The Columbia Shuswap Invasive Species Society is warning residents of invasive rats.
“Rats can damage properties and become a nuisance in residential situations,” said Sue Davies, aquatic invasives and outreach program coordinator. “Both black and brown rats are non-native and invasive in our region.”
Brown rats, also known as Norway rats or sewer rats, are stocky burrowing rodents. Their burrows are usually found around building foundations, under woodpiles, or garbage and in and around gardens and fields.
If brown rats infest a building, they usually stay in the basement or on the ground floor.
Black rats, or roof rats, are smaller than brown rats with tails that are longer than their heads and bodies combined. Black rats are good climbers and usually nest above ground. When they are found in buildings, they will be in enclosed or elevated spaces like attics, walls, false ceilings and cabinets.
A BC Government website says “you may have a rodent problem if there are:
- Rodent droppings – check the size to determine if they belong to mice or rats
- Chew marks on wood or foor and around pipes
- Dirty rub marks along frequently used routes
- Noises in walls.”
To keep rodents out of buildings, it suggests to “make sure that buildings are in good repair:
- Block all openings with durable materials or use heavy wire mesh to cover openings that cannot be blocked
- Regularly inspect and repair entry points
- Remove hiding places near buildings like firewood, equipment or dense vegetation
- Prune back branches that hang over eaves and roof areas
- Store cereals and dry food in glass or metal containers
- Keep pet food and birdseed in sturdy, covered bins
- Store produce in a refrigerator or a secure room that has heavy wire screens on vents open to the outdoors
- Compost kitchen waste in sturdy, closed bins – don’t put meat scraps or bones in the compost bin
- Store outdoor garbage in tightly-closed containers
- Make sure bird feeders are away from buildings and seeds don’t spill on the ground
- Repair any leaky plumbing”
It recommends using a professional pest control operator, if there is a serious rodent problem.
However, traps can be baited and set – live traps as well as traps that kill. Dead rodents should be handled while wearing gloves. Poison can also be used, but as a last resort.
“They risk poisoning children, pets and wild animals either directly or indirectly (e.g. when a pet or wild animal catches a dying rodent after it has eaten the bait),” the site says. “They also can cause a rodent to die and decompose in an inaccessible place which leads to a terrible smell and insect infestations.”
Ultrasound repellers have not been found to work as rodents get used to the sound and learn there’s no harm associated with it.
