Whether it’s due to 2010’s early spring, an increase in downtown construction or the introduction of the city’s composting program earlier this year, no one can say for sure. All that is certain is that there are rats in Confederation Park.
The National Capital Commission is making progress in its effort to get rid of the pests from the park located at Elgin Street and Laurier Avenue, says spokeswoman Jasmine Leduc.
“We know by simple observation that we are on the right path.”
The NCC started tackling the problem in September after receiving complaints about the high number of rats in the park.
Since then, eight plastic bait stations containing rat poison have been secured in discreet areas of the park, where they will stay until the end of November, says Leduc. The black boxes are clearly identified and do not pose a threat to anything except the beady-eyed rodents, the NCC insists.
The idea is that a rat will enter the station, ingest the poison and return to its nest in time to spread it to others before it dies.
Cedric Lunergan, owner of Cedric’s Pest Control, says he agrees the stations are a good choice because they are a “safe and non-evasive” method.
Lunergan says that while rats can be leery of new objects in their territory and tend to avoid them, he thinks the method should be effective.
In the meantime, he suggests people just steer clear of the creatures.
“Rats are not something that are going to jump out and grab you,” says Lunergan. “The best thing to do is ignore them.”
Still, not everybody agrees with what is being done.
Members of the Ottawa Animal Defence League gathered in the park last Thursday to protest the use of poison on the “gentle, social animals.” Equipped with pamphlets and cute rat pictures, a small group of protestors made their way to the Elgin Street office of the NCC to demand the removal of the bait stations.
The group argues that the traps are cruel, ineffective and could potentially hurt other animals.
The NCC says the bait stations will not harm other animals because they are specifically designed to be inaccessible to humans or pets and the bait is only attractive to rats.
That means the NCC will be keeping the bait stations exactly where they are, as planned.
Susan Miller brought attention to the problem when she ran unsuccessfully for city council in Somerset Ward and says the rats are a nuisance beyond the park.
Miller says that while waiting for the bus in Centretown she has seen rats scurrying around at night. She wants the city to get involved in fixing the problem.
“Citizens have to protest,” says Miller. “We all have to speak about the problem. It doesn’t matter if you are running for office or not.”
Miller says the rats are a concern to public health and the city should be making an effort to educate people on the importance of disposing of garbage properly.
The NCC has similar concerns. Leduc urges people in the park to be vigilant in getting rid of their garbage and to refrain from feeding any animals, such as squirrels or pigeons.
For now, Leduc says the NCC is keeping an eye on the problem and will be expecting to receive a report from the pest control experts hired to deal with the problem once the initiative comes to an end.