Vernon and Kelowna make top 20 list of ‘rattiest’ cities in B.C.

Two Okanagan cities have made a rather infamous provincewide list.

Pest control company ORKIN Canada has released its ranking of the top "rattiest" cities in the province, and Kelowna and Vernon are on it.

Cities are ranked by the number of rodent, including mice and rat, treatments the company performed from July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2020, including residential and commercial treatments, according to an ORKIN Canada media release.

Kelowna was ranked the sixth rattiest city out of 20, while Vernon came in at 11th place.

Vancouver placed first, followed by Victoria in second, Burnaby in third, Richmond fourth, with Surrey rounding out the top five.

READ MORE: 5 nasty bugs in the B.C. Interior you might want to stay on top of

As fall approaches, ORKIN is reminding homeowners to take measures to prevent mice and rats from moving in.

To prevent rodents the pest control company recommends:

• Seal any cracks or holes in your foundation with weather-resistant sealant. Install weather stripping around windows and doors, as well as door sweeps.
• Landscaping can be a big-rodent attractant so ORKIN recommends to keep shrubbery cut back at least one meter from the exterior walls of your home to eliminate any hiding spots for rodents.
• 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.

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