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CBC
04-08-2025
- General
- CBC
Montreal's rat problem worsens despite city's pledge to fix it
The rats took over James Klein's backyard this spring. He'd never had a rat problem in the more than two decades he's lived in Montreal's Snowdon neighbourhood. But now, when he watches TV in his family room, he sees them out of the corner of his eye, scurrying around outside the glass door leading onto his back deck. "There's no way to even describe what it's like," he said. Klein doesn't know why the rats suddenly appeared. He thinks they may have been displaced when the city dug up some of the pipes in his neighbourhood earlier this year. But whatever the reason, the upshot is that he hasn't had a meal outside all summer. "One night, there were a whole bunch of them that were having a party on my back deck. And literally, they're running back and forth and chasing each other," he said. "It's just brutal." Klein isn't the only one raising the alarm about Montreal's rat population. The number of rat-related calls to the city has risen sharply in recent years, despite a two-year-old pledge by city council to come up with a plan to control the rodents. Data obtained by The Canadian Press show there were more than 1,700 calls to Montreal's 311 phone line in 2024 concerning rats, up from just over 1,000 calls two years earlier. In some of the city's 19 boroughs, the number of calls more than doubled in that time. What is the city doing? The city says it's taking the situation seriously. It says the boroughs are attempting to control the rodents through inspections or the deployment of exterminators. But critics say the municipal government is doing little to fix what they see as a growing problem, leaving residents on their own to deal with an intractable situation. "In our borough council meetings, we've had significantly more residents bringing up the presence of rats in residential areas that they normally would have never seen them in," said Stephanie Valenzuela, an opposition city councillor in Klein's borough of Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce. "It's impacting their daily lives, it's impacting their businesses, and it's quite difficult for the quality of life of everyone." In her borough, rat-related calls to the city more than tripled between 2022 and 2024. The city, which provided the numbers in response to an access-to-information request, said calls include complaints, comments and requests for information about rats. The two boroughs that reported the most calls last year are Ville-Marie, which comprises all of downtown Montreal, and the northern borough of Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension. Between 2022 and 2024, the number of rat-related calls more than doubled in both boroughs. Valenzuela said the municipal government has failed to act on an opposition motion, passed unanimously in 2023, which called for the creation of a rat-control plan. The plan would have included measures to manage rats during construction work in the city's sewers, and to replace open garbage bins with closed ones in public places. "Unfortunately, two years later none of these measures have been implemented in any part of the city," said Valenzuela, who has been encouraging residents to call 311 and complain. A spokesperson for the city said Montreal already has rules intended to keep sewers sealed during construction. "That being said, maintaining a clean environment remains the best way to limit the presence of rats," said Hugo Bourgoin, adding that each borough is responsible for managing its own rat population. Klein said one of his neighbours started a petition about the rodents last fall, but little came of it. At a borough council meeting in May, in response to a question about rats in Klein's neighbourhood, an official answered that "the city's capacity for intervention remains rather limited," as traps and poison cannot be used in public places. "To have the city tell us, essentially, 'there's nothing we can do and you have to live with it,' is totally unacceptable," Klein said. WATCH | Some residents blame biweekly garbage pickup: Hélène Bouchard, president of two pest management companies in Montreal, said it's hard to know whether the number of rats in the city is actually on the rise, or whether they've simply become more visible. She said the closure of restaurants and other businesses during the pandemic pushed rats to venture further into residential areas in search of food, and those habits may have stuck. "They have a good memory," she said. "They will always take the same path to find their food sources." She said the proliferation of community gardens may also attract the rodents, while sewer work can displace rat colonies. Another problem is that people often put their garbage out the night before it's scheduled to be picked up, Bouchard said. "That's an open buffet for the rats." The garbage problem Garbage collection has become a contentious issue in Montreal in recent years, as the city has promoted composting and reduced the frequency of trash pickup in some neighbourhoods. Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante's administration is aiming to move the whole city to biweekly garbage collection by 2029. But Valenzuela said the city hasn't done enough to ensure residents are composting their food waste. "A lot of things that could be composted and picked up every week are being thrown in the trash," she said. "And that has been a cause for why there has been an increase in garbage laying out there and smelling and attracting rodents." Klein, however, said he hasn't left anything out for the rats to eat. He said he's "disgusted" every time he looks outside, but feels powerless to solve the problem.
