A Toronto municipal committee will review a proposed rat control plan aimed at addressing the city's increasing rat problem. The plan emphasizes collaboration across city departments to eliminate food and shelter for rats instead of extermination. Complaints from residents prompted this initiative, with rising service requests indicating a growing issue. The rat population has surged following a temporary dip during the pandemic. Climate change has been linked to the increase in rats globally, necessitating a dedicated response team in affected municipalities. The plan includes an initial funding proposal of $351,000 for implementation.
"Efforts to 'eliminate' rats often result in reactive, short term fixes that miss the root causes. High-quality municipal service delivery is more impactful."
"We're building more and construction shakes the ground, rats are released into neighbourhoods, and we need to figure out how to get ahead of it."
In 2019, there were 940 property standards-related rodent service requests to the city. After a brief dip during the pandemic, those numbers had surged to 1,600 by 2023.
A study early this year also tracked a growing rat population in Toronto and 10 other cities around the world, linking the population boom to climate change.
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