Low-income renters aren’t the only one being displaced by big condo tower projects in Burnaby.
Rats are also on the move because of heavy building construction in the city, according to pest control company Orkin Canada.
Burnaby ranked third in the company’s Rattiest Cities rankings this year.
Only Vancouver and Victoria – at first and second respectively – are rattier, according to the list.
The rankings are based on the number of residential and commercial rodent treatments Orkin performed in 2017
Reasons for the high number of rat calls in certain cities include plentiful water sources, high population densities, older buildings, organic waste programs – and construction, according to the company.
“Construction displaces the rats, so they’re going to scatter,” area manager Trine Butler told the NOW. “It doesn’t necessarily mean we’re getting more rats, but you’re seeing more rats.”
And residents and business owners who don’t rat-proof their buildings are likely to provide those displaced rats with their next home, according to Butler.
“Right now they’re looking for places to go in and nest,” she said. “They do breed all year round but spring and summer are ourhigher seasons.”
All it takes is a quarter-sized hole for rats to squeeze in and take up residence, according to Butler.
She recommends clearing a metre-wide perimeter around buildings to prevent rats from sheltering alongside them long enough to find an entrance.
She also recommends trimming tree branches that extend over roofs, to cut off access for “roof rats.”
“They’re very acrobatic,” she said. “They’re the ones that you find running up on beams and in attics and in ceilings.”
Organic waste and compost also attract rats, according to Butler, as do water sources like leaking pipes, leaky garden hoses and anything that catches rainwater.
“Keep everything dry,” she said. “Rats need a lot of water to survive.”
This is the second year Orkin has published a Ratties Cities list. Burnaby has ranked third both years.
