Residents of a street in Toronto’s Leaside neighbourhood say they’re fighting a rat infestation brought on by a neighbour who refuses to stop feeding wildlife in her backyard.
Jennifer King, who lives near the homeowner being blamed for feeding the rats, said the problem became so bad earlier this year that she had to hire an exterminator — at a cost of $3,000 —because the rats had invaded the walls and attic of her house.
“It’s disgusting,” she said. “You could hear them in the walls.”
Coun. Rachel Chernos Lin, who represents the homeowners on Randolph Road, said a woman on the street was charged several months ago with illegally feeding wildlife. She’s also facing a property standards investigation because of a build-up of garbage in her yard.
Until recently, it was legal to feed animals on private property. But in 2023 the city’s animal bylaw was amended to outlaw the feeding of backyard wildlife, with the exception of songbirds.
Since then, the city says it’s received thousands of complaints from homeowners saying their neighbours are violating the bylaw — 3,787 in 2023 and 3,897 in 2024.
City staff told CBC Toronto in an email there are good reasons why feeding wildlife in private yards is a bad idea.
“When food is left out accidentally or intentionally for wildlife, it often attracts unintended animals such as rodents, which can lead to public health and safety concerns,” the email reads. “Once rats or other pests become established, they can be difficult to control.”
King says she knows that problem all too well.
She said she’s lived on Randolph Road for 25 years, but never had any problems with rodents until early this year.
‘Hundreds in the backyard’
In January, she began noticing rat tracks and rat pathways in the snow. By the spring, rats — some as big as possums — were wandering freely in her backyard, even in daylight, she said. They’d gnawed at the posts on her deck, and dug holes under the backyard fences.
“At night in the bedroom I could hear them scratching in the ceiling,” King said.
In March, she asked her neighbour to stop putting out food because it was attracting rats that were spreading through the neighbourhood. But the feeding continued, she said.
CBC Toronto approached the woman accused of feeding the wildlife. She denied she was doing so.
King said after hiring an exterminator, the rats were eliminated from the house, but not outside. “(There are) hundreds in the backyard,” she said.
Her friend Janet Bolton, who also lives in the neighbourhood, said one day a few months ago, she was sitting in King’s kitchen having coffee and looking out the window when she “saw 30 rats in about 15 minutes.”
The the problem seems to be confined to one or two blocks of Randolph south of Eglinton Avenue and west of Laird Drive, she said.
Still, Bolton is concerned about the impact on her friend’s health. “She’s lost weight; I worry about her emotionally.”
King isn’t alone.
A dozen Randolph Road residents signed a letter, written by another neighbour several months ago, asking the woman to stop feeding wildlife.
“When wild animals begin to associate homes with food, it can lead to increased aggression, property damage, and even health risks,” the letter states. “I want to kindly ask you to reconsider this practice…Hopefully we can all enjoy our wildlife from a safe and respectful distance.”
That letter has had no effect, according to King.
Chernos Lin said if the city finds the woman violating property standards, she can be ordered to clear away the debris from her yard. Contravening the bylaw that prohibits feeding wildlife could bring a fine of up to $100,000 according to the city’s website.
The city is investigating the property standards complaint. The bylaw charge is scheduled to go to court in November, she added.
Keep reporting to 311, says councillor
King says it’s possible rats at a nearby vacant lot on Laird Avenue were disturbed when construction began at the site in late 2024, and were attracted to her street by the food being left out in her neighbour’s backyard.
Whatever the reason for the sudden surge in the rat population, King says she’s fed up.
At one point, she said she was “seriously thinking about moving.”
Toronto’s rat population is growing faster than the rodents of New York City, Chicago or Amsterdam, according to a new study. CBC’s Tyreike Reid shows us climate change may be a contributing factor.
With the cold weather, the wandering rats appear to be staying in their outdoor dens, but King worries about what will happen next spring when the temperatures begin to rise.
Meanwhile Chernos Lin said it’s important that neighbours communicate with one another to ensure small disputes don’t become bigger problems.
“If you’re having challenges in your neighbourhood, keep reporting the incidents,” she said. “Make sure you report it to 311, make sure the city knows, so the city can take action, because that’s why we’re here.”
She encourages homeowners to contact their city councillor if common ground can’t be found. In some cases, the city will bring in a mediator to help solve neighbourhood disputes, she said.
