Lifes a twitch but Torontos rats keep their noses out of our business

Toronto does not have a rat problem.

The spectre was raised last week when a pest control company reported that an army of rats fleeing construction at Union Station was invading downtown homes and businesses.

The company, which does not service Union Station, made its declaration after receiving a lot more calls from area residents and business owners.

But TTC spokesman Brad Ross said the agency hasnt noticed any more rats than usual, and the citys pest control contractor, Orkin, actually reported a slight decrease in the number of rats around Union Station, said city spokeswoman Tammy Robbinson.

Toronto is a big city packed with people, garbage and food, but apart from a few high-profile restaurant closures and rat-infested homes, residents have little to fear from their rodent neighbours, city officials say.

Even squirrel bites are more common than rat bites, said George Matsumura, head of the citys rabies control program.

Matsumura said he could probably count on one hand the number of rat bites weve had since he started in the public health department in 1978.

Even if all of those rat attacks had happened in 2013, a person would still be more than twice as likely to be struck by lightning that year than bitten by a rat.

Toronto Public Health tracks dog, cat and raccoon bites and scratches, but not rats. Theyre almost non-existent, Matsumura said, and are counted in the same category as mice and gerbil attacks: other.

Its rare to see people enjoying a sunny day in High Park or Trinity-Bellwoods while throwing scraps of bread to rats, Matsumura noted, which is how most squirrel bites occur.

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Lifes a twitch but Torontos rats keep their noses out of our business