Residents of Montreal's Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve borough say rat sightings are on the rise in their neighbourhoods — and they believe the borough's every-other-week garbage collection is to blame.

Janique Leblanc, who's lived in the borough for 15 years, says this is the first time she's seen rats in her neighbourhood.

"We have a lot. I never saw rats before April," she said. "I don't want to go outside on my balcony because I'm scared that they're coming," she said.

Leblanc said at night, sh…