It isn’t an accolade that the city is proud to claim, but Richmond has been named the fourth “rattiest city in British Columbia” once again.
Orkin, Canada’s largest pest control company, determines the annual ranking based on, “the number of rodent (rat & mice) treatments the company performed from Jan. 1, 2018 through Dec. 31, 2018.” Orkin also includes both commercial and residential properties in its ranking.
Vancouver placed first, with Victoria in second and Burnaby coming in third in the ranking. Surrey was fifth in line, after Richmond. The top five cities have also remained unchanged since last year’s ranking.
In Richmond, the Health Department, a division of Richmond Health Services, is responsible for controlling rodents on city-owned properties. The health department also provides a free pest control service for rats and mice to residents.
Of course, people actively try to control the rat population, but it isn’t always an easy task. Nevertheless, the BC SPCA reminds residents to choose humane ways of doing so.
