Latest news with #OrkinCanada
CTV News
21-05-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Are tick populations rising in Ontario? How to protect yourself against them
This undated photo provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows a black-legged tick. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-CDC via AP Not to tick you off, but the height of tick season is nearly here, and Ontario could see more of the pesky critters this year. While it may be too soon to tell whether there will still be an upward trend in tick populations this summer, Manisha Kulkarni, professor of epidemiology and public health in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Ottawa and researcher with the UPTick project, says that has been the common shift over the last few years. 'This trend has been going on for a number of decades, expanding out of the northeastern United States and it's attributed to a number of different factors—one of them being climate change,' Kulkarni explained. Longer periods of warm weather allow the ticks to be more active, find hosts and reproduce, Kulkarni says, noting that warmer winter temperatures make it easier for these bugs to survive at higher altitudes. Bernie Grafe, the GTA Residential Area Manager at Orkin Canada, said they have already started to see an uptick in tick activity this spring since wildlife has come out of hibernation and vegetation has started to grow back. 'Those ticks are now being transported with ease,' Grafe said. 'We had a very, very wet end of winter, which is seeing (a) significant increase in pest activity, including mosquitoes and ticks.' What types of ticks live in Ontario? Where are they typically found? The two tick species of note in Ontario are the ixodes scapularis, commonly called deer ticks or blacklegged ticks, and the American dog tick or wood tick. Deer ticks are often found in Eastern Ontario, while dog ticks are spotted in southern Ontario, Kulkarni says. It also depends on the time of year for which ticks are most active, she adds. Public Health Ontario says blacklegged ticks have established themselves along the north shores of Lake Erie, Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River, but have also been found in other areas like Haliburton, Kawartha, Muskoka, Thunder Bay and Lake of the Woods. The health agency has mapped out 'established risk areas' of where these ticks are, which it updates annually. As for where they live, Kulkarni says deer ticks are often found in wooded or brushy areas as they rely on white-tailed deer to reproduce. 'It's going to be a higher percentage of them being in sort of wooded and forested areas, long grass areas, fields with sort of orphan-grown grass,' Grafe said, but said residential neighbourhoods with active chipmunk, raccoon, squirrel and mice populations could also see them pop up in their neighbourhoods as the rodents spread them to backyards. That said, ticks can be found nearly anywhere as they can attach themselves to migratory birds, Kulkarni notes. 'We call these adventitious ticks or inventive ticks. They don't always establish a population in these areas,' Kulkarni said. What diseases do ticks carry? Deer ticks not only carry Lyme disease, but can also transmit other tick-borne pathogens like anaplasmosis, babesiosis and Powassan virus infection—which are all under surveillance in Ontario. How to protect yourself from ticks Wearing long clothing and applying Health Canada-approved insect repellent like DEET or icaridin can help repel or kill ticks, Kulkarni says. Also, wearing closed-toed shoes and tucking pants into your socks can help prevent ticks from burrowing into your skin. 'Being cautious when you come back home, doing a tick check—looking for any ticks that might be crawling on you or attached—and making sure to really remove those ticks promptly if they have been found,' Kulkarni said. Kulkarni recommends consulting with a pharmacist to see if you're eligible for tick bite prophylaxis, which can help prevent infection if a tick did attach itself to your skin or had the opportunity to transmit any bacterium. How to remove a tick If a tick has latched itself onto your skin, the province recommends using fine-tipped tweezers to take hold of the bug—as close to your skin as possible—and pull it straight out with a gentle, but firm, grip. It is crucial to not crush the tick, the province says, as it could cause Lyme bacteria to trickle into your bloodstream. The province also advises against using a lit match or cigarette, petroleum jelly, nail polish or nail polish remover, kerosene, or liquid soap to remove the tick. 'People have to be wary that when removing these ticks they have to be sure to also get the head,' Grafe told CTV News Toronto. Grafe notes this is due to the fact that ticks tend to bury their head underneath the skin. Once the tick has been removed, the province advises to wash your skin with soap and water before disinfecting with rubbing alcohol or an iodine swab. Then place the tick in an airtight container, like an empty pill bottle, and identify what kind of bug it is before consulting with a health professional on next steps. How to spot Lyme disease 'It's also really important to monitor for any symptoms like fever-like symptoms or rash—an expanding bullseye rash at the tick bite site. These are all signs that it could be a Lyme disease infection,' Kulkarni said. 'So it's really important to get assessed quickly by a healthcare provider.' Other symptoms of Lyme disease include the chills, fatigue, headache, joint pains, muscle aches, spasms or tingling, and facial paralysis. 'It's usually the infants or teenager, immature ticks that will carry the Lyme disease, and they typically have to feed for about 24 hours,' Grafe said. 'So, if people catch this right away, they should be relatively safe.' The number of cases of Lyme disease seen in Ontario have been on a steady rise since 2014, Kulkarni said, pointing to Public Health Ontario's data. Over a decade ago, Ontario logged 257 cases of Lyme disease in the province. This number roughly septupled by 2023, where PHO reported 1,865 cases, including 84 who were hospitalized. 'The risk of acquiring Lyme disease in Toronto overall is believed to be low,' Toronto Public Health said in a statement. Last year in Toronto, 57 blacklegged ticks tested positive for six tick-borne pathogens with nearly half of them carrying Borrelia burgdorferi, one of the causative agents of Lyme disease.
