Bolder Rodent Activity and Migration to the Suburbs Among New 2021 Changes Orkin Canada's Annual Ontario's Rattiest Cities List is Out! - @OrkinCanada

 

Bolder Rodent Activity and Migration to the Suburbs Among New 2021 Changes Orkin Canada's Annual Ontario's Rattiest Cities List is Out!

Orkin Canada released its annual list of the top 25 "rattiest" cities in the province of Ontario, with the City of Toronto and its suburbs ranking in the top three spots.

This year's list brought a few notable changes from the year prior: Ottawa moved to number four (from 12). Sudbury moved down to 19 (from 8), while Kitchener, which didn't make it on last year's list, ranked last.

Multiple lockdowns this past year have meant more people are cooking and eating at home. A recent survey found that Canadians produced 13.5% more food waste during the lockdown than non-lockdown times. Food abundance means potential increases in rodent populations, which is why people may be seeing more rats and mice in residential neighbourhoods.

Orkin Canada experts have observed bolder behaviour among rodents. Mainly nocturnal, increased sightings of rodent activity during the day have become more common, as well as migrations 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.

City rankings are based on the number of commercial and residential rodent (rats and mice) treatments that Orkin Canada carried out from August 1, 2020, through July 31, 2021. 

The top 10 rattiest cities in Ontario in 2021 are:   

1. Toronto

2. Mississauga

3. Scarborough

4. Ottawa

5. North York

6. Etobicoke

7. Richmond Hill

8. Brampton

9. London

10. Oshawa

But fear not suburban residents, as the cooler weather approaches and rodents may be looking for shelter, there are tactics that can be employed to mitigate rodents from entering your homes and frequenting your property: 

Seal cracks or holes in your foundation and install weather stripping around windows and doors

Keep shrubbery at least a metre away from exterior walls of your home

Get rid of moisture sources, such as clogged gutters

Be diligent in keeping garbage and old food away from your house

For more information about rodent prevention, visit orkincanada.ca