Town to consider rebate program for rodent control

Fort Erie is going to consider whether laying out a little “cheddar” will help keep the rat and mice populations down.

A motion from Councillor Nick Dubanow at the October 21 council meeting asks staff to prepare a report looking at the implementation and budget effects of establishing a rebate program for rodent control efforts by residents.

The program would follow efforts by some neighbouring communities to help residents who are providing a benefit that Dubanow said goes beyond their own homes.

“The small expense that the municipality would lay out to assist residents with this, it’s a benefit to the entire community,” he said.

Potential rebates would be relatively small–a memo from staff on the subject last fall suggested offering residents 50 per cent of the cost up to a total of $200–but Dubanow said control measures would be helpful.

The memo last fall offered three options to help control rodent populations, including the rebate program as well as public education campaigns and a municipal sanitary sewer baiting program. It also said the municipality typically receives around 25 calls about rodent problems a year.

Some issues were resolved by issuing orders under the lot maintenance bylaw or property standards bylaw.

However, Dubanow said he got a call from a resident earlier this fall, who had been catching images of rats and rodents on his trail cam. Dubanow said it’s time the municipality looks at a potential program.

Several Niagara municipalities have similar programs that rebate 50 per cent of the costs up to $200.

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