Ottawa family in the east is dealing with a massive rat infestation

Residents of Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now that they have done everything they can to solve the problem, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.

Kylia White and her husband Kelly O’Neill have never seen a spring like this in 25 years.

“It’s been like a month now and I just want to say, damn,” White says.

In recent months, dozens of rats have taken over their properties and destroyed everything in sight.

“Thousands of dollars of property is being destroyed, just like thousands of dollars,” White said.

Her $5,000 hot tub is now filled with holes that rats tunneled through. Her entire deck had to be dismantled and is now ready for the scrap heap. The engine of their vehicle is crawling with rats all day long.

“If I start, they lose weight. Every time I move my car I check them,” says O’Neill.

“When I opened the hood of my husband’s car, I noticed they were popping out,” White adds.

Monday was no different. When they opened the hood, a rat was right on the engine block and then ran under the vehicle.

White says she has tried contacting law enforcement several times for help, with little to no luck.

“Children are here, animals are here. It’s a health problem. It is a safety issue,” White said.

The municipality announced in a statement to CTV News that it is investigating the rat problem at this address.

“I think we really should have a rat hotline, that’s how bad it’s gotten and it’s only going to get worse,” said Beacon Hill-Cyrville Coun. Tim Tierney. “And that’s not just because of LRT. It’s because of construction in general. We are building faster and bigger than ever before and my department feels it.”

The couple says they see about 20 to 30 rats running around their property every night, multiplying faster than anyone can keep track of.

“You know, I don’t know what else to do. I’ve done everything I could possibly do. At my own expense,” says White.

CTV News attempted to contact the management team responsible for these apartments but received no response.