Vancouver has been ranked the "rattiest city in B.C." for the second year in a row by pest control company Orkin Canada.

“A lot of it comes down to Vancouver being a port city. We have a lot of ships coming and going and rats are really attracted to water. Our organics recycling and composting also attracts rats. Dense populations, new construction and older buildings also play a role,” says Orkin Vancouver branch manager Trine Butler.

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Vancouver was number one with Victoria, Burnaby, Richmond and Surrey in the top five.

Orkin is warning homeowners that rodents are actively seeking food, water and shelter at this time of year and can transmit a number of diseases.

To reduce the likelihood of rats or mice entering a building the company suggests sealing cracks and installing weather stripping around windows and doors.

Trimming trees and shrubs back at least one metre from the walls of the house can help eliminate rodent hiding spots and unclogging gutters or removing water in trash bins can make the area less inviting to the animals.

The City of Vancouver has a guide on how to identify a rat or mouse infestation including keeping an eye out for burrows, noises, droppings and chew marks. The most common rodents in the Vancouver area are the Norway (brown) rat, the roof (black) rat and the house mouse.

Rankings are based on the number of rodent treatments the company conducted in 2017 at commercial and residential buildings. Butler says the number of rodent calls Orkin received for buildings in Vancouver increased slightly in 2017 compared to the previous year.