Rats near you

Health Canada says the Norway rat builds elaborate systems of tunnels and burrows at ground level and prefers damp areas such as crawl spaces and building perimeters. The roof rat is an agile climber that prefers trees, vines and dense vegetation, and it will infest attics, rafters, roofs and the upper storeys of buildings. The City of Toronto describes the same pair as brown (Norway) rats and black rats.

The City of Toronto notes that rats live in burrows or nests under or near ground level, usually around buildings. That is why a rat inspection starts outside, and the yard often reveals the source before the house does.

Traps and bait lower the numbers, but rats come back as long as the yard keeps feeding and sheltering them. Toronto asks residents to use animal-resistant garbage containers with tight-fitting lids, keep the green bin locked and keep the areas around bird feeders and bird baths clean. These are the usual draws.

A rat in a basement floor drain or a toilet, or droppings around the main stack, points to a break in the building's drain line or an open, unused pipe. The City of Montréal links rat sightings to damaged sewers and drains and warns that food scraps flushed down the toilet or put in a garbage disposal can draw rats in.

If a rat comes up a drain, close the toilet lid or cover the drain with something heavy, keep children and pets away and call a plumber. A camera inspection of the sewer line shows cracked or separated pipe, which is then repaired, and unused drain openings and cleanouts are capped. A backwater valve is designed to stop sewage from backing up into the basement, not as a rat barrier, and the City of Montréal even lists rodent damage among common valve problems; the backwater valve installation guide covers how valves work and how to maintain them.

Rats are cautious around new objects, so a technician places traps and stations along the runways and burrows found during the inspection and leaves them long enough for the rats to accept them. Because rats live outdoors and in larger numbers, bait is used more often than for mice, under the same rules: Health Canada requires poisoned baits to be in a tamper-proof bait station where children and pets can reach them, limits domestic products to solid baits sold with a station, and bans brodifacoum, bromadiolone and difethialone from domestic products. The more potent commercial products are applied by licensed exterminators.

Rats ignore property lines, so cities run programs alongside what owners do. The City of Toronto calls rat management a shared responsibility: the City maintains its own property and enforces bylaws on waste and property standards, while property owners, landlords, tenants and businesses prevent and address rat activity on their own properties. Its Rat Response Plan includes a dedicated team, targeted inspections, public education and monitoring of parks and facilities, sets rat management requirements for City-led construction projects and asks other large construction projects to include rat management plans.

In Montréal, rats in parks, alleys and other public spaces are reported to 311, while in a rental the owner must call a certified exterminator and make the repairs. In Quebec, the Tribunal administratif du logement lists rats among the conditions that can make a dwelling unsanitary, and in Toronto, tenants call 311 if a landlord leaves a rat problem unaddressed. Other cities set their own rules on garbage, composting and feeding wildlife, so check your municipality's pages.

Rat trouble often begins when their existing habitat is disturbed. Demolition, sewer replacement or a new building next door can push rats into the surrounding yards, and the City of Montréal notes that rats often surface during excavation work. If major work starts nearby, check the foundation, garage and shed for gaps and keep bins closed.

Rats stay active through a Canadian winter. Snow hides burrows, but tracks along fences and walls and holes chewed into bins give them away, and cold weather pushes them toward the warmth of buildings. The spring melt is a good time for a yard inspection, when burrows, runways and winter damage are easy to see.