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289-273-2251

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Rat Control & Rat Removal in Niagara

Pro Wildlife Niagara handles rat control for homes and businesses across the Niagara Region, including St. Catharines, Niagara Falls, Welland and Grimsby. We hold an Ontario structural exterminator licence. We use locked, tamper-resistant bait stations, check the outside of your home for the openings rats use and seal small gaps while we’re there. One visit is $279, or two visits are $429, plus HST. Call (289) 273-2251.

Is there a rat rebate in Niagara?

Yes, in five Niagara municipalities. Fort Erie, Lincoln, Niagara Falls, Port Colborne and Welland each pay back 50% of a licensed pest control company’s bill, up to $200, for residential rodent control on the outside of your property. Work inside the home and products you buy yourself don’t qualify. Fort Erie, Lincoln, Port Colborne and Welland ask for a by-law inspection of your yard before the work, so check your city’s steps before you book.

Because we hold an Ontario structural exterminator licence, our bills can be used for these rebates. We list the outside work separately on your invoice, include the details cities ask for, such as the service address and the number of bait stations placed outside, and can fill in the contractor form for you. Here’s what each city says (checked October 2026):

  • Niagara Falls: 50% back, up to $200, for outside work only, once per calendar year. Sort out any property standards or litter issues first. You and Pro Wildlife Niagara both sign the rebate form and the contractor form, and you send them in with a bill from the current calendar year. Apply: Niagara Falls rebate and contractor form (PDF).
  • Welland: 50% back, up to $200, for outside work only, one rebate per calendar year. A by-law officer has to look at your yard first, and the officer gives you the rebate form and the contractor form. There’s no online form. Start here: Welland animal and rodent control page.
  • Fort Erie: 50% back, up to $200, for outside work only, once per calendar year. Contact the Town’s By-law department first so an officer can inspect. The Town says the program has a limited budget and applications are handled first-come, first-served. Apply: Fort Erie rodent control rebate application (online).
  • Lincoln: 50% back, up to $200, for removing mice and rats from the outside of homes in urban areas. Fill in the Town’s intake form and have your yard inspected first. The Town still calls this a pilot program. Apply: Lincoln intake form (on the Town’s rebate page) and Lincoln contractor information form (PDF).
  • Port Colborne: 50% back, up to $200, for outside work only, once per calendar year. Book an inspection with By-law Services first. Apply: Port Colborne rebate application form (online) and Port Colborne contractor form (PDF).
  • St. Catharines: no rebate right now. The City’s program ended in January 2023. In 2026, council asked staff for a report on bringing one back, and that request was still listed as outstanding in September 2026.
  • Grimsby, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Pelham, Thorold, Wainfleet and West Lincoln: no rodent rebate program, according to a February 2026 City of St. Catharines survey of Niagara municipalities.

Rebate rules can change, and each city decides on its own applications. Links to each city’s rebate information are at the bottom of this page.

How do I know if I have rats?

Rats are mostly active at night, so most people find the signs before they see a rat. In Niagara, the rat in homes and yards is almost always the Norway rat, also called the brown rat. It’s a heavy-bodied rat that digs burrows and nests low: under decks, sheds and garages, and along foundations.

  • Droppings about 1–2 cm long and blunt at the ends, much bigger than rice-sized mouse droppings
  • Burrow holes about 5–10 cm across along the foundation, under a deck, shed, concrete slab or compost bin, often with a worn path leading to them
  • Gnaw marks on wood, plastic bins, garage door seals or wiring
  • Dark, greasy rub marks along walls, beams and pipes where rats travel
  • Heavy scratching, thumping or gnawing in walls, ceilings or the garage at night
  • Torn garbage bags, raided green bins, or chewed bird seed and pet food bags
  • A dog or cat suddenly fixated on one spot in a wall or under the deck

Why shouldn’t I ignore rats?

One rat seen once near the compost isn’t an emergency, but rats rarely stay a small problem. They breed quickly when food and shelter are easy to find. The City of St. Catharines notes that rats tend to stay within about 30 metres of their burrow, so the same rats keep coming back to the same yard and the homes next to it.

  • Damage. Rats gnaw constantly. They chew through garage door seals, siding, plastic bins and wiring, including wiring in parked cars. Chewed wiring can become a fire hazard.
  • Contamination. Droppings and urine spoil stored food, pet food and anything kept in the garage, shed or basement.
  • Health. The City of St. Catharines describes the risk of rats spreading disease as low. Even so, droppings, urine and nests shouldn’t be touched with bare hands or swept up dry.
  • Getting inside. Rats that burrow beside a foundation often find their way into basements, garages and wall cavities. A rat can squeeze through a gap about the size of a quarter.

How does rat control work?

Every job follows the same order:

  1. Inspection. We check the outside of your home, including the foundation, garage, deck, shed and the spots where pipes and wires go in, and look inside where needed. We look for burrows, travel paths, droppings and obvious entry points.
  2. Locked bait stations. We use locked, tamper-resistant bait stations only. We place them along the routes rats travel. The stations are designed to keep children and pets away from the bait.
  3. Sealing small gaps. While we’re there, we check the outside of your home for obvious entry points and can seal small holes, such as gaps around AC lines and electrical lines. If your home needs more sealing than that, we’ll give you recommendations or a separate quote for full exclusion work.
  4. Second visit (two-visit package). About 21 days after the first visit (2 to 3 weeks), we come back to check for activity and service the bait stations.
  5. After the job. The bait stations are yours to keep. You can leave them in place for lower-cost refills later, or put them out with your household garbage once they’re empty. The name of the bait product we used is printed on every invoice.

