It’s possible Salmon Arm is not as welcoming to rats as other communities.
Or perhaps fewer homeowners use a pest-control company. Or maybe it’s a matter of human population.
Although retailers have reported selling an abundance of rat control products in Salmon Arm over the past year, and homeowners have reported seeing the uninvited guests in and around their homes, rat infestations might not be as common in Salmon Arm as in other communities.
Pest control company Orkin Canada has done its annual ranking of B.C.’s top 20 “rattiest” cities.
Cities are ranked by the number of rodent (rat & mice) treatments the company performed from July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2020. This ranking includes both residential and commercial treatments.
The full list of B.C.’s top 20 ‘rattiest’ cities, which Orkin Canada provided on Sept. 8, is as follows:
1) Vancouver, 2) Victoria, 3) Burnaby, 4) Richmond, 5) Surrey, 6) Kelowna, 7) Langley, 8) North Vancouver, 9) Coquitlam, 10) Abbotsford, 11) Vernon, 12) Delta, 13) Port Coquitlam, 14) Duncan, 15) Chilliwack, 16) Sidney, 17) Nanaimo, 18) Maple Ridge, 19) Terrace, 20) Powell River.
Click on this rat info-graphic to display the cities in question.
While Vernon is in 11th place and Kelowna is sixth, Salmon Arm did not make the list.
Read more: Rats rear their pointy heads in Salmon Arm
Read more: Resident issues warning after rats found in another area of Salmon Arm
Orkin offers some rodent prevention tips on its website.
• Close the gap: Seal any cracks or holes in your foundation with weather-resistant sealant. Install weather stripping around windows and doors, as well as door sweeps.
• Trim the trees: Landscaping can be a big rodent attractant. Keep shrubbery cut back at least one meter from the exterior walls of your home to eliminate any hiding spots for rodents.
• Cut off the water: Eliminate any moisture sources, necessary for pests’ survival, such as clogged gutters or water gathering in trash or recycling bins.
• Inspect both inside and outside your property for rodent droppings, burrows and rub marks along baseboards and walls. The more quickly rodents are detected, the better.
marthawickett@saobserver.netLike us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter
