- Blame it on the weather. Chicago's rat problem appears to be scurrying right along, thanks to the mild winter.
The number of Chicagoans calling the city to complain about rats is up 28 percent, according to a Chicago Tribune report.
Since July, the city's 311 center has received almost 15,900 calls from residents, compared to the 12,000 over the same period last year. Residents can also file rat complaints online at cityofchicago.org and request city crews visit properties that provide conditions susceptible to rats. Crews can then issue "rat stoppage tickets" to owners.
Would it be wrong to hope the plague makes a reappearance?