Free rat control program will continue under Windsor's 2020 budget

The City of Windsor's free rodent control program, previously on the chopping block, will continue to be funded, thanks to the recently-approved 2020 budget. 

Now that the program has been approved as part of the 2020 budget, Anna-Marie Albidone — manager of environmental services with the City of Windsor — said the city will search for a new contract. 

The city's existing rodent control contract is set to expire on March 31. The program costs approximately $150,000 per year. 

"Usually we do a three-year contract, but within that contract, there is the caveat that the program still needs to be approved by council every year," Albidone said. "So there is an option to end the program at any time."

Albidone added that Windsor has seen a reduction in the number of properties that request rodent-baiting services. 

"We saw the numbers come down just slightly last year, which means we are trending in the right direction," she said. "And we wanted to be able to continue that and really try and get those numbers down again."

Winter weather hasn't been cold enough to reduce rat population, says Albidone

Albidone explained that the free rodent control program is useful during milder winters — like this year. 

"The fact that there isn't a lot of snow is a good thing, because the snow does act as an insulating blanket," she said. "But really, we need to keep those temperatures quite a bit below zero, and for an extended period of time, in order for Mother Nature to help us out."

Albidone said residents should keep an eye out for burrows and other holes in the ground. 

"If you see something like that in your yard, chances are it could be a rodent burrow," she said. 

Windsor is one of the few municipalities that offer residents a free rodent control program.