CBC: Rat Populations on the Rise in Toronto

Several pest management professionals say the number of rats in Toronto is on the rise and one pest control officer is blaming the rodent population boom on a combination of construction projects in the city and the mild winter, CDC reports.

 

Avery Addison, general manager of Addison Pest Control, says his company has received 10 times the number of rat removal calls this year as compared to the same time last year. Many have been residential calls.

 

"We are seeing a lot of rats this season. It seems to be far worse than recent years," he said. "I think part of the increase could be due to warmer year we've had."

 

Addison said warmer conditions mean the rats have more time to find food, eat and reproduce. "The extreme cold can kill them off."

 

He said construction projects can displace large numbers of rats, particularly if an old building that contains a rat population is torn down. He said the Union Station renovation, for example, dispersed "huge numbers" into the city.

 

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Source: CBC.ca