If there’s a silver lining to Langley being named the seventh ‘rattiest’ municipality in B.C. according to a list compiled by the Extermination company Orkin Canada, it’s that it’s a slight improvement from the previous year.
Orkin Canada ranked B.C.’s top 20 rat havens, based on the number of rodent treatments it performed in 2017. The ranking includes both residential and commercial treatments.
This was the second annual list issued by Orkin and in it, the two Langleys combined dropped one spot from sixth to seventh.
READ MORE: B.C.’s top 20 ‘rattiest’ cities
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.
“An infestation can start very quickly if it goes unnoticed, says Orkin Canada Branch Manager Trine Butler. “I would say anything over two, you would be in trouble, especially with the rat.”
Butler offered a number of tips for homeowners and businesses owners to help keep the vermin away:
• Keep organics, recycling bins, and dumpsters at least 50 feet away from buildings.
“Especially with the warmer summer months coming up, people are leaving their doors and their windows open and are attracting these rats, that are already out there in your organics and recycling bins and garbage areas,” Butler said. “Once you leave your doors and windows open they’re going to hop right in.”
• Seal holes and cracks in building foundations because rats can squeeze through holes the size of quarters and mice can find their way through holes the size of dimes.
“And also any (room) underneath your door that’s larger than a quarter of an inch, you need to get a door seal on them because the mice will squeeze right underneath,” advised Butler.
• Keep your home dry, inside and out.
“Rats need a lot of water to survive,” Butler said. “So you want to get rid of any water sources whether it be a leaking garden hose, garbage and recycling containers that are collecting water, and overflowing gutters, especially for roof rats. If you can keep those water sources out of there, you are going to get rid of those rats, for sure.”
• Keep your house clean, and reduce surrounding shrubbery
“Especially on the outside of your home, you don’t want to have anything cluttered up on the exterior of your home and leaning up against the side of your house, whether it be firewood or anything piled up,” Butler said. “You want to keep that (clutter) at least one metre away, and that goes with shrubbery as well: keep that all trimmed back, one metre from your home.”
