Why Rodents Are A Public Health Hazard: An Analysis of Rodent Activity in Salem, MA

Abstract

This project examined rodent inspections based on data collected from the City of Salem Health Department from June 2025 to April 2026. The main goal was to identify trends in property types, city inspection reports, and the species spotted. The data was collected from SeeClickFix complaint reports and was analyzed by using charts to show patterns over time. Results show that inspections increased throughout the year, with the majority occurring in residential areas. The most common rodent reported was rats, followed by mice and other species. The findings show that rodents thrive more in residential areas than in commercial areas.