These 15 cities have the most rats in Atlantic Canada

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The rat population continues to be a problem in this region. A recent rat list for Atlantic Canada released by Orkin featured seven Maritime locations in the top 10 slots.

As for reasons why Moncton and Dieppe made this list?

"There is a lot of construction in that area of New Brunswick," said Orkin's Sean Rollo. "All of that new construction is disturbing natural rodent in populations."

Once disturbed, rodents often flee to neighbouring buildings.

"They are in ground that is now broken," said Rollo. "So this is out in nature and then they are moving from those places."

Luckily, there are rodent preventative measures to take.

Trim the trees because rodents hide in the shrubs.

Cut off the water and eliminate moisture sources, which are essential for rodent survival.

Watch for rodent droppings. The sooner homeowners know they have rats or mice, the better prepared they will be to handle the situation.

Close entry points and seal all cracks and openings.

Keep your property clean, inside and out. Leaving food lying around increases the chances of attracting mice and rats.

Rollo also said there are other dangers rats bring, that people might not be aware of.

"Because they cause a lot of unexplained house fires," said Rollo. "They chew on wires and when they chew on wires and they can create a fire."

Rollo said if somebody sees a rat or mouse in their house, it’s likely already too late to try to avoid the problem.

The best course of action at that point is to call a professional pest control company.

According to Orkin, these are the top 15 'rattiest' cities in Atlantic Canada:

1. St. John's
2. Moncton
3. Dieppe, N.B.
4. Halifax
5. Saint John
6. Charlottetown
7. Mount Pearl, N.L.
8. Dartmouth
9. Summerside
10. Sydney
11. Yarmouth
12. Shediac, N.B.
13. Conception Bay South, N.L.
14. Kensington, N.L.
15. Corner Brook, N.L.