Addison's 3-in-1 Rat Exterminator Team Near You in Toronto, ON

In This Article: Service Area, Facts, Our Process, What You Need to Know, Signs of Infestation, How Addison Helps, Testimonials

You want…

• to effectively eliminate rats in your home or business - humanely and quickly near Toronto, ON

• An environmentally conscious treatment that is safe for your family and pets - but still effective

• An affordable, professional, honest, and warrantied rat exterminator near Toronto, Ontario - serving Hamilton, Mississauga, Burlington, Brampton, and other areas in the GTA.

Here’s what you can expect:

• We will give you an estimate over the phone, right away - no obligation.

• Our experts will take the time to answer every question to your satisfaction.

• We know you’re busy, so our team has flexible appointments with 24-hour, same-day service throughout the Greater Toronto Area.

• No hidden service fees or subsequent costs. Our goal is to fix your problem in one visit.

Addison has...

• A trusted track record throughout Toronto, Ontario and nearby areas

• A team with decades of experience

• Conscientious and thoroughly trained technicians

• All-inclusive warranty on the work we perform

• Comprehensive customer service for every customer

• Effective removal and mitigation, safe for kids and pets

• Tried and tested extermination methods

Key Facts about Rats in Ontario

• They are very clever, and a worthy adversary - experience with rat removal is important to a successful outcome.

• They can adapt to any environment or diet - they thrive on human garbage - and unsealed unprotected food stores.

• They have an extremely acute sense of hearing, are sensitive to ultrasound, and possess a highly developed sense of smell.

• Rats are very cautious during foraging, they can pick bait off most snap traps without triggering it.

• Rats carry disease, pathogens, and viruses in their feces and urine - not only do they need to be removed, but a thorough cleaning is also probably necessary after our work is complete.

• Where there is one, there are more. Once you see a single rat or its droppings it is time to take action. You likely won’t see 99% of what is actually there if you’ve seen signs of Rats in your home, office, or warehouse

• Rat nests will attract mites to your home, after successfully eliminating rats from your home mites may migrate into your home in search of a new host. Not only do we need to get rid of the rodents, but you’ll also need to be ready for a thorough cleaning regime to keep mites at bay.

• A professional integrated pest management plan is the best way to quickly and completely eradicate a rat infestation and give you safe, long-lasting protection.

How did rats get into my Ontario home?

Rats are most common in dense urban centres, where there is ample food waste and shelter for them to procreate rapidly.

• they can dig and excavate burrow systems that reach from one side of your property to the neighbors.

• rats live in large, hierarchical groups in underground areas such as sewers and cellars - if you’re near either - you should be alert for issues.

• rats can swim very well both on the surface and underwater

• they might crawl into your home through sewer or drain pipes, even through u-bends in sinks and toilets.

• roof rats can climb slim round metal poles several feet to entry points

• both roof rats and Norway rats can enter your home through the smallest of holes or crack in your foundation.

• they can come right in through your open doors and windows during the summer. Properly fit screen doors and window screens are a must.

• any home, regardless of economic value or neighborhood is susceptible to rat infestation

• rats will enter your home looking for food and water sources - if they find that, they’ll likely consider it a safe place to reproduce

Step 1: Rodent Perimeter Exclusion

Category:

• Physical Intervention

Equipment:

• Steel wool

• Steel mesh

• Spray foam

Method:

• The building’s foundation is inspected from inside to exterior to identify potential entry and exit points for the rats.

• Any possible point of entry or exit is secured with a combination of steel wool, spray foam, and steel mesh where necessary.

• Structural insecurities are brought to your attention, and a construction plan is laid out. We’ll make recommendations for you or your contractor to mitigate the problem

• Any insecure weatherstripping or door seal is identified and repaired.

Strength:

• Prevents new rodents from entering your home.

• Forces rodents in your home to feed at bait stations rather than going outside to forage.

Step 2: Rodenticide Bait Station Treatment

Category:

• Chemical Intervention

Equipment:

• Anti-coagulant rodenticide

• Tamper-proof bait stations

Method:

• Rodenticide bait blocks or packets are secured in a thick plastic tamper-proof bait station and placed in strategic discreet locations throughout the interior and exterior of the home. These bait stations are pet and kid-proof so your family and pets are safe from rodenticide.

Strength:

• Discreet, locked, and tamper-proof bait stations are safe for all pets and families.

