Pest expert speculates reasons for recent rat sightings in Uptown Waterloo

A pest specialist with Orkin Canada is weighing in on possible reasons for rats living in Uptown Waterloo.

Last month, businesses in the area were raising concerns about rats running rampant, after several videos went viral.

Then, just over a week ago, another video of many rats seen on King Street, made its way around social media.

Alice Sinia, with Orkin Canada, said one major factor for the recent rat sightings could be access to garbage.

"So food really sustains that population because they need that to be able to reproduce, and that really drives their population up," Sinia said.

Sinia has a Ph.D. in entomology and studies pest management. Sinia said any access to garbage, whether on the street or in an open bin, can result in rat populations growing.

"Rats are going to always be part of our ecosystem. The only thing is we have to make sure that the population is kept low to the extent that it doesn't have a negative impact on human activity or human population," Sinia said.

The City of Waterloo said it’s working with the Region of Waterloo and Uptown BIA to improve garbage collection and reduce access to food waste.

“Several businesses have begun setting out their garbage and organics in bins, which are more secure and rodent-resistant than garbage bags,” said Bob Henderson, director of transportation services, in a statement.

Henderson said on the Canada Day long weekend, the city saw success with adding temporary garbage containers. The BIA is looking into options for ongoing additional waste collection, saying the city considers it an important step in addressing the pest problem.

So far, the social media videos of rats in uptown have been at dusk or later in the evening. Sinia said rats are nocturnal and can forage up to 100 feet away, so seeing them at night is not abnormal. The issue starts when the rats start surfacing during the day.

"During daytime if you see rat populations like on the streets or running around, that tells us that actually it's too much," Sinia said.

Sinia said other reasons for high rat populations could be construction forcing them to move to another area. Heavy rain can also flush them out and warmer winters have kept populations from dying off.

"That means a lot of populations survive to start the next generation. So with enough food in the environment, with enough habitat in the environment, that is a recipe for population growth. So that could be another factor," Sinia said.

According to Orkin, female black rats can reproduce at 3-5 months old, and can give birth to as many as 40 offspring each year.

In urban areas, experts suggest controlling your garbage, cutting long grass and filling gaps in buildings to slow down rat growth. Rats can also get into small spaces and are able to enter a hole that is at least a half-inch wide.

"It's all population dynamics. When a population builds up in one area, the rest have to flow where the population is low to eliminate that competition. So I think at the end of the day, for an effective control, all different levels of government, whether it's municipality or it is individuals or commercial, we have to come to a point whereby we all have to work together," Sinia said.

The Region of Waterloo said in downtown cores, garbage collection operates six days a week across the three cities.

“The Region of Waterloo collaborates with municipal partners and regional by-law to address property standards issues, such as waste accumulation and early set-outs,” the region said in an email.