A new report, released in time for Halloween, suggests New Westminster has a hair-raising rat population and it's growing.
Orkin Canada has the city ranked 16th on its "rattiest" list for B.C., according to its 2023 report published today, Oct. 31, climbing into the top 20 after being held off last year.
That was despite various social media postings of local rat sightings in private homes, parks and along streets.
The stats were collected between Aug. 1, 2022, and July 31, 2023, and are based on commercial and residential rodent treatments that Orkin Canada carried out during that year's time, including rats and mice.
Dr. Alice Sinia, pest specialist and entomologist with Orkin Canada, believes rats are now becoming a year-round prevention effort and not just limited to the fall and winter.
"Longer summer seasons coupled with abundant food sources provide ideal conditions for exponential growth in rodent populations," she explained in a news release, "which is why it is more important than ever to use integrated pest management techniques to tackle all of the conditions that allow mice and rats to proliferate."
Vancouver was named B.C.'s "rattiest" city for 2023 — second in all of Canada — while neighbouring Burnaby was listed second across the province.
With cooler weather arriving, Orkin says rats will be looking for warmer shelters including homes, businesses and other buildings.
The nation-wide company lists the following tips to help keep them away:
- Seal cracks or holes in exterior walls, expansion joints and foundations, and install weather stripping around windows and doors
- Install screens on utility openings and ducts
- Reduce harbourage
- Trim shrubs and grass, remove weeds and clear unnecessary clutter from the yard and near the property
- Get rid of moisture sources
- ie. clogged gutters
- Store objects away from exterior walls and about 45 cm off the ground
- Rodent proof sheds, which can be major breeding and harbourage spots for rodents in the winter
- Practice good waste disposal by keeping garbage and food waste away from your property
- Use tight-fitting lid containers and be cautious about garbage overflow
- Garbage attracts rodents by providing them with food and water
