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Rat infestation in south Okanagan neighbourhood

Residents in a south Okanagan neighbourhood say rats are starting to take over the area.

People in Trout Creek say they’ve been trying to deal with the problem but it isn’t working and they want the city of Summerland to help.

One resident, Sue Sabo found a dead baby rat on her front lawn today.

It’s a nasty discovery, but by no means the first rat Sabo and her husband have seen in the neighbourhood. They have discovered several rats coming out from their neighbour’s wood shed, as well as one hanging from his tree. Sabo says she called city hall but was told it was up to each resident to deal with the problem.

“I informed them the house was a vacation home, nobody lives there, not rented out, my concern was how many rats are going to be here when they come back?” said Sabo

Janice Goodine lives on the other side of Trout Creek, but says she too has come face to face with rats.

“We were doing some wiring, went in crawl space, first thing I saw was a large rat starting at me” explains Goodine.

She says she and her husband have caught 20 rats in their attic in the past year. She has also called city hall, but says she can’t get any help.

“At one point, I was so desperate I took a rat in a baggy, put it on the bylaw officer’s desk, and said here you go whenever I find a dead rat you’ll be getting it “

The District of Summerland says a contractor was brought in to assess Trout Creek’s rat situation two years ago, when complaints first started coming forward. But the contractor indicated at that time there really wasn’t a problem down in that area.

The District says rodents are a natural part of living in a farming area and it’s not something a municipality typically deals with. But for the Trout Creek residents who are dealing with the furry pests and the mess they leave behind, it’s a community issue, and one city hall definitely has a role in.

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