Originally published in the Globe and Mail on Dec. 5, 2013.
Kelly Beardall is scared of shadows. Every time she sees one, she expects it to scurry across her backyard.
The East Vancouver home Ms. Beardall rents in a comfortable residential neighbourhood with her roommates has been taken over by rats and mice. She sees them skittering across her backyard, sometimes up to four or five at a time. They dance across the telephone wire that goes from the garage to the house.
Pest-control companies in the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island say they are dealing with a surge in rats and mice. But researchers say more has to be done to keep track of rodent populations and the health risks they may pose.
Maryse Zeidler 