We have recently been hearing more about the presence of rats in our community. The City has recently re-established its Rat Mitigation Group, which will be cross-departmental approach at working to resolve this issue. While we do try our best to control the rat population at the City level, Ottawa Public Health also encourages a neighbourhood approach, with an emphasis on a collective community effort. With the return of warm weather, we would like to remind all our residents about some guidelines to deter rats from becoming comfortable in our residential neighbourhoods.
· Eliminate sources of food – Ensure that all garbage and compost containers are secure, and no ground feeding of birds/squirrels/chipmunks/rabbits.
· Eliminate hiding spaces – cut tall grass, trim along borders of home, remove clutter, clear wood piles.
· Protect Buildings – repair cracks in foundation, cover vents.
For more information on how you can help control the rat population, click here.
