City Refuse action for Rats on Kelowna City Property

[Donald G]

This morning while walking in the Park Area surrounding H20 and the Capital News Center I observed a rat. Not a Water Rat, Ground Squirrel or Marmot but a Rat Rat. The kind whose parasites and fleas passed bubonic plague that killed millions a few hundred years ago. The kind that is making a comeback and has killed two people in Colorado recently.

http://www.healthmap.org/site/diseaseda ... rado-81615

Since the rat was in the area of the Marmot Colony that lives in the mound of dirt behind the arena I phoned the City to make them aware of the situation. The receptionist told me that they did not have a pest control person, nor do they deal with rats on City Property. The receptionist told me to "check the yellow pages" for pest control people.

What is wrong with this picture ??

[JayByrd]

I'm not sure what's wrong with this picture, though it's pretty ridiculous to tell you to contact a pest control company. You don't own the property where the pest is living!

I imagine the City doesn't have staff that deal with this sort of thing; if they chose to address the issue they would probably just hire a private company. Rats are in the Kelowna area, and the City does know about them, but until they're causing specific problems, they're probably regarded no differently than marmots or anything else.

The City's website does offer a way to request service online, that I've heard nothing but good things about. This may not send someone running to deal with the animal but it may at least ensure that the proper department is informed.

[Donald G]

Unread postby JayByrd » 2 minutes ago

it may at least ensure that the proper department is informed.

Since I was told by the receptionist that the City did not have a person that handled such situations I don't think that I was wrong in concluding that the City did not have any such department.

Surely there is at least one person at the City with the authority to contract a Pest Control Agency to have the situation assessed and dealt with accordingly. Surely a potential serious health problem in an area where thousands of children routinely play is something the City has to deal with.

Is the city as negligent as suggested or, with summer staff, was I misinformed by the receptionist ??

[JLives]

I have seen the dirty *bleep* several times in the last year. They are well established now and well beyond the city's capabilities to handle.

[A_Britishcolumbian]

rats are invasive and so I believe can be killed however one chooses, just like grey squirrels, which are being allowed to multiply unchecked it would seem.

I think the city should put a bounty on both rats and grey squirrels, and then our homeless population could have new source of income while doing the city and environment a great service.

50 cents a rat, 1 or 2 dollars a squirrel maybe.

[Randall T]

We have raptors and coyotes. Let them do their thing, and whatever you do don't use poisons.

[jetty1965]

Since I was told by the receptionist that the City did not have a person that handled such situations I don't think that I was wrong in concluding that the City did not have any such department.

Surely there is at least one person at the City with the authority to contract a Pest Control Agency to have the situation assessed and dealt with accordingly. Surely a potential serious health problem in an area where thousands of children routinely play is something the City has to deal with.

Is the city as negligent as suggested or, with summer staff, was I misinformed by the receptionist ??

If it was in a park I would guess its the parks department responsibility. But I think JayByrd has good suggestion, use the online complain/ service form. Or is it in the regional park, in which case contact the regional district.

[Bpeep]

The city is likely banking on over time the local stoat population will increase because of the proliferation of rats and help maintain some kind of ecological balance.
They do similar crap with snow removal. Hope it all melts before they have to plow it, all while telling us how hard all the plow peeps are working.

If anybody here comes down with plague please post it on this thread.
Where's that Peter Pepper Pie Eyed Piper guy?
Maybe I'll dig out my Jedi costume and a piccolo.

[Graham Adder]

It's actually illegal to rid yourself of rats by some means. It's not open for whatever method you choose.
I use the big wooden Victor rat traps.
They work great.
Only problem is that rats are smart. It takes them no time to figure out the trap, and then they figure out how to get the bait without hitting the trigger.
I use peanut butter.
I was unaware of the rat issue Kelowna had until last season. The tomatoes got hit hard. It took a couple of weeks to figure out what was nailing them, but once we did, we had to delete the garden altogether.
This year only flowers were grown.

