Orkin Canada released its annual survey of Ontario’s Rattiest Cities on Monday and it should come as no surprise that Toronto, given its size and population density, continues to sit atop the list.
The GTA makes up a large portion of the pest control company’s list as Mississauga (2), Scarborough (3), North York (5), Etobicoke (6), Richmond Hill (7), Brampton (8) and Oshawa (10) all finished inside the top 10.
The two outliers in the top 10 are Ottawa, which leapt from No. 12 in 2020 to No. 4 in 2021, and London, which improved from No. 4 last year to No. 9 this year.
Timmins (25), North Bay (21) and Niagara Falls (24) all dropped off the list while Thornhill (16), Ajax (24) and Kitchener (25) made the cut.
The company says its employees have seen bolder behaviour from rodents of late as there have been more daytime sightings.
Orkin Canada says lockdowns brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic have seen more people cooking at home and therefore they have also been producing more food waste at home. The company says the increased food supply is part of why people are seeing more rats and mice in residential areas.
They also note that with more people at home these days, the rodents are also moving “from resource-depleted urban centres to food-rich suburban areas, where rats and mice may have been able to reproduce and drive up the population.”
With winter coming, Orkin Canada has provided some tips to help stop rats and mice from finding shelter in the warm comforts of your abode.
The company says to make sure shrubbery remains at least a metre from your home and to keep garbage and food as far away as possible.
It also suggests making sure all cracks and holes in your foundation are filled and to install weather stripping around windows and doors.