CTV News
21-05-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Are tick populations rising in Ontario? How to protect yourself against them
This undated photo provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows a black-legged tick. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-CDC via AP Not to tick you off, but the height of tick season is nearly here, and Ontario could see more of the pesky critters this year. While it may be too soon to tell whether there will still be an upward trend in tick populations this summer, Manisha Kulkarni, professor of epidemiology and public health in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Ottawa and researcher with the UPTick project, says that has been the common shift over the last few years. 'This trend has been going on for a number of decades, expanding out of the northeastern United States and it's attributed to a number of different factors—one of them being climate change,' Kulkarni explained. Longer periods of warm weather allow the ticks to be more active, find hosts and reproduce, Kulkarni says, noting that warmer winter temperatures make it easier for these bugs to survive at higher altitudes. Bernie Grafe, the GTA Residential Area Manager at Orkin Canada, said they have already started to see an uptick in tick activity this spring since wildlife has come out of hibernation and vegetation has started to grow back. 'Those ticks are now being transported with ease,' Grafe said. 'We had a very, very wet end of winter, which is seeing (a) significant increase in pest activity, including mosquitoes and ticks.' What types of ticks live in Ontario? Where are they typically found? The two tick species of note in Ontario are the ixodes scapularis, commonly called deer ticks or blacklegged ticks, and the American dog tick or wood tick. Deer ticks are often found in Eastern Ontario, while dog ticks are spotted in southern Ontario, Kulkarni says. It also depends on the time of year for which ticks are most active, she adds. Public Health Ontario says blacklegged ticks have established themselves along the north shores of Lake Erie, Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River, but have also been found in other areas like Haliburton, Kawartha, Muskoka, Thunder Bay and Lake of the Woods. The health agency has mapped out 'established risk areas' of where these ticks are, which it updates annually. As for where they live, Kulkarni says deer ticks are often found in wooded or brushy areas as they rely on white-tailed deer to reproduce. 'It's going to be a higher percentage of them being in sort of wooded and forested areas, long grass areas, fields with sort of orphan-grown grass,' Grafe said, but said residential neighbourhoods with active chipmunk, raccoon, squirrel and mice populations could also see them pop up in their neighbourhoods as the rodents spread them to backyards. That said, ticks can be found nearly anywhere as they can attach themselves to migratory birds, Kulkarni notes. 'We call these adventitious ticks or inventive ticks. They don't always establish a population in these areas,' Kulkarni said. What diseases do ticks carry? Deer ticks not only carry Lyme disease, but can also transmit other tick-borne pathogens like anaplasmosis, babesiosis and Powassan virus infection—which are all under surveillance in Ontario. How to protect yourself from ticks Wearing long clothing and applying Health Canada-approved insect repellent like DEET or icaridin can help repel or kill ticks, Kulkarni says. Also, wearing closed-toed shoes and tucking pants into your socks can help prevent ticks from burrowing into your skin. 'Being cautious when you come back home, doing a tick check—looking for any ticks that might be crawling on you or attached—and making sure to really remove those ticks promptly if they have been found,' Kulkarni said. Kulkarni recommends consulting with a pharmacist to see if you're eligible for tick bite prophylaxis, which can help prevent infection if a tick did attach itself to your skin or had the opportunity to transmit any bacterium. How to remove a tick If a tick has latched itself onto your skin, the province recommends using fine-tipped tweezers to take hold of the bug—as close to your skin as possible—and pull it straight out with a gentle, but firm, grip. It is crucial to not crush the tick, the province says, as it could cause Lyme bacteria to trickle into your bloodstream. The province also advises against using a lit match or cigarette, petroleum jelly, nail polish or nail polish remover, kerosene, or liquid soap to remove the tick. 