Cities have been dealing with rodent infestations for years. San Francisco, Chicago, and New York are all known to have their fair share of rats and mice invading buildings and infrastructure, but no one expects it from a suburban town a dozen miles north of the Windy City. Although towns north of Chicago, like Skokie, have had on-and-off problems with rats, Wilmette, Illinois has seen an unprecedented breakout of the disease-ridden rodents. Since March, reports of rats have skyrocketed throughout the Village. “The infestations we have now are much greater than we've had in the past, and they're spread across the community in different areas,” Wilmette Village Manager Michael Brainman said. “ It's just a substantial increase in rat activity.” Staff Reporter Declan Quigley reported on the problem. Read More - Link in Bio Illustration by Carina Brown