RATS! How is this not bigger news?

[Catz]

What happens though, when your neighbor doesn't? The rats live in a shed behind my yard, but come in my yard. The dogs are good at scaring them away, but it can not get over the fence. I can't poison them in my yard, my dogs will get it.

[coffeeFreak]

Sorry folks, every time I read a discussion on rats, Michael Jackson's song to his pet rat Ben comes to mind...so just thought I'd share hehe.

[janalta]

IF there were a few isolated cases here and there, then yes, each home or property owner would just have to ensure they keep their property rat-free.
BUT, if there is indeed a large scale infestation, then it becomes a community problem as well as a public health concern..
Rats are a serious problem. They are not just a minor annoyance.
They carry disease, at least five or six of which are serious/fatal to humans. ( and can also be transferred to our pets, livestock and wildlife )
They can cause severe property damage. They can chew through wood, concrete, wiring....you name it, they can destroy it.

Do you really think they will stop at nesting in people homes or sheds ? Businesses and public facilities are just as likely to be infested.
Do you want to eat at restaurants that have rats ? How cool would it be to buy a new couch or bed and discover that rats had stowed away and nested inside ? Are your kids going to catch a disease from being in a playground or beach that rats have been urinating and defecating in ? Are you excited about eating local fruit and veggies from rat infested farms and stands ?

My son was here visiting a few weeks ago and spotted one being harassed by several crows in the parking lot of a business on Bylands road....so they're not just affecting homeowners.

[Fancy]

What happens though, when your neighbor doesn't? The rats live in a shed behind my yard, but come in my yard. The dogs are good at scaring them away, but it can not get over the fence. I can't poison them in my yard, my dogs will get it.

A concern I posted earlier. Does the mayor have authority to deal with neighbours and composts etc. ?

[Frisk]

They don't live just on human property, I've seen them living in the forest just outside residential areas & then traveling onto the properties looking for food.

[janalta]

Fancy....that's why he needs to stop pretending he knows nothing about it...yes, local government can do something about it.
Many cities in the US have very strict bylaws in place to control rats...imposed by the city and local community health authorities.
City governments conduct surveys, do regular 'counts' in infested areas, participate in community awareness and education, have free bait programs, trapping programs...and impose fines to those who do not comply with orders to clean up their property in order to reduce habitat.

But..in order for that to happen, local politicians have to take their heads out of the sand and admit that there is an increasing problem.

[Fancy]

I'd also suggest the mayor encourage those who are trapping them to report numbers of rats caught. I've seen them in our neighbourhood. However, banning bird feeders and feeding animals outside doesn't seem to be a just solution.

[Rjamer]

I have heard Peachland being referred to "the Gem of the Okanagan".. Having a rat infestation along with a beach that has the highest e.coli count in the Okanagan does not seem too Gem-like to me but I am not trying to sell the "Okanagan lifetstyle" either.. lol

[Fancy]

Peachland is just one community with a rat problem and not much one can do when rats are transported so easily from place to place.

[Anonymous123]

I have heard Peachland being referred to "the Gem of the Okanagan".. Having a rat infestation along with a beach that has the highest e.coli count in the Okanagan does not seem too Gem-like to me but I am not trying to sell the "Okanagan lifetstyle" either.. lol

I thought that it was "the germ of the Okanagan"

[southernfrau]

There is a huge rat dead on the side of the highway next to the cement curbing near the water pump house - which is just above the houses on the beach in Peachland. I did a double take to make sure it wasn't a dead cat. It's not, the tail is hairless and large on it. Gave me the creeps to think they are near the houses that line the beach. First one I've seen after hearing they were here.

[Ken7]

They don't live just on human property, I've seen them living in the forest just outside residential areas & then traveling onto the properties looking for food.

They can climb just as well as a squirrel or chipmunk right up a stucco wall.

I care for a very large home and we had troubles with them getting into the attic. Keep on them as yes they get into everything. Warmth seems to be a drawing card for them as we have a clean property.

[Anonymous123]

There is a huge rat dead on the side of the highway next to the cement curbing near the water pump house - which is just above the houses on the beach in Peachland. I did a double take to make sure it wasn't a dead cat. It's not, the tail is hairless and large on it. Gave me the creeps to think they are near the houses that line the beach. First one I've seen after hearing they were here.

Could it be a muskrat?

[southernfrau]

No it wasn't a Muskrat, I've seen rats before as I lived at the coast for years and they were all over near the shipyards.
This was a huge rat. When driving by, and I first saw it I thought it was a dead cat on the side of the road, coming back is when I saw the tail.

[Anonymous123]

This is a dead muskrat. Did it look like this?

image.jpg