The Creston Valley is seeing an increased number of rats.
During a presentation made to Council, former WildsafeBC employee Trish Drinkle stated the importance of keeping food waste secure to detract further infestations.
“Right now we have a good opportunity to to potentially eradicate these animals if we take appropriate measures. That is food attractant management. The more food these rats have, the more offspring they will have.”
Area B Director Tanya Wall said during Drinkle’s presentation that with the help of volunteer farmers and trappers, Area B had collected 1038 rats up to date.
According to Drinkle, Norway Rats and Roof Rats are the most prominent. She theorizes that their spread may be in part due to rail transportation, connecting city centers to rural communities.
“They both can be carriers of diseases,” Drinkle explained. “With Norway Rats, they like to live in shrubs and wood piles and whatnot. They are excellent burrowers so you’ll often see little holes by your compost bin, and that will indicate that, yup, we have rat action happening.”
Roof rats choose to live in homes, making attics, basements and walls their primary residence.
Drinkle is currently in the process of developing a business plan to create an organization to help educate locals about human wildlife conflict mitigation including rats and deer who act like scavengers in towns.
These scavengers unfortunately act as another food source, which attract larger predators like bears and cougars.