Lower Mainland – known for its skyscrapers, bustling city life, views of the ocean and… rats?
That’s according to pest control company Orkin Canada, which released its annual list of B.C.’s “rattiest” cities this week with the Lower Mainland region taking the first place rank.
The list, publicly released on Tuesday (Sept. 8), is based on the number of rodent control treatments done by the company on both residential and commercial properties between July 1, 2019 and June 30, 2020. The local ranking includes both Langley Township and City.
The Langleys have been improving. In 2016, the community was ranked at sixth. It’s was seventh in 2017.
Vancouver remained in the number one spot for a second year in a row, followed by Victoria, Burnaby, Richmond and Surrey.
Rats and mice reproduce swiftly, and can deliver seven to nine pups per litter with a 22-day gestation period so the company encourages people to act fast to prevent a population boom.
The company is reminding British Columbians that they should take a number of preventative steps against rodents as fall approaches, including sealing any cracks or holes in a building’s foundation, trimming trees and shrubbery – which are big-rodent attractants, eliminating moisture sources and inspecting both the inside and outside of a property for rodent droppings.
This is the first rat ranking since COVID-19 which has had an impact, according to region manager Ryan Wood.
With offices shut down, there aren’t the bags of waste in commercial areas.
“So you’re going to see them coming out into the open more,” he explained.
That means people can expect to see more rats in residential neighbourhoods because as more people worked from home, there was more waste generated. The rats will move to where they can find food, water and warm places to set up household.
Here’s the full list of B.C.’s top 20 “rattiest” cities:
- Vancouver
- Victoria
- Burnaby
- Richmond
- Surrey
- Kelowna
- Langley
- North Vancouver
- Coquitlam
- Abbotsford
- Vernon
- Delta
- Port Coquitlam
- Duncan
- Chilliwack
- Sidney
- Nanaimo
- Maple Ridge
- Terrace
- Powell River
@ashwadhwani
ashley.wadhwani@bpdigital.ca
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
Want to support local journalism? Make a donation here.