'People have to be weary that when removing these ticks they have to be sure to also get the head,' Grafe told CTV News Toronto. Grafe notes this is due to the fact that ticks tend to bury their head underneath the skin. Once the tick has been removed, the province advises to wash your skin with soap and water before disinfecting with rubbing alcohol or an iodine swab. Then place the tick in an airtight container, like an empty pill bottle, and identify what kind of bug it is before consulting with a health professional on next steps. How to spot Lyme disease 'It's also really important to monitor for any symptoms like fever-like symptoms or rash—an expanding bullseye rash at the tick bite site. These are all signs that it could be a Lyme disease infection,' Kulkarni said. 'So it's really important to get assessed quickly by a healthcare provider.' Other symptoms of Lyme disease include the chills, fatigue, headache, joint pains, muscle aches, spasms or tingling, and facial paralysis. 'It's usually the infants or teenager, immature ticks that will carry the Lyme disease, and they typically have to feed for about 24 hours,' Grafe said. 'So, if people catch this right away, they should be relatively safe.' The number of cases of Lyme disease seen in Ontario have been on a steady rise since 2014, Kulkarni said, pointing to Public Health Ontario's data. Over a decade ago, Ontario logged 257 cases of Lyme disease in the province. This number roughly septupled by 2023, where PHO reported 1,865 cases, including 84 who were hospitalized. 'The risk of acquiring Lyme disease in Toronto overall is believed to be low,' Toronto Public Health said in a statement. Last year in Toronto, 57 blacklegged ticks tested positive for six tick-borne pathogens with nearly half of them carrying Borrelia burgdorferi, one of the causative agents of Lyme disease.
Globe and Mail
21-02-2025
- General
- Globe and Mail
Rodents on the run: Orkin Canada releases 2024 list of Rattiest Cities
Orkin Canada's annual national "Rattiest Cities" list is out! MISSISSAUGA, ON , Oct. 29, 2024 /CNW/ - Orkin Canada has released its annual list of Canada's top 25 "Rattiest Cities," with Toronto once again claiming the top spot. This year saw Toronto and Vancouver vying for first place in the rodent race and welcomed Montreal and Halifax onto the list. City rankings are based on the number of commercial and residential rodent (rat and mice) treatments that Orkin Canada carried out from August 1, 2023 through July 31, 2024 . The top 10 rattiest cities in Canada in 2024 are: Toronto Vancouver Kelowna Burnaby Victoria Mississauga Richmond Surrey Scarborough St. John's To download a complete list of Canada's rattiest cities, please click here (EN) or here (FR). As more regions across the country see a growing rodent population, Orkin Canada is reminding Canadians of steps that can be taken to mitigate rodents from targeting their property: Eliminate Harbourage: Remove clutter indoors and outdoors, trim overgrown vegetation, and keep grass short. Cut Off Water Sources: Eliminate moisture by clearing clogged gutters and fixing leaky pipes or faucets both indoors and outdoors. Remove Food Sources: Clean up fallen fruits or vegetables in the yard, store garbage in rodent-proof bins, and prevent overflow. Seal Entry Points: Close gaps larger than 1/4 inch with rodent-proof materials, and install weather strips on exterior doors to block entry points. For comprehensive protection, consider contacting a pest control professional to assess your property and recommend prevention measures. For more information, visit About Orkin Canada Orkin Canada, a wholly owned subsidiary of Rollins, Inc. (NYSE:ROL) is Canada's largest pest control and environment services provider; leader in the development of fast, effective and environmentally responsible pest control solutions. One key program is the Home Pest Protection Program that provides customized pest control and prevention services to homeowners and property owners ensuring a pest free environment. Orkin Canada provides professional services to both residential and commercial clients from coast to coast. For more information and pest tips, visit like or subscribe to @ on YouTube. For media inquiries, contact:
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
More bad news for rat-infested cities: Climate change is making it worse