• Rodenticide bait contains a desiccant that drives the rats out of the home in search of water.

• Desiccant dries out the dead rats and will prevent any foul odour.

Weakness:

• Must be implemented in conjunction with rigorous cleaning and sealing to eliminate other food sources and draw rats to the bait.

Step 3: Rodent Monitoring

Category:

• Physical + Preventative

Equipment:

• Baited sticky trap

Method:

• Baited sticky traps are placed in strategic locations

• Ongoing checkups on bait stations keep your home protected and rat-free.

Strength:

• Ongoing monitoring of any new rats active on the premises.

Beware of Discount Pest Control in Ontario

• Discount companies with inferior products and training may cut corners with low quality or insufficient quantity of baits. This can cause rodents to die inside the walls and cause an odour to spread throughout your home. They also are less concerned with safety and may not use bait stations to distribute the rodenticide

• Rats are one of the most adaptive and invasive pest species. Unless a full and thorough treatment is completed you could end up with constant re-infestations with rats that are too clever to feed on bait stations.
  

If you suspect you have a rat infestation clear and complete information is the first step to getting rid of them. Here are a few facts, myths, and tips that will help you to make a well-informed decision about what to do next.

How to Identify Rats

There are two common species of rat near you in the Greater Toronto Area, the Norway rat and the roof rat.

The foraging behaviour and physical characteristics of these species vary considerably.

The species of rat will determine the most effective way to get rid of them.

It is important to distinguish a rodent infestation between mice or rats. Baby rats look very similar to mice.

The best way to tell them apart is the size and shape of their head and the size of their droppings.

Rat Shape, Size and Colour

• coarse hair, usually dark brown to black fur

• greyish-white underbelly.

• short, blunt snout

• body measures up to 25 cm (10”) in length NOT including their tail

• a male weighs on average 350 g (12 oz) and a female 250 g (9 oz).

• the tail is shorter than the head and body,

• their ears are short,

• both ears and tails are covered in scales and nearly hairless

Rat Droppings

The best indicator of a rat infestation is the presence of their droppings, found along frequently travelled rodent pathways, nesting and feeding areas.

• shiny, black and blunt capsule shaped pellets

• roof rat droppings: shape of rice with pinched ends,

• Norway rats droppings: shape of tic tacs with rounded ends

• measure 18 to 20 mm long.

• larger than mouse droppings

Rat Behaviour and Characteristics

• most active at night time, sightings in daylight are rare

• emerge in the daytime if hiding place is disturbed

• acute sense of smell and hearing, adept at avoiding traps and remaining hidden during daytime hours

• usually only travel within 30 meter radius of nest to find food and other materials

• gnaw on walls and utility lines to create entry points and sharpen teeth

• true omnivores consume almost anything including:

  • meats, fruits, grains, and nuts

  • Dead animals

  • they are capable of catching small fish and rodents

• require constant fresh water to survive, make their nests as close to a water source as possible.

Rat Reproduction Habits

• breed throughout the year

• female produces anywhere from 4 – 7 litters per year

• gestation period is 21 days, up to 14 young per litter

• achieve sexual maturity in 2 – 5 months.

• maximum lifespan: 3 years

• common lifespan in the wild: 1 year

• rats increase reproduction rate to restore their numbers when a significant portion of the population is eliminated

• Females can become pregnant immediately after giving birth, and nurse one litter while pregnant with another litter

• If food is restricted for pregnant rats, extend their pregnancy up to two additional weeks until their offspring are a normal and healthy weight

How do I know if I have a rat infestation?

You are the best judge of whether or not you have rats in your Ontario home.

Rats can live deep inside walls, and only emerge when they’re looking for food and water. You know your home, you'll see, hear or smell signs of them first.

Our team of experts at Addison complete rat inspections if you hear any scurrying, gnawing, or squeaking inside the walls - but don’t actually see rodent sign or activity.

It only takes a few seconds to schedule an inspection, call today!

Sightings

• They are nocturnal, so after dark is when you’re most likely to see or hear them

• If you see one, there are very likely more nearby.

• Turning on lights or making loud noises may make them scurry for shelter.

• If you see them during the day, it can be an indicator of a severe infestation - call us right away.

• A baited sticky trap can be a quick way to gauge the level of infestation you have. We can help.

Droppings

The very first sign of infestation in your home is likely droppings.

