A recent report from a Canadian pest control company says there may be a rats nest in a couple of island cities.
Orkin Canada has recently released its top 20 ‘rattiest’ cities in B.C., and Victoria happens to take third place behind Burnaby in second and Vancouver in first.
The ranking is based on how many rodent (rats and mice) treatments Orkin has responded to in each city from Aug. 1, 2020 to Jul. 31, 2021, according to the company. They say it includes both residential and commercial treatments.
This isn’t the first time Victoria has cracked the top three, according to Orkin. Victoria has ranked the second ‘rattiest’ city in the province since 2017, dropping to third for this year.
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Nanaimo and Duncan are also on the list, coming in at 16 and 18 respectively.
A list of the top 20 ‘rattiest’ cities can be found below:
- Vancouver
- Burnaby
- Victoria
- Surrey
- Kelowna
- Richmond
- Vernon
- Abbotsford
- Langley
- Coquitlam
- Chilliwack
- Port Coquitlam
- North Vancouver
- Delta
- West Vancouver
- Nanaimo
- Maple Ridge
- Duncan
- Powell River
- Kamloops
Orkin says the COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact on rodents because of depleting resources such as food and less human activity. They say this has caused them to move about more freely and cause them to be bolder in order to get food.
Closing gaps in holes in foundations, trimming trees and shrubs, eliminating moisture sources and inspecting for rodents are things Orkin says residents can do to prevent rodent problems.
Justin Waddell
