Residents in north Moncton say their neighbourhood is infested with rats and they’re now calling on the city to do something about it.
Kimberly Gaudet lives off Evergreen Drive and says a pest she calls “Ratzilla” has taken over her backyard
“It’s twice the size of my dog,” she said.
Despite her best efforts to rid the property of the annoying vermin, Gaudet says they keep coming back.
“It’s like you can’t get a hold on it and they reproduce so quickly that it’s gotten out of hand,” she said.
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After a dog in Moncton had to be treated at the vet after being bit by a rat last week, Gaudet fears for the safety of her kids and her own dogs.
“They are only allowed outside when I am out. They are both terriers so if they see the rat they are going to chase it. Mainly I try to keep them in the house,” she said.
Her neighbour, Donald Hebert, says he’s been trying to keep his garbage wrapped up tight to keep the critters away
“I have been here for four years and that is the first time I have had that problem,” he said.
Residents in the area of north Moncton say they are having to deal with rats larger than guinea pigs.
Gaudet says that many people have been posting their rat complaints on the City of Moncton’s website.
“The city is aware of the apparent high number of rats in certain areas and are looking into the matter,” wrote Isabelle LeBlanc, spokesperson for the city, in an email.
According to city councillor Bryan Butler, the rat problem is citywide and is being addressed.
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Butler says city officials met this week to discuss ways to address the problem. He says even though rodent control is the responsibility of the individual property owners, he believes the city should hire a pest control expert on contract.
“One guy is not going to clean up the whole city but I think if a neighbourhood is having issues and we get complaints then this guy can go in and speak to the neighbourhood and have a meeting with them and say I can go through your backyards and find a way to get this to stop,” Butler said.
Gaudet says that won’t be easy given the problem she says is out of hand
“I was taking my wet garbage out and one crawled out of the bag as I was carrying it to the side of the road so that was pretty rattling,” Gaudet said.
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