• Rats have shiny, black, and blunt capsule-shaped pellets

• roof rat droppings: shape of rice with pinched ends,

• Norway rats droppings: shape of tic tacs with rounded ends

• measure 18 to 20 mm long.

• larger than mouse droppings

• The most common place to find droppings:

  • under your kitchen or bathroom sinks

  • behind the refrigerator or stove

  • under or behind your laundry washer and/or dryer

  • in attics and basements, be sure to check the corners

  • underneath chairs and couches or other furniture

  • near indoor and outdoor trash cans or recycling bins

Chewing, gnawing, holes

• holes chewed in food packaging

• holes chewed through walls and floors to sharpen their teeth,

• creates entry ways into the home

• holes are approx. 2" in diameter

• chewed electrical wiring

• holes chewed in cushions or fabrics for nesting material

• slick grease stains along transit routes or around entry holes

Scurrying or scratching noises

• Roof rats are adept climbers and can make their way through ducting, vents, eletrical conduits on upper floors

• Norway rats are not as able climbers, and are more active on lower floors and basements

• The sound of rodents in the wall can amplify making tiny mice seem much larger

Foul odour

• The urine and droppings from Rats are foul, if you’re not sure, our experts are very familiar and can usually diagnose the smell in seconds.

• Even if there’s no physical evidence, or you cannot hear squeaking or scratching in your home, office, or warehouse, their odour is a tell-tale sign that can help us determine where rats may be active.

Can I eliminate rats by myself?

If it’s early enough in the infestation, a thorough clean, traps, and sealing off any ingress or egress spots may be enough - but we always recommend an inspection first.

Unfortunately, because urban rats are so well adapted to survival, they are able to outsmart most commercially available snap traps and sticky traps.

Rat infestations can grow very quickly and pose significant health risks.

The sooner you implement an effective professional pest control program, the easier a rat infestation will be to eradicate completely.

Additionally, learn more about how to manage pests during a home renovation in Toronto.

Where to look for rat activity

• they like to burrow for shelter in concealed areas - like in your insulation and eaves or joist openings

• anywhere they can fit from the attic to your basement

• rat nesting sites include:

  • the narrow spaces between walls in your insulation

  • floor joists

  • areas under cupboards

  • small spaces under sinks

• Norway rats are not adept climbers: inspect your foundation for structural insecurities at ground level

• Roof rats can climb walls and just about any type of surface. They can also jump to 30 cm vertically: inspect insecurities in the roofline, chimney, flashing, soffits 

Exclude

• Use foam and steel wool to seal up gaps and spaces all around the outside of your home.

• Remove materials where rats nest and eliminate food sources

  • piles of leaves and mulch should be removed or moved away from the house

  • birdfeed attracts rats, eliminate those right away.

  • if you garden or compost, move your compost materials away form the house

Clean

• Clean up food and water sources inside and outside your home.

• Use tight-fitting lids for compost and garbage cans inside and outside the home.

Eliminate

• If you’re trying to trap on your own, rats like cheese, marshmallow, peanut butter, or any fatty/sugary substance - try that in your snap trap.

• If you’re not sure what volume you’re dealing with - try using baited sticky traps in areas where you see evidence of activity to gauge the level of the infestation

What doesn't work

• Comercially available bait stations use insecure boxes that could be pried open by pets or children and ineffective bait that isn't palatable or effective in eliminating rats

• Most rodents near you in the Toronto area are now resistant to warfarin, avoid this rodenticide

How serious are rats?

• Rats can transmit disease, viruses and bacteria through the air from viruses found in their fecal droppings and urine.

• if you have rats foraging for food and nest materials at night - they may be crawling over your counters, through your pantries, and across your tables - this contaminates food preparation surfaces and food storage areas putting you at risk of contracting pathogens and bacteria that they leave behind.

• HPS Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome is a lung infection that you can get by breathing in tiny particles contaminated with rodent urine, saliva, and droppings.

How can Addison help eliminate and prevent a rat infestation

We will perform a professional 360º inspection of your home and identify potential entry points. We can also advise you on what activities may mitigate the infestation. We’ll seal holes around the perimeter with spray foam, steel wool, and wire mesh to keep them out.

We’ll identify and remove droppings and advise you on what measures you can take to clean up after we eliminate the problem. Then we’ll set our bait boxes and sticky traps to start removing the rats and identifying how extensive your infestation is.

Our bait boxes are tamper-proof and safe for pets and children to be around, as long as they’re supervised.