Maintenance27 June 20132 min read

Vancouver residents have now officially been told they may have to just learn to live with the increasing rat population. Not so good news for most homeowners, who regularly request or ask how they can protect their garage from rats entering.

The annoying thing about rats is they are opportunists and very good at infiltrating, not to mention breeding. Combine that with the temperate Vancouver weather and populations soar. What to do?

1.) Adopt a cat.

Not a bad idea considering Canada euthanized More than 60,000 cats in 2011. Richmond has one of the largest cat shelters in North America:

2.) Some tips from victorpest.com

Indoor Sanitation

Food

Clean areas under stoves, refrigerators and dishwashers.
Keep counter tops clear of food.
Do not leave glasses of water out overnight.
Store dry food, pet food and birdseed in sealed containers.
Clean pet bowls at night.

Shelter

Keep storage areas free of clutter
Rodent-Proof hard-to-access areas that tend to be neglected
Store supplies or materials off the floor

Outdoor Sanitation

Don’t forget about maintaining the outdoors as well. Properly maintain your yard and store firewood away from your home for effective rodent control.

Properly maintain landscaping - trim any overgrown vegetation and shrubbery until ground underneath is visible.
Remove any debris - rock piles, old equipment and such.
Elevate lumber and firewood at least 18 inches.
Store firewood away from the house.

3.) Rodent guards and other forms of protection.

While it may be tempting to go out and buy products that claim they will protect you from rats, just keep in mind they are not necessarily rat proof.

4.) Garage door weatherseal

Just remember, rats can get through almost anything, and chew through nearly everything. Even a small opening at the bottom of your door from an uneven driveway, will let them in. Furthermore, they love to chew and will gladly chew through whatever is in their way. Weatherseals can make a big difference if the garage is able to be sealed. Deteriorating driveways can cause big gaps that can’t be filled by weatherseal.

5.) No food items in the garage, and keep it clutter free.

Oh and if it’s heated, don’t keep it super hot, or they will mistake the garage for a mouse spa, and come in during the colder winter months. - (Paul Head Technician J.Mac Doors)

Vancouverites may have to learn to live with rats, but we can make some small changes to improve the experience.

Have a great long weekend.

Jennifer