For the third year in a row, Duncan has cracked the top 10 of Orkin Canada’s Rodent Rankings list.
The pest control company released its annual “Rattiest Cities” list on Tuesday, with Duncan continuing it’s upward trend moving from ninth spot in 2017 to eighth in 2018. In 2016 Duncan ranked 10th.
Vancouver won the dubious accolade of the province’s rattiest city.
The list is based on the number of rat and mice treatments — both residential and commercial — the pest control company carried out throughout the 2018 calendar year.
The top five cities remain unchanged, with Vancouver, Victoria and Burnaby the three rattiest urban areas in B.C., Richmond and then Surrey round out the top 5.
With spring upon us, Orkin offers some rodent prevention tips:
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.
With files from Nick Murray/Peninsula News Review