[A_Britishcolumbian]

while the .22 is the most pleasurable method for myself, it is not appropriate in the city, so live capture and carbon monoxide via an automobile exhaust pipe is my practice.

[JLives]

I was sitting in my neighbour's backyard last year and caught their bird feeder moving in the darkness out of the corner of my eye. There was a frickin pack of them on the fence jumping on and off for a meal. Yes, it is gone now. And, yes, several rats were exterminated. Take it seriously, we have rats now.

[Graham Adder]

my front yard is the size of a smart car
the most productive night brought in 6
2 were large

I also had an odd incident last year.
I came home to find one of my traps had a rat laying motionless right beside the trap. I thought for certain that it had been killed by the trap. I closed the door to the shed (the door when closed was less than 6 inches from the trap) to get my partner to show her the size of this thing. I returned a few minutes later to show it to her, and opened the door.
The rat was still there, beside the trap and motionless.
I said, "It must have got hit as it was pulling back, but it got it in the head and killed it."
That's when my partner pointed out something alarming.
The bait was still set. It had not been touched.
It was then I realized the rat was not dead. I gently grabbed a spade from the shed, and slowly lowered the edge of the blade to the head of the rat. About half an inch from its neck I came down with force.
That freaking rat took all of my strength to hold it under that edge. I pushed with all of my weight (those that know me just chuckled) and held that sucker tight for at least three minutes and it was still scrambling under the blade. I had to do something, and fast.
I started to saw the edge of the spade against the neck. I was amazed at how tough that thing's neck was. It took at least five or six draws back and forth with somewhere in the vicinity of 275lbs to kill that rat.
I was shaking like I'd just brawled with a cop over a bag of onion rings.
It was a brutal fight and in the end, I'm still scarred for life.

no idea why that rat was snoozing by my trap
never touched the bait
remained in same spot while door was opened, closed then opened again.
only showed signs of life once the spade blade was upon its neck. Then all hell broke loose.
rat rodeo
took more than 8 seconds
I won
still though, what the heck?

[JLives]

my front yard is the size of a smart car
the most productive night brought in 6
2 were large

I also had an odd incident last year.
I came home to find one of my traps had a rat laying motionless right beside the trap. I thought for certain that it had been killed by the trap. I closed the door to the shed (the door when closed was less than 6 inches from the trap) to get my partner to show her the size of this thing. I returned a few minutes later to show it to her, and opened the door.
The rat was still there, beside the trap and motionless.
I said, "It must have got hit as it was pulling back, but it got it in the head and killed it."
That's when my partner pointed out something alarming.
The bait was still set. It had not been touched.
It was then I realized the rat was not dead. I gently grabbed a spade from the shed, and slowly lowered the edge of the blade to the head of the rat. About half an inch from its neck I came down with force.
That freaking rat took all of my strength to hold it under that edge. I pushed with all of my weight (those that know me just chuckled) and held that sucker tight for at least three minutes and it was still scrambling under the blade. I had to do something, and fast.
I started to saw the edge of the spade against the neck. I was amazed at how tough that thing's neck was. It took at least five or six draws back and forth with somewhere in the vicinity of 275lbs to kill that rat.
I was shaking like I'd just brawled with a cop over a bag of onion rings.
It was a brutal fight and in the end, I'm still scarred for life.

no idea why that rat was snoozing by my trap
never touched the bait
remained in same spot while door was opened, closed then opened again.
only showed signs of life once the spade blade was upon its neck. Then all hell broke loose.
rat rodeo
took more than 8 seconds
I won
still though, what the heck?

Eeeww. Can I borrow you for a few days? I'll provide shovels.

[voice of reason]

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[Graham Adder]

Eeeww. Can I borrow you for a few days? I'll provide shovels.

I haven't healed yet, so the answer will be no for many years to come I'm sure.
That scene was a segment from a horror show. It still haunts me.
lol