One of the programs that wasn't cut this year during Windsor's budget talks is the rat abatement program.
Windsor's Environmental Services Manager Anne Marie Albidone tells The Dan MacDonald show the program has helped keep the rat population at bay.
However, with around 1,600 homes still using the program, there's still work to be done.
"We seem to be at a crest, so I am hoping ... that the numbers go down, but it does look like we're at a plateau where we might start to see some decrease in the coming years."
Albidone says there are ways to help rid your property of the rodents,
"Make sure your garbage is well secured when you're storing it outside," she says. "In the spring, summer and fall you want to make sure if you have a gardens or fruit trees, that you're tending to them and not leaving rotting vegetables or fruit on the ground."
She says winter, usually slows reproduction down, but not as much in Windsor.
"The population can continue to increase when we have mild winters. For Windsor-Essex that tends to be pretty much our standard," she added.
More information on who qualifies for the free rat baiting service can be found on the City of Windsor's website or by calling 311.