Rat population boom blamed on cold B.C. winter

Nanaimo's rat population is booming, says a local pest control company.

"It's about 40 to 60 per cent up from the past 3 years, and they are everywhere," DonWoodward of Champion Pest Controltold On the Island host Gregor Cragie.

• Rat-a-tat! Noisy car could be housing rodents
• Rats! Kamloops deals with rodent invasion
• City of Vancouver interested in rat surveillance program

"Rats live in the ground and with normal B.C. weather the ground doesn't freeze."

Woodward says he has dealt with some memorable infestations this year, including removing 47 rats from one house.

According to Woodward, the lights in the house had started to flicker and when an electrician was called he discovered a "rat problem."

Woodward warns that rats can enter a hole in your house the size of a quarter, but adds that the wiring in cars also holds a big attraction for the rodents.

"They are in vehicles in vast amounts this year," Woodward said.

"Some of the wires are made with a food based components like soy or phosphorous so then they think it is food so they keep chewing."

Woodward says rat infestations can result in thousands of dollars in damage as well as cause fires.

The Saanich fire department is also currently investigating a vehicle fire at a car dealership possibly connected to rats.

"We do not have a pattern of vehicle fires being caused by rats,"said, Brock Henson, assistant deputy chief with the Saanich fire department. "But it is something we will pay attention to, and ask the public to be diligent about."

To listen to the full interview with the pest control expert on CBC Radio One's On The Island go to "Rat population boom blamed on cold B.C. winter"