Victoria ranked second most “ratty” city in B.C. by pest control company

Victoria has received the dubious honour of being ranked the second “rattiest” city in British Columbia, according to a pest control company.

Orkin Canada released their annual ranking of cities with high incidents of rodent control on Tuesday, along with tips on how to prevent infestations.

Victoria wound up in the number two spot, just behind Vancouver. Three other Island municipalities made it into the top 20: Duncan at 14, Sidney at 16, and Nanaimo at 17.

The pest control company recommends homeowners take these steps to help prevent infestations:

• Seal cracks or holes in foundation with weather-resistant sealant and install weather stripping around windows
• Trim trees and shrubbery at least one meter from exterior walls to eliminate hiding spots for rodents
• Eliminate moisture sources such as clogged gutters or water collecting in trash and recycling bins
• Inspect inside and out for rodent droppings, burrows and rub marks along baseboards and walls

Orkin based their rankings on the number of treatments for rats and mice they performed from July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020.

The full list of top 20 “rattiest” cities is:

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