Oshawa is 10th most rat infested area of Ontario; Ajax and Pickering crack top 25
Published October 18, 2021 at 1:26 pm
Orkin Canada has released its annual list of the most rat-infested cities in Ontario, awarding three Durham municipalities with the dubious honour of inclusion.
Oshawa has the highest ranking in the region, coming in a number 10. Pickering follows at number 17, and Ajax barely cracks the list at 24.
Most of the top ten are other GTA cities. Toronto, Mississauga, Scarborough, Ottawa and North York make up the top five.
The rankings are based on how many pest-control calls Orkin carried out over the year. They say rates have grown over the past year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In their report, Orkin said during the lockdown “some resources suddenly disappeared, so rodents were forced to move and become bolder during the daytime.” They also credit an increase in food waste due to more cooking at home as a contributing factor.
According to Orkin, residents can fight rodent infestations by keeping shrubbery away from the home, properly sealing and disposing of garbage, removing excess water build-up around drains and eavestroughs. and properly sealing cracks in the home’s foundation.
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