The Guardian
04-08-2025
- General
- The Guardian
‘Cat-sized' rat found in Teesside town puts focus on pest control cuts
Cuts to council pest control services are being blamed for a town's rodent problem, which includes the discovery of a supersize rat said to be 22in (56cm) from nose to tail. The giant rat, about the length of the carry-on luggage people might be wheeling on to a flight – or, if not on holiday, a desktop monitor – was found inside a resident's home in Normanby, Teesside. 'I had to do a double take when I saw a picture of it,' said Stephen Martin, a Conservative councillor on Redcar and Cleveland council. 'You can tell by the size of the bag that it's not a normal size. It's the size of a cat.' Martin, whose Eston ward is close to where the rat was removed by a pest controller, said it was not a one-off. 'Rats are being spotted more and more around our area. It has been getting worse for a few years now.' As with many cash-strapped local authorities, Redcar and Cleveland does not offer a pest control service to private residents. Its website says officers can offer free advice over the phone, 'however, the responsibility for taking action to solve a pest problem belongs to the occupant of the property'. But Martin said many people did not have the money to pay private pest control companies. He said the rat problem often began on council or housing association land 'but they're expecting private residents to sort it out'. There are also problems with people putting the wrong waste in recycling bins. 'Instead of actually taking the bins away they are just tagging them, making the resident know it's contaminated, and it is not getting emptied,' he said. 'There's more rubbish on the ground and it is attracting more rats and they are just getting bigger and bigger and bigger.' Fellow Eston councillor David Taylor said: 'I have seen a fair few rats but nothing the size of this one. My dog [a cockapoo] can often smell rats … I wouldn't like to think she was tackling that one.' Taylor said about five housing estates had been built in quick succession locally, which affected infrastructure and moved rats from fields to urban areas. Add to that the increase in takeaway food and fly-tipping and there was a perfect storm, which needed a coordinated approach, he said. 'The rats obviously lived in the sewers but they're now walking the streets. 'The problem is UK-wide and it needs to be sorted with a joint effort. It needs government, local councils, the water boards, private landlords, shops and businesses … all to come together.' Taylor said he understood money was tight at Redcar and Cleveland council but the problem would just get worse without action. Martin said many residents had been in touch to say they had spotted rats around bins, in alleyways and crossing the street. He was sent a further picture at the weekend of rat having a go at bins during the day. Martin and Taylor are calling for a full vermin survey and treatment plan across the borough. 'The longer this is ignored, the worse it will get,' they said. A spokesperson for Redcar and Cleveland council said: 'The council has a dedicated pest control officer, who manages pest issues on council-owned land. While we no longer provide a wider pest control service, we do offer advice to residents where possible. 'The council continues to work with Beyond Housing, Northumbrian Water and other partners to address complex issues and explore potential solutions. 'There is also helpful guidance and preventive measures on our website to support people in dealing with pests.'
Yahoo
03-08-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Giant Rat, ‘Almost the Size of a Small Cat,' Found Inside Home: ‘Over 22 Inches Long from Nose to Tail'
'It's not a one-off. Rats are being spotted more and more around our area' local officials in England saidNEED TO KNOW A 22-inch rat was discovered inside a home in England Eston Ward Councilors David Taylor and Stephen Martin shared a photo of the alarming discovery on Facebook on July 28 'It's not a one-off,' they said, comparing it to a small catA 22-inch rat was found at a residence in England. Eston Ward Councilors David Taylor and Stephen Martin posted about the alarming discovery, made in a neighborhood in North Yorkshire, on Facebook on July 28, writing that the 'massive' rodent was 'over 22 inches long from nose to tail' and was discovered by a pest control worker. 'It's almost the size of a small cat. And it's not a one-off,' they continued, calling the situation 'a growing problem.' 'The longer this is ignored, the worse it will get. We need action — not just advice,' they concluded. The post also included a photo of the enormous rodent, which could be seen inside a large transparent plastic bag. In an Aug. 3 update, they stated that this is not the first time their area has experienced a rodent problem, noting that effective actions were taken 'two years' ago. However, 'now, the rats are back, and in even greater numbers,' they wrote. They also shared a photo of "rat holes" in a local community. In another follow-up shared the same day, the representatives said that the photo of the giant rat, along with the initial post, had made 'national headlines,' and that they were hopeful the attention would create forward momentum on resolving the issue. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. PEOPLE reached out to the Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, the North Yorkshire council which oversees the districts affected by the alleged rat problem, for comment on Sunday, Aug. 3, but did not receive an immediate response. The U.K.'s brown rat is an 'incredibly adaptable' animal and can be found 'almost everywhere' in the country, according to the Wildlife Trust. They are particularly common around towns and cities and dig their own burrows. A female brown rat can begin reproducing at around 3 months old, and has an average of five litters a year, each with up to 12 young, making them "famously good breeders," per the organization. Read the original article on People Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
