Hamilton squeaks onto “rattiest” Canadian city ranking

Hamilton has just barely squeaked onto the list of the 25 “rattiest” cities in Canada, according to a new report.

Orkin Canada released annual lists of the cities where they get the most service calls. The list is typically topped by old Toronto as the most rat-infested city in the country. The Orkin list ranks each of Toronto’s local boroughs independently, though York and East York did not make the list.

This year Ontario’s capitol is joined by three British Columbia cities; Vancouver, Burnaby and Kelowna. Rounding out the top five is Mississauga, which has been the second-worst in Ontario for five straight years.

The rest of the top ten nationwide are; Richmond, Victoria, Ottawa, Scarborough and Moncton. Way down the list at 22nd sits Hamilton. The city is slightly more infested than Oshawa (23), but slightly less so than Etobicoke (21).

It’s a strong showing for Hamilton, which has the tenth-largest population in Canada at around 570,000 people. The ninth most populous city, Brampton, ranked much higher on the list at 15th. When only considering Ontario Hamilton ranks as the 8th rattiest city in the province.

This time of year is peak season for rat invasions as they seek shelter from the coming winter. However, according to Orkin

“Rat and mice calls used to be expected primarily in the fall and winter as they escape the cold outdoors, but now they are becoming a year-round effort,” Dr. Alice Sinia, pest specialist and entomologist with Orkin Canada, said in a news release.

“Longer summer seasons coupled with abundant food sources provide ideal conditions for exponential growth in rodent populations, which is why it is more important than ever to use integrated pest management techniques to tackle all of the conditions that allow mice and rats to proliferate.”

According to Orkin there are several step homeowners can take to

• seal cracks or holes in your foundation and install weather stripping around windows and doors
• keep shrubbery at least one 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
• inspect both inside and outside your property for rodent droppings. The more quickly rodents are detected, the better