A new report, released in time for Halloween, suggests Burnaby is experiencing a hair-raising infestation of rats.
Today, Oct. 31, the city was listed with the second highest rat population in B.C. by Orkin Canada for a third year in a row.
The annual data also showed that Burnaby is the third "rattiest" community in all of Canada, according to stats collected between Aug. 1, 2022, and July 31, 2023.
The numbers are based on commercial and residential rodent treatments that Orkin Canada carried out during that year's time, including rats and mice.
Dr. Alice Sinia, pest specialist and entomologist with Orkin Canada, believes rats are now becoming a year-round prevention effort and not just limited to the fall and winter.
"Longer summer seasons coupled with abundant food sources provide ideal conditions for exponential growth in rodent populations," she explained in a news release, "which is why it is more important than ever to use integrated pest management techniques to tackle all of the conditions that allow mice and rats to proliferate."
Burnaby was one of five B.C. cities among Orkin's top 10 "rattiest" in Canada. Vancouver was second on the list behind Toronto at the top spot.
Neighbours Coquitlam and New Westminster were ranked 10th and 16th respectively in the provincial rankings.
With cooler weather arriving, Orkin says rats will be looking for warmer shelters including homes, businesses and other buildings.
The nation-wide company lists the following tips to help keep them away:
- Seal cracks or holes in exterior walls, expansion joints and foundations, and install weather stripping around windows and doors
- Install screens on utility openings and ducts
- Reduce harbourage
- Trim shrubs and grass, remove weeds and clear unnecessary clutter from the yard and near the property
- Get rid of moisture sources
- ie. clogged gutters
- Store objects away from exterior walls and about 45 cm off the ground
- Rodent proof sheds, which can be major breeding and harbourage spots for rodents in the winter
- Practice good waste disposal by keeping garbage and food waste away from your property
- Use tight-fitting lid containers and be cautious about garbage overflow
- Garbage attracts rodents by providing them with food and water