More rats: that's the latest indignity that climate change is dumping on major cities around the world, including in Canada's largest city, according to a new study from a group of global rodent and public health scientists. Growing rat populations are correlated with rising temperatures driven by global warming in at least 11 major cities across the world, according to the study. The cities seeing rat increases include Toronto, famously rat-prone New York City, and many other major centres like Washington, San Francisco and Amsterdam. The study's authors say it's a wake-up call for cities to move away from a whack-a-mole approach to dealing with rodent complaints. "I think every large city should have a dedicated team that focuses on nothing but rodents and the issues with rodents," said Jonathan Richardson, lead author of the study and an urban ecologist at the University of Richmond in Virginia. A rat in downtown Toronto. The city is working on a rat strategy. (Bruce Reeve/CBC) The study used data on public complaints and inspections about rats from 16 cities around the world. The 11 cities that saw significant increases in rats also experienced greater temperature increases over time, though that correlation doesn't prove the temperature caused the increase. Cities with more dense human populations and more urbanization also saw larger increases in rats. The research comes at a time when rats have become a big issue in Toronto, which is seeing a large increase in rodent-related complaints after a brief decline during the COVID-19 pandemic. City officials are currently working on a new strategy to proactively deal with the rats. "Even when you leave city hall or walk around city hall, you can see the burrows in the tree wells. I've walked along one of the streets and a giant rat ran past me in the middle of the day," said Alejandra Bravo, a Toronto city councillor who proposed the successful motion to build a rat strategy. "I think people need to see action." Why are rats thriving? Rats are resilient and remarkably adaptable to different environments, says Alice Sinia, entomologist with pest control company Orkin Canada. It makes biological sense that warmer temperatures would be helping them out, for three big reasons. The harsh winter acts as a sort of "nature's pest control," with the cold killing rats every year. Climate change has led to milder winters in Toronto, allowing greater numbers of rats to make it through the season. Urban ecologist Jonathan Richardson, right, has co-authored a study linking climate change to a growth in rat populations in several major cities, including Toronto. (Jamie Betts) Meanwhile, the warmer seasons have become longer, and that's when the rats breed and reproduce. Sinia says that could further boost their numbers. And finally, climate disasters themselves could be bringing rats closer to people and buildings. Sinia used the example of the floods in Toronto in July last year, caused by a line of storms that dumped rain on the city in rapid succession in a matter of hours. Studies suggest that Canada will see more extreme rain, with warmer air able to hold more moisture that it will dump in short, severe storms. The flash floods last year caused nearly a billion dollars in insured damages, flooding basements, highways and transit stations across the city. But apart from the damage, floods also overwhelm the city's sewer system — which are teaming with rats that get displaced. Alejandra Bravo, a Toronto city councillor who represents the ward of Davenport, has pushed the city to develop a rat strategy to respond to rising rodent complaints and sightings. (Michael Wilson/CBC) "Now instead of the underground sewers, they [the rats] will come to the surface and when that happens … they're going to start occupying other areas," Sinia said. "They're going into people's homes, structures… and they're going to have an opportunity to reproduce very fast." But none of this means people will just have to resign themselves to a rat-filled future, the experts said. Keeping up the fight Richardson, the study author, said that they key was a proactive rat strategy that addressed the root causes of infestations. That's similar to what the Toronto council is working on, according to Bravo. City staff will look at food disposal, managing construction sites, new approaches like birth control and other ways to manage the rat population on a larger scale. Ultimately, Richardson says, cities need to put more money and resources into fighting rats, because simply tolerating them is not a good option. A person holds up a rat that had been caught in Washington, D.C, one of several cities along with Toronto, New York and Amsterdam that showed a correlation between rising rat numbers and rising average temperatures. (Stefani Reynolds/AFP) "They carry at least 50 known zoonotic pathogens and parasites that can make residents sick in cities," he said. A zoonotic infection or disease is one that can transmit between animals and humans. "They also have mental health impacts for residents where if you're living alongside rats regularly and see them in your daily life, you tend to have worse mental health outcomes and feel less secure in your environment. "If we can reassess how much tolerance we have for rats in our everyday daily life as we're walking around, maybe that applies some pressure to the city governments and advocates for more resources to knock these populations back."
