Bug Blog

So do giant rats exist, well, the answer is yes but this is not a new breed of rat. Our urban rats, mainly the Norway rat (brown rat, common rat, street rat, sewer rat, Hanover rat, or Norwegian rat) comes in a range of different sizes. Giant rats are really rats that are at the extreme end of the size spectrum, rather than a new breed of rats. Photos online of giant urban rats are all just an illusion, just like the fish you caught, it’s all a trick of perspective, and you can easily take a photo of rat and make it look gigantic. The internet is loaded with tales of people finding enormous rats in their homes. Rats living in urban areas can have a bottomless pit of food, our food scraps. These rats continue to gain weight as they age, which allows them to reach a higher body mass. Even now, when it’s cold outside, the growth rate of urban rats is still high mainly due to our food waste. The bulk of the food waste in cities is those high in sugars and fats. The colder the weather, the slower food decays and therefore a steady supply of rat food which is available.

gogreenpestcontrol.ca Ladner tsawwassen Delta B.C. Randy Bilesky

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/do-giant-rats-exist-randy-bilesky/?published=t

Although there are months to go before starting your garden, it is never too early to plan. When considering what you will plant you should always be aware of the rodents that are waiting for a new crop of food. The types of damages caused by rodents can vary subject to the species of rodent. Rodents can cause the following damage:

1) Dig holes and tunnels which disturb lawns and create uneven surfaces.

2) Eating fruit, vegetables, seeds, bulbs and fertilizers stored in your shed.

3) Gnawing on containers in which seeds and bulbs are stored in.

4) Gnawing on shed doors, electrical wires and water pipes.

To keep rodents out of your garden you need to prevent them from entering your backyard in the first place. Remove any debris around buildings and sheds. Seal any small gaps that allow them access into sheds etc. Remove possible nesting places by keeping gardens clean and neat. Remove piles of wood and cut back overgrown areas. Get rid of bird feeders (we call them rat feeders) or at least don’t allow bird seeds to accumulate on the ground. Use a bird table or feeder basket to feed birds.

gogreenpestcontrol.ca Ladner Tsawwassen Delta B.C. Randy Bilesky

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/planning-your-garden-yet-randy-bilesky/?published=t

http://www.delta-optimist.com/opinion/blogs/blog-planning-your-garden-yet-1.23126443

The fear of coyotes predates social media. The thousand-year history of coyotes in urban areas tells a story of adaptation, predation by humans and co-existence. Coyotes have been living near humans for at least 1,000 years, with rodents being the mutual denominator for both parties. It’s a simple food chain where human trash has a tendency to to attracts rodents, and the rodents attract coyotes. Coyotes, like us, are opportunists and omnivores but they do not survive off a diet of the occasional pet. Humans moved to cities 5,000 years ago to get away from nature but there’s no getting rid of coyotes. Coyotes have amazing adaptability, called fission/fusion, the capacity of a species to either fuse together in groups or fission off as individuals — whatever it takes to survive an environmental challenge. Every year there is a spike in coyote encounters because dogs get too close to the active den site during the spring-summer months. The coyote only wants a safe place to raise young, find enough food, and be mostly left alone.

gogreenpestcontrol.ca Ladner tsawwassen Delta B.C. randy Bilesky

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/urban-coyote-randy-bilesky/?published=t

http://www.delta-optimist.com/opinion/blogs/blog-the-urban-coyote-1.23124304

So it’s mid-December and the phone is ringing off the hook about moles.  Many homeowners in Delta believe that moles hibernate and are not active during late fall and winter months, well no! Their main permanent tunnels and nesting burrows are dug deep underground below the frost line allowing moles to still be active during the cold months. Those tunnels just under the surface of the lawn are made by male moles establishing a territory and looking for females. The females spend their time deeper in the soil in small cavities. Moles dig tunnels and nesting burrows deep into the ground. They also dig shallow tunnels just below the surface of the ground daily as they search for earthworms and insects; these are the tunnels that people can see and generally associate with mole activity.  Moles do not reuse these temporary tunnels and just continuously dig new ones each day in their search for food.  Unfortunately this habit causes extensive damage to your lawn.

gogreenpestcontrol.ca Ladner Tsawwassen Delta B.C. Randy bilesky

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/moles-why-now-randy-bilesky/?published=t

http://www.delta-optimist.com/opinion/blogs/blog-moles-why-now-1.23121469

Orphaned Wildlife Rehabilitation Society here in Delta has said there is a spike in the population of young barred owls and they can set-up shop basically anywhere they want. Their usual targets are rats, mice, moles, voles and pigeons. Barred owls have been culled in some areas of B. C. in order to reduce competition and protect the endangered spotted owls, which are considered priority species. Barred owls can be also be hurt or killed flying into glass on buildings or being hit by vehicles while hunting. Barred owls’ presence in larger populations isn’t considered to have a negative effect on other owl species. Barred owls are a more docile than other birds so people are able to get relatively close to take pictures.

gogreenpestcontrol.ca Ladner tsawwassen Delta B.C. Randy Bilesky

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/deltas-barred-owls-population-rise-randy-bilesky/?published=t