Rats are turning quiet Chicago Ridge blocks into something closer to a late-night nature documentary, according to frustrated homeowners who say this spring's surge is unlike anything they've seen in years.
Residents are swapping photos of fresh burrows and packs of rodents sprinting across backyards after sundown. Some say municipal baiting is not keeping up, and the surge lines up with a broader bump in rat complaints across the Chicago area, leaving families suddenly worried about kids and pets stepping into the wrong corner of the yard.
Andy Collins told WGN "it's been really bad this year," and he and his wife, Courtney Schultz, shared images of their yard pocked with holes and dotted with multiple rats roaming the property at night. Schultz said the situation "has gotten so bad they can’t control it," and neighbors nearby say they are seeing the same thing. The couple reports most of the activity after dark, with rats using alleys and unsecured trash as a kind of rodent freeway.
City 311 data shows complaints are rising
Chicago's own 311 numbers suggest this is not just a Chicago Ridge headache. Rodent baiting and rat complaints are up this spring compared with last year, according to the city's open service request data.
Transparent.city reports roughly 10.8k rodent complaints through early May, about 4% higher year-to-date than during the same stretch in 2025. Because 311 calls reflect only sightings and requests for help, researchers note the actual rat population is likely higher than what the complaint numbers alone might suggest.
Why rats are more visible and what helps
Experts tie the seasonal spike to a familiar cocktail: warmer spring temperatures, easy meals in alleys and unsecured dumpsters, and older buildings that offer prime burrow spots. A study of Chicago complaint patterns in the Journal of Urban Ecology linked rat complaints to food availability, building conditions, and levels of human activity.
The city is testing several approaches, including a rat contraceptive pilot, while urging residents to do their part by locking down garbage, sealing holes and cracks that could serve as entry points, and reporting sightings to 311. That birth-control program has been covered by CBS Chicago.
Officials say abatement will continue
Chicago Ridge Mayor John Lind told WGN the area around the Collins home is especially vulnerable because of nearby apartments and rail tracks, but he pushed back on the idea that the village is dealing with an out-of-control infestation. Lind said village crews will keep up abatement work and continue inspecting alleys and dumpsters, though some neighbors argue the response feels too slow on the ground.
Residents say they plan to keep documenting what they see and filing 311 reports until they notice more consistent cleanup and repairs at known problem spots. Officials are encouraging anyone who spots burrows or active rats to alert 311 and review rodent baiting and prevention information on the City of Chicago rodent page, which outlines how to secure dumpsters and request service. For many neighbors, the growing pile of photos and rising complaint counts are a blunt reminder that fighting urban pests is a team sport, requiring both city intervention and persistent work from property owners.
