West Kelowna is looking for help with their least welcome resident.

sa国际传媒淚n recent years, the province of B.C. has seen an increase in the population and distribution of rats for which no provincial strategy exists,sa国际传媒� reads a resolution West Kelowna council wants forwarded for consideration by delegates attending the Southern Interior Local Government Association Annual General Meeting.

The rat infestations, council said, lead to damage to buildings, electrical wiring and stored food supplies and rats carry diseases that could be transmitted to humans.

Given the affect on community health and safety, council would like the Ministry of Environment to develop and fund a strategy to reduce and/or control the rat population in B.C.

The wording of the resolution is vague, councillors pointed out during a Feb. 14 meeting, because itsa国际传媒檚 unclear where the province stands on the issue.

Rats are also a fairly new pest in the valley, as Coun. Rusty Ensign pointed out.

sa国际传媒淲e never had rats in the valley in my entire life and we now see more and more emails (complaining about rats),sa国际传媒� Ensign said. sa国际传媒淲e cansa国际传媒檛 deal with it as a city, itsa国际传媒檚 pointless. If itsa国际传媒檚 not dealt with regionally wesa国际传媒檙e not going to get rid of them.sa国际传媒�

The onus to keep rats out of private property will still likely rest on homeowners, which Mayor Doug Findlater has had some experience with.

sa国际传媒淚 had them in my shed sa国际传媒� and a problem under my hot-tub, where they liked the heat and I went trapping,sa国际传媒� he said. sa国际传媒淎nd successfully resolved it sa国际传媒� I hope.