There’s a few theories; we’ve had some warmer winters, which means more survive (don’t starve or freeze to death), and they’re more active, so more boinking, which means more litters. Also, there’s been a lot of construction especially around subway stations, which is disturbing a lot dens, and they go out through the neighbourhood.
I have a particular problem too; my next door neighbours (dubbed the Blights by another neighbour) never clean up after their dogs in the yard. The dogs are never walked; they are only let out for a few minutes a day to relieve themselves in the yard. I called the city last year, and at that point there was a two year accumulation of feces. The city is ignoring me (and other neighbours) this year. Why is this relevant? Rats eat dog shit. And while there is a reliable food source, they’ll ignore any poison or snap traps.