CBC
31-01-2025
- Science
- CBC
More bad news for rat-infested cities: Climate change is making it worse
Social Sharing More rats: that's the latest indignity that climate change is dumping on major cities around the world, including in Canada's largest city, according to a new study from a group of global rodent and public health scientists. Growing rat populations are correlated with rising temperatures driven by global warming in at least 11 major cities across the world, according to the study. The cities seeing rat increases include Toronto, famously rat-prone New York City, and many other major centres like Washington, San Francisco and Amsterdam. The study's authors say it's a wake-up call for cities to move away from a whack-a-mole approach to dealing with rodent complaints. "I think every large city should have a dedicated team that focuses on nothing but rodents and the issues with rodents," said Jonathan Richardson, lead author of the study and an urban ecologist at the University of Richmond in Virginia. The study used data on public complaints and inspections about rats from 16 cities around the world. The 11 cities that saw significant increases in rats also experienced greater temperature increases over time, though that correlation doesn't prove the temperature caused the increase. Cities with more dense human populations and more urbanization also saw larger increases in rats. The research comes at a time when rats have become a big issue in Toronto, which is seeing a large increase in rodent-related complaints after a brief decline during the COVID-19 pandemic. City officials are currently working on a new strategy to proactively deal with the rats. "Even when you leave city hall or walk around city hall, you can see the burrows in the tree wells. I've walked along one of the streets and a giant rat ran past me in the middle of the day," said Alejandra Bravo, a Toronto city councillor who proposed the successful motion to build a rat strategy. "I think people need to see action." Toronto councillors push for rat reduction strategy Why are rats thriving? Rats are resilient and remarkably adaptable to different environments, says Alice Sinia, entomologist with pest control company Orkin Canada. It makes biological sense that warmer temperatures would be helping them out, for three big reasons. The harsh winter acts as a sort of "nature's pest control," with the cold killing rats every year. Climate change has led to milder winters in Toronto, allowing greater numbers of rats to make it through the season. Meanwhile, the warmer seasons have become longer, and that's when the rats breed and reproduce. Sinia says that could further boost their numbers. And finally, climate disasters themselves could be bringing rats closer to people and buildings. Sinia used the example of the floods in Toronto in July last year, caused by a line of storms that dumped rain on the city in rapid succession in a matter of hours. Studies suggest that Canada will see more extreme rain, with warmer air able to hold more moisture that it will dump in short, severe storms. The flash floods last year caused nearly a billion dollars in insured damages, flooding basements, highways and transit stations across the city. But apart from the damage, floods also overwhelm the city's sewer system — which are teaming with rats that get displaced. "Now instead of the underground sewers, they [the rats] will come to the surface and when that happens … they're going to start occupying other areas," Sinia said. "They're going into people's homes, structures… and they're going to have an opportunity to reproduce very fast." But none of this means people will just have to resign themselves to a rat-filled future, the experts said. Keeping up the fight Richardson, the study author, said that they key was a proactive rat strategy that addressed the root causes of infestations. That's similar to what the Toronto council is working on, according to Bravo. City staff will look at food disposal, managing construction sites, new approaches like birth control and other ways to manage the rat population on a larger scale. Ultimately, Richardson says, cities need to put more money and resources into fighting rats, because simply tolerating them is not a good option. "They carry at least 50 known zoonotic pathogens and parasites that can make residents sick in cities," he said. A zoonotic infection or disease is one that can transmit between animals and humans. "They also have mental health impacts for residents where if you're living alongside rats regularly and see them in your daily life, you tend to have worse mental health outcomes and feel less secure in your environment. "If we can reassess how much tolerance we have for rats in our everyday daily life as we're walking around, maybe that applies some pressure to the city governments and advocates for more resources to knock these populations back."
