Mississauga Has Disturbing Ranking on National Rodent List

If you’re afraid of rodents, we have some bad news for you–Mississauga is pretty full of them.

According to a troubling list (or at least troubling to people who don’t like to encounter certain furry friends while they’re out and about) published by well-known pest control company Orkin, Mississauga is the third “rattiest” city in Ontario for the second year in a row.

While that ranking isn’t good, we’re definitely not alone

In fact, Orkin’s says it’s been a “bumper year for rats in Ontario.”

“The battle to curb the rat population in Ontario reached new heights in 2017 as homeowners across the province sought assistance from pest control experts,” Orkin says in a recent news release.

While the top 5 “rattiest” cities remained unchanged from 2016, Orkin says two new cities are now on the list.

The findings by Orkin Canada are based on the number of commercial and residential rodent (rats and mice) treatments carried out by the pest control provider

The top 5 rattiest Ontario cities are:

• Toronto
• Ottawa
• Mississauga
• Scarborough
• Hamilton

Other cities on the list include Brampton (11), Oakville (7), Burlington (9) and Markham (19).

While the news certainly isn’t great, it’s comforting to know that we’re in good company and better off than the denser T.O. While rats have never been good for any city’s reputation, at least we know we’re suffering alongside quaint Oakville, squeaky clean Thornhill (24) and picturesque Niagara Falls (21).

Orkin is reminding people that rodents are particularly active this time of year and are currently seeking food, water and shelter. Although some rats are pretty cute (look at their little pink noses if you don’t believe me), rodents can transmit diseases and damage your property.

If you’re worried about rats or other rodents entering your home, you can prevent an invasion by sealing any cracks or holes with water-resistant sealant, installing weather stripping around windows and doors, keeping shrubbery a solid metre away from your home and ensuring no puddles of water sit for too long (so unclog your gutters and don’t leave still water sitting in your garbage bin).