This Canadian city was ranked the #1 "rattiest" city in the country
Typically it’s an honour to be named the top Canadian city in something, but in this category, it’s downright gross.
Toronto has been named the “rattiest” city in Canada in the 2022 rankings by Orkin Canada, a pest control company.
For the first time in six years, Vancouver is no longer top of the pest control firmās list, after taking the disgusting honours five years in a row.
While it’s unclear why Vancouver fell to second place, Orkin does report that overall the pandemic impacts are starting to show when it comes to the rise of rodents across the country.
“As pandemic fears wane, and Canadian cities are back in business, food sources are abundantly available in urban and commercial areas again for rats and mice,” the report found. “However, with population growth, there will also be increased rodent activity and sightings.”
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When it comes to the “rattiest” overall province, BC is the unfortunate winner with five cities in the top 10 list.
The top 10 ārattiestā cities in Canada are:
- Toronto
- Vancouver
- Burnaby
- Kelowna
- Mississauga
- Calgary (mice only)
- Victoria
- Richmond
- Edmonton (mice only)
- St. John’s
Orkin Canada
In light of the rankings, here are a few tips on how to deal with and prevent recurring rodent run-ins:
- Close the gap:Ā Seal any cracks or holes in your foundation with weather-resistant sealant. Install weather stripping around windows and doors, as well as door sweeps.
- Trim the trees:Ā Landscaping can be a big-rodent attractant. Keep shrubbery cut back at least one meter from the exterior walls of your home to eliminate any hiding spots for rodents.
- Cut off the water:Ā Eliminate any moisture sources necessary for pestsā survival, such as clogged gutters or water gathering in trash or recycling bins.
- Inspect the interior and exterior of your home:Ā Keep an eye out for rodent droppings, burrows, and rub marks along baseboards and walls ā the faster that rodents are detected, the better.
“With more available food, there will be exponential population growth. Food availability favours population growth since there will be less competition for food, which also will result in high reproductive potential, high survival and healthy thriving populations,” said Alice Sinia, Ph.D. entomologist with Orkin Canada.