03-08-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Giant Rat, ‘Almost the Size of a Small Cat,' Found Inside Home: ‘Over 22 Inches Long from Nose to Tail'
'It's not a one-off. Rats are being spotted more and more around our area' local officials in England saidNEED TO KNOW A 22-inch rat was discovered inside a home in England Eston Ward Councilors David Taylor and Stephen Martin shared a photo of the alarming discovery on Facebook on July 28 'It's not a one-off,' they said, comparing it to a small catA 22-inch rat was found at a residence in England. Eston Ward Councilors David Taylor and Stephen Martin posted about the alarming discovery, made in a neighborhood in North Yorkshire, on Facebook on July 28, writing that the 'massive' rodent was 'over 22 inches long from nose to tail' and was discovered by a pest control worker. 'It's almost the size of a small cat. And it's not a one-off,' they continued, calling the situation 'a growing problem.' 'The longer this is ignored, the worse it will get. We need action — not just advice,' they concluded. The post also included a photo of the enormous rodent, which could be seen inside a large transparent plastic bag. In an Aug. 3 update, they stated that this is not the first time their area has experienced a rodent problem, noting that effective actions were taken 'two years' ago. However, 'now, the rats are back, and in even greater numbers,' they wrote. They also shared a photo of "rat holes" in a local community. In another follow-up shared the same day, the representatives said that the photo of the giant rat, along with the initial post, had made 'national headlines,' and that they were hopeful the attention would create forward momentum on resolving the issue. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. PEOPLE reached out to the Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, the North Yorkshire council which oversees the districts affected by the alleged rat problem, for comment on Sunday, Aug. 3, but did not receive an immediate response. The U.K.'s brown rat is an 'incredibly adaptable' animal and can be found 'almost everywhere' in the country, according to the Wildlife Trust. They are particularly common around towns and cities and dig their own burrows. A female brown rat can begin reproducing at around 3 months old, and has an average of five litters a year, each with up to 12 young, making them "famously good breeders," per the organization. Read the original article on People
CBS News
03-08-2025
- Health
- CBS News
Boston woman says she was bitten by a rat while walking in Fenway area
A woman in Boston claims to have been bitten by a rat while she was walking down Mountfort Street in the Fenway area Friday night. "It's kind of like everyone's nightmare scenario but you don't really think it's going to happen to you," said Min Namgung. Namgung said she and her boyfriend were walking to their car around 8:30 p.m. when, "I feel like a really sharp pain on my left feet, and I was like 'Oh God what is this?'" She said she looked down and saw something scurry into the bushes. "I thought it was like a bunny; it was so big," she recalled. "My boyfriend pulls his phone out, puts the flashlight camera on, and I see it bleeding and I'm like 'Oh, that rat probably bit me.'" Namgung said she was wearing sandals when the incident occurred. Afterwards, she says she went to the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center where a doctor gave her a tetanus and rabies shot. "I also need to take antibiotics, so I don't get any infections and stuff," she said. As of now, Namgung is doing better physically. However, she says she was stunned by the incident and shared her story on TikTok. "I'm now able to laugh about it, but at the moment, I was like freaking out. I was just like 'Woah, what just happened to me?'" Namgung's fears are heightened as Boston experiences an ongoing rodent problem. Namgung said she worries what happened to her could happen again. "This could happen to anyone," she said. "It is a city, and I see them quite a bit." In response to the incident, a spokesperson from Mayor Michelle Wu's office said, "The city is continuing to take an all of government approach to reduce rodent population across Boston's neighborhoods." Part of that approach was to recently install "rat-proof" garbage cans in different parts of the city. This summer, a city spokesperson told WBZ they're also working to address different hot spots where rodents may be living. Until the issue is resolved, Namgung said she'll be a little more hesitant to walk around the Fenway area. "I'm definitely going to be wearing,like, running shoes," she said.
