Oh rats, Windsors’ free rodent control program could end this March

 

The City of Windsor has approved the 2020 budget for the free rodent control program but the annually reviewed contract expires at the end of  March.

The rodent control program is a free service to assist home-owners and tenants dealing with an outside rat infestation. 

The City of Windsor funds the program with $150,000 annually and the program is run by a team at  environmental services for the City of Windsor.

This program has been operating for over a decade, the three-year contract with the City of Windsor which has a caveat and still needs to be approved by council each year. A caveat is a notice that certain actions may not be taken without informing the council who gave the notice. 

Anne-Marie Albidone, manager of environmental services for the City of Windsor said there is always a risk when they go to tender but they understand the council has a lot to consider. 

“It is difficult for the council because they have a lot of competing priorities and very limited tax dollars,” said Albidone. 

Albidone said the funding of $150,000 has remained the same since the program began. She also said the majority of that funding goes to the contractors who do the baiting.

“The people who do the baiting need to have acquired a pesticide license to use the bait our program uses which takes up most of the budget, while the remainder of the budget funds the inspectors, education, other staffing and the pamphlets we produce,” said Albidone. 

Albidone said any residents dealing with a rodent problem can just call 311 to organize an appointment for one of their staff to come out.

“We are looking for burrows which are basically smooth holes in the ground that are clearly not man-made,” said Albidone. “That is usually where the rats are living and if we do find that upon our appointment we will have the home owner sign a release form for one of our contractors to come out and bait the hole.” 

Albidone said in 2018 they were at their highest use of the program, baiting about 17,000 properties. That was down to 16,000 properties last year which Albidone said was a small dip but the first dip they have seen in about four or five years.

“We have been going up and now we are seeing it come down. Our rodent control program is not an exact science, we use the number of properties we bait as the measure of the rodent population,” said Albidone.

Catherine Trudell, owner of Windsor Pest Control, said there are simple things residents are able to do themselves to prevent or control an infestation.

“We advise customers to clean up any debris and garbage in their yard, seal up any holes in the ground and keep lids on your garbage pails,” said Trudell.  “When the company steps into a residence dealing with an infestation, the contractors use different methods of extermination as a solution. We use poison, bait and snap traps to exterminate.”

Shrey Gupta, a 22-year-old Windsor resident, said he has seen rats in his place of work. Gupta said they deal with the issue by using ultrasonic pest repeller machines.

These pest-repellers use a high frequency sound that are intended to kill insects and rodents. 

“If we apply ultrasonic devices they go away,” said Gupta. 

As residents find new ways to deal with the battle against rodents themselves, the rodent control program will remain a free program offered to residents at least until they go up to tender this March.