect city after all. (Besides the crimes and others) I’ve never really seen a rat or any type of rodent in Atlanta, but the article surprised me a lot because it states that there are lots of rats. The fact that Atlanta is counted as the 14th most, “rattiest city” is a big shock to me. I think that this article was very extraordinary because it went into a lot of detail and they used descriptions for the reader to imagine a very clear image in their mind. The fact that they also used interviews that they took from people is also another formal way of writing an article. The last time that I searched up how many rats were in Atlanta, it was only ranked number 38 or 42 on the list of, “Rattiest city” It amazed me how fast the number of these rodents can increase over the period of only years. This article was really interesting to read and told me a fact that I never really knew or cared about. But now I sort of want Atlanta to be way cleaner than what this article says it is.
Lydi van den Enden • Mar 1, 2023 at 11:10 am
I knew Atlanta wasn’t the cleanest place but I didn’t realize how unsanitary it was with it’s rats. Not only is it disgusting on the streets but it also affects people’s home lives to. The huge Norway rats that were found in people roofs is kind of scary. Even though Altana has terrible there rats are I was shocked by the rating of Chicago.
grace mckinney • Feb 10, 2023 at 4:03 pm
In “Atlanta – The City of Rats?” the article really showed me how dirty Atlanta is. I would assume it’s kind of all cities but I didn’t realize how ratty it was! I didn’t even know that it’s ranked 15th. I like the article and the detail that you used on the new yorkers. Chicago surprised me. it’s insane how much it can change in just one year
Lilla Dos Santos • Feb 9, 2023 at 9:51 am
I never realized just how many rats there were in Atlanta. This article really helped me understand the problem we are undergoing in Atlanta with rats. The fact that Atlanta was ranked 15th on the list of “Rattiest Cities” amazes me. This is happening even though I have never witnessed rats in Atlanta. We should definitely try to get rid of these rats or the problem will increase and open up a whole new can of worms.
Lina Wang • Feb 9, 2023 at 8:55 am
I didn’t know how fast rats and rodents can grow and spread over a short time. I also never thought rats could grow up to 12 inches long. I think it’s crazy how a city so close to us can be so gross and disgusting.
Symone Gatlin • Feb 9, 2023 at 8:34 am
Never in a million years I would think my city was filled with rats. This article really opened my eyes. Thank you for allowing me to know more about my city.
Arayna Gupta • Feb 8, 2023 at 8:37 am
The article “Atlanta – The City of Rats?” written by Hayes Heise and Sam Sangaraboina talks about the rat infestaion in Atlanta. This really opened my eyes about how many big and different types of rats there are in Atlanta. Robert johnson thinks the problem is filth, and I agree. Because every time I go to Atlanta I can see a bunch of filth and waste. A way we can solve this is by being mindful of our waste and pick up trash around us.
Arayna Gupta • Feb 6, 2023 at 8:52 am
In the article “Atlanta – The city of rats” written by Hayes Heise and Sam Sangaraboin, they talk about the rat infestation in Atlanta. This really opened my eyes about the different types of rats in Atlanta and how many Rats there are in Atlanta. I was shocked to find out that such big rats live in Atlanta. Malcom Johnson thinks filth is the cause of the rats. I agree with him because when I go to Atlanta I see filth. We can solve this problem if we be mindful of the waste we use.
Saylor Ziegler • Dec 15, 2022 at 8:43 am
I would’ve never had thought that ATL was so dirty! Though I would not say that everyone is helping out to get the infestation, it would help to clean up the floating arund trash. These rats a reproducing quickley and will take over the city (cities) fast if we dont stop them.
Jerry Geistweite • Dec 15, 2022 at 8:30 am
It is crazy to see how fast rats and pests can spread over such a short amount of time. In just 1 year, it has become the 14th “rattiest city” according to Orkin.
Lincoln • Dec 14, 2022 at 11:41 am
cool article, It was so fun to learn about rats.
Vivian Hunt • Dec 14, 2022 at 11:27 am
Atlanta is ranked the 14th Rattiest City in the US. Norway rats that are mostly in Atlanta grow up to 12 inches long. The other type of rat in Atlanta is called a roof rat. Most rats are attracted by the smell of food and garbage.
Jack Laton • Dec 14, 2022 at 11:24 am
Very good reading. I really liked the rats. Very interesting to see that Atlanta, a city 30 minutes away, has a lot of rats.
Maxfield Smilley • Dec 14, 2022 at 11:09 am
I especially enjoyed the article, “Atlanta-The City of Rats?” by Hayes Heise and Sam Sangaraboina. One detail I particularly fancied was it explained that Chicago is number one for rat infestation, however, it is the fifth most visited U.S. state. This interested me because I would think that rats would draw away people, however, that is not the case.
Dante Coiro • Dec 14, 2022 at 11:04 am
I believe that this passage accurately describes the rat problem currently happening in Atlanta. It shows how common rat spottings are, and how unexpectedly they occur. All in all, this is a very disgusting and strange article.
Kyle • Dec 14, 2022 at 11:03 am
In the article “Atlanta – The City of Rats?” by Hayes Heise and Sam Sangaraboina, it was interesting to learn about filthy disgusting grimy rats in my town. This makes me know that there are rats in the town that I live in every day. Thank you for letting me be aware that there are rats around Atlanta.
Marcus Torrechilla • Dec 14, 2022 at 10:57 am
In the article “Atlanta – The City of Rats?” by Hayes Heise and Sam Sangaraboina, It was fascinating to find out that such a glorious city is filled with large dirty and very grimy rats that are 12 inches long. It would be very satisfying for me to find out more information about how these rats came to be.
Layla Spinney • Dec 14, 2022 at 9:04 am
In the article “Atlanta – The City of Rats?” by Hayes Heise and Sam Sangaraboina, it was interesting to learn a little more about how infested ATL is. I would have loved to learn more facts about the rats though and what the people think about the situation.