It isn’t an accolade that any city is proud to claim, but the list of the province’s “rattiest” cities is designed to inspire people to make changes to reduce the rat population.
Vancouver has been named the “rattiest city in British Columbia” for the third year in a row.
And Burnaby isn’t far behind.
Orkin, Canada’s largest pest control company, determines the annual ranking based on, “the number of rodent (rat & mice) treatments the company performed from January 1, 2018 through December 31, 2018.” Orkin also includes both commercial and residential properties in its ranking.
Victoria placed second, with Burnaby coming in third in the ranking. Richmond followed in fourth with Surrey in fifth. The top five cities have also remained unchanged since last year’s ranking.
The City of Vancouver has a guide on how to identify a rat or mouse infestation including keeping an eye out for burrows, noises, droppings and chew marks. The most common rodents are the Norway (brown) rat, the roof (black) rat and the house mouse.
Of course, people actively try to control the rat population, but it isn’t always an easy task. Nevertheless, the BC SPCA reminds residents to choose humane ways of doing so.