Clean-up of droppings and nesting material can be quoted after the inspection.

How much does rat control cost in Niagara?

  • One visit: $279 plus HST. Inspection, locked bait stations and sealing of small gaps we find during the visit.
  • Two visits: $429 plus HST. Everything in the one-visit package, plus a return visit about 21 days later to check activity and service the bait stations.

The inspection is $75 plus HST. If we find rats and you go ahead with the work on that same visit, we waive the $75 and you pay only the package price, plus HST. If you’d like time to think it over and call us back later, the $75 inspection fee still applies. The inspection fee can be credited toward wildlife removal, such as raccoons or squirrels, but not toward rodent packages. Full exclusion work is quoted separately.

If you live in Fort Erie, Lincoln, Niagara Falls, Port Colborne or Welland, the outside portion of your bill may qualify for 50% back, up to $200. See the rebate details above.

Do you remove rats from garages and yards?

Yes. Most Niagara rat calls start outside: rats under a deck or shed, burrows beside the foundation or garage, or rats in the compost. Garages are often the next step, because door seals wear out and garages hold bird seed, pet food, garbage and recycling. We place locked bait stations along the routes rats use, seal small gaps we find and point out what’s drawing rats to the yard.

Do you offer commercial rat control?

Yes. We also handle rats at businesses and commercial properties across Niagara, using the same locked bait stations and entry-point checks. For commercial pricing, contact us for a quote at (289) 273-2251. Municipal rebates are for homes only.

What can I do myself to keep rats away?

Rats need food, water and cover. Take those away and your yard becomes far less attractive. These are the same steps Niagara municipalities recommend:

  • Keep garbage and green bins in containers with tight-fitting lids, ideally in the garage until collection day.
  • Keep meat, fish, dairy, eggs and oily food out of the backyard composter, and use a composter with a tight-fitting lid.
  • Take down bird feeders while rats are around, and clean up spilled seed.
  • Feed pets indoors, store pet food and bird seed in metal or glass containers, and pick up dog waste.
  • Pick up fallen fruit, and empty bird baths, buckets and anything else that holds water.
  • Cut tall grass and weeds, clear clutter around the garage and shed, and raise woodpiles about 30 cm off the ground, away from the house.
  • Replace worn garage door seals and fit weather stripping under exterior doors.
  • Be careful with store-bought rat poison. Loose bait can be eaten by pets and other wildlife. A licensed company can place bait in locked stations instead. See common wildlife removal mistakes.

If you’re still seeing rats after a couple of weeks, or you find burrows by the foundation or droppings inside, it’s time to call.

Where do you offer rat control?

We offer rat control across the Niagara Region, including:

Hearing lighter scratching and finding rice-sized droppings? That’s more likely mice. See mouse control in Niagara.

Book a rat inspection

Call (289) 273-2251, 8:30 AM–5:00 PM, 7 days a week, or request a quote online. Pro Wildlife Niagara holds an Ontario structural exterminator licence and is insured. Tell us where you’re seeing signs of rats and we’ll book an inspection.

Frequently asked questions

How can I tell if I have rats or mice?

Look at the droppings. Rat droppings are about 1–2 cm long and blunt at the ends, while mouse droppings are about the size of a grain of rice. Rats also make heavier thumping and gnawing sounds, leave greasy rub marks and dig burrows outside. If you’re not sure, an inspection will tell you which one you have.

Why do I suddenly have rats in my yard?

Usually there’s a new food source or shelter nearby: a composter, a bird feeder, fallen fruit, pet food, a woodpile or clutter beside a shed. Your neighbours’ yards matter too, because rats usually stay within about 30 metres of their burrow. Removing food and cover is the first step.

What should I do about a rat in my garage?

Move bird seed, pet food and garbage out of reach, and check the bottom door seal and the corners of the garage door for gaps or chewing. A rat in the garage often comes from a burrow outside, so the yard and the garage both need attention. If it keeps coming back, call (289) 273-2251.

Will rats go away on their own?

Rarely. As long as there’s food and shelter, rats stay and breed, and in the fall more of them often move into garages and buildings as it gets cold. Removing food sources and closing up gaps is what makes a property unattractive to them.

Is there a rat rebate in Niagara Falls, Welland or St. Catharines?

Niagara Falls and Welland, along with Fort Erie, Lincoln and Port Colborne, offer a rebate of 50% of a licensed company’s bill, up to $200, for rodent control outside the home. Most ask for a by-law yard inspection first. St. Catharines doesn’t have a rebate right now; its program ended in January 2023 and council has asked staff for a report on bringing one back. Check your city’s page for the current rules before work starts.

How much does rat control cost?

One visit is $279 and two visits are $429, plus HST. The inspection is $75 plus HST, and we waive it if we find rats and you go ahead with the work on the same visit. Full exclusion work is quoted separately.

What do you use to control rats?

Locked, tamper-resistant bait stations, placed along the routes rats travel. They’re designed to keep children and pets away from the bait. We also check the outside of your home for entry points and seal small gaps during the visit.

Do you remove dead rats?

Yes. Dead animal removal is one of our services. A dead rat inside a wall or ceiling is often found by the smell. Call us, and after we look we’ll explain the options for your home.

Municipal rebate information

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