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Large number of rat colonies in Creston Valley neighborhoods

Wildsafe BC Community Coordinator, Trish Drinkle, talks about the increasing rat population
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The Creston Valley sees an increase in the rat population. (Photo credit Jacky Smith)

There is an unknown dilemma most Crestonites may not even know of, haunting the back alleys and lanes of town. Many residents in the Creston Valley are seeing a rise in a large number of rat colonies in their neighborhoods. The Advance continues its sit down talks with WildSafe BC Community Coordinator, Trish Drinkle, about the increasing rat population.

“Earlier on in the season, we started to see a lot more rat activity that wasn’t typical of the Creston Valley, ” states Drinkle. “Normally as far as rat populations in the Creston Valley go, what we usually see are pack rats. However, the rats we have been seeing in large numbers are not pack rats. After further investigation, we found that we now have colonies of Norway rats and Roof rats living in the Creston Valley.”

The Norway and Roof rats are two different rat species that differ in size and characteristics. The Norway rat has a body length of seven to ten inches long with their tail being an additional six to eight inches long. Norway rats are ground dwellers that like to burrow and live under structures such as wood sheds.

Roof rats are large and have a body that is sixteen inches in total length including their tail. So, their body would be roughly eight inches and their tail equally as long. Roof rats prefer to live in high spaces, usually above ground, often residing in attics. This is why they are aptly named Roof rat. Roof rats are also excellent climbers, allowing them to capitalize on the ample fruit sources in our valley.

“Both species of rats (Norway and Roof rat) live in colonies. A colony consists of approximately ten to twelve rats. Usually, when you start seeing rats in broad daylight it’s an indication of an infestation,” warns Drinkle. ” As the colonies begin to grow in numbers, rats get kicked out of the colony leaving the isolated rat to search for a new home. When you see one rat there is usually a number of other rats you don’t see.”

Both the Roof and the Norway rat leave urine scent markings often called rat tracks along the routes they travel as a way of communicating. These rat trails can even be seen during the winter in the snow. Females leave urine tracks just before going into heat, allowing males to easily find a mate. The female rat will pay close attention to male rat scent trails, and prefer the urine with high testosterone levels. Rats will also urine scent the areas around their colony as a way of marking territory. For those who ask why rats urinate and defecate so often, now you know.

“At this time we are not sure where the infestation began if they were here previous to this infestation we didn’t notice them until this recent explosion in population. There is some speculation rats travel along the railway capitalizing on the railway cars. We have large rat populations all around us in areas such as Vancouver, Washington, and Idaho. It was only a matter of time before we started to see them here in the valley,” said Drinkle.

Some of the adverse effects of a booming rat infestation in the area are in property damage, health risks and disease to humans, family pets, and farm animals. Serious health risks can include but not limited to: rat-bite fever, the bubonic plague, and leptospirosis. Leptospirosis is an exposure to rat urine and feces that can result in liver and kidney damage.

Local hot spots for rat colonies in the Creston Valley area include Crawford Hill, the bunker on Main Street (in the Town of Creston), Erickson, and Wynndel.

“Trapping alone isn’t enough to get rid of these rats. We have to be a lot more proactive. When there are available food sources, the rats will breed even more. The rats are feeding on composting, fermenting fruit and even feces from other animals. They’re very indiscriminate when it comes to food. Anything a human, family pet or livestock would eat, they’ll eat as well. Bird feeders are notorious for aiding rat populations growth. Birds will come in to feed and scatter the seeds on the ground making it accessible for the rats,” explained Drinkle. “The way to reduce the population is to reduce the unnatural food sources in the area, especially in the winter time. The more food the rat can feed on, the more pups they will have. If we can limit the food sources in the wintertime and trap at the same time, then we have a real chance of getting on top of them.”

WildSafe BC recommends pet owners feed their pets indoors and secure livestock feed, keeping feeding areas as clean as possible.

“Having a rat proof compost area is imperative we advocate for having a composting bin that’s off the ground completely,” said Drinkle. Make sure your pets are up to date on their shots to help prevent disease. Keep a watch out for signs of fleas. It’s really a good idea to try to deal with the rat population by food attractant management and trapping rather than relying on your family pet to eradicate the rats. WildSafe BC is currently working with the RDCK and the town of Creston to implement a protocol to help reduce the rat population. We are asking the Creston Valley residents to work together as a community, to be aware of food attractants around your home and property. Set traps. The most effective way to manage the rat population is to reduce food attractants in addition to trapping. We don’t encourage using rat poison, however, because of the negative effect it has on other species in the area, and possibly family pets” states Drinkle.

The town of Creston is currently looking into having traps available for rent or borrow. Currently, residents can buy rat traps from Home Hardware and Sunset Seed.

Rats live between eight and twelve months and come into sexual maturity at three months with a 21 day gestation period. The female can go back into heat within 10 hours after giving birth. With an endless food supply rats can have a revolving assembly line of litters, reaching numbers of up to 150 in one season.

“There could be huge consequences for the community if they don’t work together to defeat the current rat population explosion. WildSafe BC, the Town of Creston and the RDCK are working on implementing an effective protocol to eradicate the rats. We are looking at modeling the protocol after cities who have successful reduced their rat populations, we recognize we have unique situations with the orchards and farms. I really urge people to understand the consequences of having bird feeders and backyard chickens, while it can be rewarding it does have an effect on contributing to the current rodent infestation we are seeing,” states Drinkle

Do your part with traps and food attractants, to help control the rat population of Creston. More information regarding rats will be available online at www.wildsafebc.com later this month.