Pest control house calls spike as rats seek refuge from extreme cold

BY STEFANO ESPOSITO Staff Reporter February 2, 2014 9:38PM

Several Chicago area pest control businesses say theyve seen a spike this year in calls for rat removal because rodents, like people, dont care for the bitter cold. | Sun-Times files

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Updated: February 2, 2014 10:04PM

The rats are coming poking their twitchy little noses underneath porches, beneath doors, even inside airport hangars.

Several area pest-control businesses say theyve seen a spike this year in calls for rat removal because rodents, like people, dont care for the bitter cold.

The ground is frozen hard. They cant make their burrows on the outside, said Carl Easter, owner of Logan Square Pest Control. They want to come inside.

Easter, who has been in business for 25 years, said hes seen about a 50 percent increase in calls so far this year compared to the same time span last year.

Ditto for Sergio Valdez, owner of Anti Pest Chicagoland on the Northwest Side.

They go to the soft spots around building structures, Valdez said.

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Pest control house calls spike as rats seek refuge from extreme cold