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Rodents and Rabbits

While mice and rats are part of the urban environment, they become pests when they enter our yards or homes. They are known to carry disease and can cause significant property damage. 

Rodents in Port Moody

The most common species in the Lower Mainland are:

  • House mice - These mice can be a variety of colours including tan, brown, grey, black, and white
  • Norway rats - This species prefers to burrow and take cover underground.
  • Black rats - These rats are tree dwellers and often make their home in attics.

Rodenticides are chemicals made and sold for the purpose of killing rodents like mice and rats. The City of Port Moody recognizes the risk to wildlife caused by rodenticides and has restricted their use on City-owned lands.

Do you have unwanted visitors around your home? Mice and rats tend to go inside yards and homes in late fall when searching for food and warmth. Signs that mice or rats are nearby include:

  • droppings or poop
  • gnawing or bite marks
  • signs of burrowing
  • noises in the walls or ceiling

Rodenticides are chemicals made and sold for the purpose of killing rodents like mice and rats.

Rodenticides pose a risk to people, pets, and wildlife through direct and secondary poisoning. Natural predators like hawks, owls, raccoons, bobcats, coyotes, and even household cats and dogs can suffer long-term effects or die from feeding on poisoned rodents. 

The City of Port Moody recognizes the risk to wildlife caused by rodenticides and has restricted their use on City-owned lands. This aligns with restrictions on the sale and use of certain rodenticides by the Province, which you can read more about here. Help us protect local wildlife by going rodenticide free and using alternative methods for pest management in and around your home.

Generally, the most effective approach is to use a combination of alternative methods to prevent and control rodent problems.

Prevention

Removing or limiting rodent attractants is an effective way to prevent mice and rats from making themselves at home on your property.

  • Remove potential nesting and hiding sites. Remove vines and tree branches touching the roof or upper level of your home. Keep low ground cover near your house and remove items that are stacked to your home's foundation.

  • Close any openings. Did you know that a mouse can fit through a hole the size of a dime and rats through holes the size of a quarter? Close all holes to your home including gaps under doors. Remove any piles of wood or other materials from the side of your home and clean your porch or deck of debris. Check your grill and grease trap.

  • Minimize food attractants. Store pet food and bird seed inside in pest proof containers and clean up any spilled bird seed from feeders. Store garbage, food waste, and recycling in secured areas that is inaccessible to wildlife until pick-up day. Harvest fruit trees and gardens promptly.
  • Invite rodent predators into your yard. Owl boxes make a welcoming home for a predator that eats 2,000 rodents a year.

Trapping

Trapping is an effective control method for rodents that are already in your home. Choose effective and humane options such as:

  • electrocution trap
  • snap trap with tamper proof boxes
  • live trap
  • bolt trap (a mechanical trap that resets automatically)

Be sure to follow manufacturers' instructions for safe and effective use. Keep the traps in the exact same spot for a few weeks to ensure rodents stop being suspicious of the trap and enter.

If you're considering professional help with a rodent issue, choose a company that avoids or limits the use of rodenticides. Ask the following questions:

  • Do you use rodenticides? How do you decide when to use them?
  • How will you monitor and assess the rodent problem?
  • Are your field staff trained in Integrated Pest Management and non-poison control methods?
  • What rodent control methods do you use most often? 

If the answers focus on poison control methods, consider using a different company. Look for companies that suggest monitoring for signs of rodents, sealing up entry points, and other preventative methods.

Rabbits

Snowshoe hares and Nuttall's cottontails are native rabbits occasionally found in the Lower Mainland, though they are uncommon. Rabbits seen in Port Moody may be invasive species. Two types of invasive rabbits identified in Port Moody are: 

White rabbit with brown ears and nose lying in the grass
European rabbits are a non-native invasive species originating from Europe and North Africa. They were introduced to BC by early settlers for their fur and as a food source. Over time, they became domesticated and primarily kept as pets. Their diet consists of tender greens and leafy shrubs, which can reduce food sources available for native species and hinder forest regeneration. Additionally, European rabbits compete with many native species for habitat and shelter and their burrowing may cause extensive soil erosion.
Their colouring and size may vary, as they are a descendants from domestic rabbits commonly found in pet stores. They are typically between 30-40 cm, with fur in various colours, including white, grey, brown, black or a combination. They also have shorter ears than hares. 

For more information, please visit: European Rabbit Alert Species and European rabbit - ISCBC

Brown rabbit in the grass
Eastern cottontail rabbits are a native species to Eastern and central North America. They were intentionally introduced to B.C. as a food source and, in some cases, for sport hunting. This species is listed as a priority species for management in B.C. due to their overgrazing habit and rapid reproduction. On average, Eastern cottontail can reproduce two to five litters within their lifespan, with three to eight offspring per litter.

Their colouring is unlike the European rabbit, as they are consistently the same colour and size. Their fur is a grey-brown, with reddish patches behind their ears and on the top of their paws. They typically measure 40 to 50cm in length, have pointed, black-tipped ears and have small fluffy tails with white undersides. 

For more information, please visit: Eastern Cottontail Alert Species and Eastern cottontail rabbit - ISCBC

Help stop the spread of invasive rabbits

  1. Do not release: These species of rabbits are not native to our local ecosystem. Invasive species can cause significant damage to natural ecosystems, spread disease to native wildlife and can outcompete our native wildlife for habitat and food sources. For the well-being of the animal and the environment, please surrender unwanted rabbits to a registered shelter.
  2. Limit your interactions: Feeding wildlife, either intentionally or unintentionally, is against the law under the City's Vector Control Bylaw and Litter and Dumping Prohibition Bylaw. Report sightings to the City’s Environment Division and  anonymously report illegal wildlife feeding to Bylaw Services at 604-469-4541 or at bylaw@portmoody.ca. 
  3. Observe and report: Currently, invasive animal populations are rare in Port Moody – to keep it this way, it’s important to identify and report these non-native animals. Notify the City’s Environment Division of any sightings at environment@portmoody.ca or phone 604.469.4574. Additionally, reporting through other recommended outlets is recommended. Visit complete reports here: Report - Invasive Species Council of British Columbia.

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Environment 
100 Newport Drive
Port Moody, B.C.
V3H 5C3
604.469.4628
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