This Ottawa woman trapped more than 100 rats in three months

Melanie Giroux setting one of her rat traps with peanut butter bait. She says she has caught more than 100 rats in her back yard since May. (Dave Charbonneau / CTV News Ottawa)

OTTAWA -

Rats are becoming more of a problem in some residential neighbourhoods in Ottawa.

They seem to be suddenly showing up out of nowhere in places they haven’t been seen in years past and that’s exactly what Heron Park resident Melanie Giroux is dealing with this summer.

“Over 100 since May,” says Giroux, when asked how many she's caught.

For the past three months, Giroux has been on a mission, setting rat traps every night in her back yard, in hopes of getting rid of the rodents.

“On average, two per night,” says Giroux, “and a maximum of eight I think that I’ve caught, maybe nine one night.”

A rat infestation in her neighbourhood has residents worried and wondering where these critters could be coming from.

“This neighbourhood has never had a colony of rats living in it,” says Giroux. “This is a brand new problem.”

Melanie Giroux setting one of her rat traps with peanut butter bait. (Dave Charbonneau / CTV News Ottawa)

Between Jan. 1 and Aug. 6, the City of Ottawa’s 311 line has received 576 service requests regarding rats, compared to 645 all of last year and only 410 in 2019.

“For me, I have to wonder what’s going on. Why are we suddenly having them?” Asks Heron Park resident Julia Driedger.

Some residents think downtown restaurant closures have forced the rodents into the suburbs, desperately searching for new sources of food.

“In this neighbourhood, at least around here, we have four garbage bins,” says Giroux. “So, it’s a highway between four garbage bins. We just happen to be stuck in the middle.”

Pest control expert Todd Babin is the owner of Nature’s Way Property Services and has more than 20 years experience catching rats. He says its not just garbage they are after.

“This year, so far, I think we’ve caught over 1000 rats,” says Babin. “Almost 98 per cent of all of our calls that we’re getting, it’s either the home owner, or one of their neighbours have a bird feeder.”

Babin says food is the number one draw for the survival of the rats, so eliminating that option can help control the spread.

“Make sure you have no garbage,” says Babin. “Clean it up if you do. Put it in containers they can’t get at.”

For Giroux, she will continue to trap and eliminate as many rats as possible, but she says it seems like an never ending battle.

“We come out at night, and we can hear them fighting with each other. It’s not been fun; it has really not been fun.”