Oh, rats: More Montreal homes invaded by rodents since pandemic began, exterminators say
Montreal-area exterminators say they're busier than usual, dealing with an issue that makes many squeamish: rats.
They say that since the pandemic began, rats and other rodents are making their way into more homes.
"We're seeing a boom in rodents, from mice to rats to squirrels. It's pretty busy, actually," exterminator Denny Andrade told CTV News.
The theory is that, because restaurants were closed for so long, rats -- accustomed to dining in dumpsters -- have had to look for new sources of food.
As a result, they've gravitated to places like Lucille's home in Notre-Dame-de-Grace (NDG).
She says her home is infested with the creatures; rats are getting into her food, and one even attacked her while she was sleeping.
"I don't know if it bit me or scratched me, but it went [...] on my chin," said Lucille.
The rodents are getting in from a broken pipe on her property.
Andrade keeps setting traps and catching them, but until a plumber fixes the pipe, he says they'll continue making an appearance.
But some plumbers try to avoid working in homes with rat problems, he explained.
"Rats have a tendency of defending themselves, and they can jump pretty high. A rat can jump between two and four feet in the air, so you don't want to corner a rat," said Andrade, who works with Platinum Extermination.
"If you see a rat, leave it alone. The last thing you want is to have a rat jump on you," he advised.
Getting rid of the intruders can cost anywhere from $1,000 to $3,000, and they can cause a lot of other problems, he said.
"They chew on anything, from concrete, rocks, to wood, to plastic. There's metal that's been chewed on by rats. They can be a fire hazard [by chewing] on wires."
Not to mention, rats can carry disease and be hazardous to health.
For Lucille, their presence has been a strain on her peace of mind.
"They are God's creatures and they're supposed to live, but not in here," she said. "Go to the bushes and live."
Andrade says if you see a rat, call an exterminator and a plumber as soon as possible -- because the longer you wait, the harder it will be to get rid of them.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
Customers disappointed after email listing $60K Tim Hortons prize sent in error
Several Tim Horton’s customers are feeling great disappointment after being told by the company that an email stating they won a boat worth nearly $60,000 was sent in error.
Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter banned from NBA
Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter has been handed a lifetime ban from The National Basketball Association (NBA) following an investigation which found he disclosed confidential information to sports bettors, the league says.
House admonishes ArriveCan contractor in rare parliamentary show of power
MPs enacted an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power on Wednesday, summonsing an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons where he was admonished publicly and forced to provide answers to the questions MPs said he'd previously evaded.
Woman who pressured boyfriend to kill his ex in 2000s granted absences from prison
A woman who pressured her boyfriend into killing his teenage ex more than a decade ago will be allowed to leave prison for weeks at a time.
Attempt to have murder charge quashed against alleged serial killer dismissed by judge
A motion filed by the man accused of killing four Indigenous women in Winnipeg to have one of those murder charges quashed has been dismissed by the judge – weeks before the start of his trial.
Government proposes new policy for federally regulated employees to disconnect from work
In their 2024 budget, the federal government wants to amend the Canada Labour Code, so employers in federally regulated sectors will eliminate work-related communication with employees outside of scheduled hours. If implemented, this would affect roughly 500,000 employees across the country.
Earthquake jolts southern Japan
An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.4 hit southern Japan late on Wednesday, said the Japan Meteorological Agency, without issuing a tsunami warning.