Beautification

Seasonal Clean-Ups

  • The Town will conduct clean-ups each year, occurring in the spring. To see when bulk clean up is scheduled check Waste Management/Recycling Schedule. During these clean-up times, collection will be for all household items, with the exception of rocks, gravel, trees/branches, concrete, or hazardous materials.
  • Refuse must not be put out before or after the designated dates for the clean-up.
  • Household refuse normally collected during the year is not to be included with clean-up materials.
  • To have vehicle wrecks removed, call the Town Office. Only one vehicle wreck per household will be taken annually without charge. All vehicles removed by the Town at the owner’s request greater than one per year will be charged to the property owner and/or registered  vehicle owner at a rate of $70 per vehicle.

Tree/Yard Maintenance

The Town of Bay Roberts offers a drop off location at their site located on Central Street for branches, leaves and grass clippings. Branches, Leaves and Grass clippings can be dropped off during the months of May until November every year depending on weather.

Garden Refuse Specifications

  • The sole purpose of the garden refuse site is to offer the residents of Bay Roberts an opportunity to dispose of tree trimmings, grass clippings and leaves.
  • The garden refuse area is located at 119-127 Central Street.
  • The garden refuse location is currently closed for the season.
  • Items that can be dropped off include:
    • Branches (must be no larger than 2-3” in diameter)
    • Grass Clippings
    • Leaves
  • Please use paper bags for the travel and storage of grass clippings and leaves.
  • Absolutely No refuse shall be mixed with the branches, grass clippings or leaves when being dropped off.
  • The site is not for commercial use nor is its intended purpose for clear cutting or land clearing. The pit area is for Residential tree trimming, grass clippings and leaves.
  • A valid ID, showing proof of Bay Roberts Residency is required.

For any additional questions, please contact the Town Office at 786-2126.

Rodent Control

If you have rats it doesn’t mean your property is dirty, it means there is shelter and an open food source for them. Rats are attracted to small spaces because they feel protected in them. If a space is small enough for rodents to access, but not for their predators such as cats and dogs, rats will make a home there. Rats can make homes in anything that provides shelter including sheds and garages, wood or rock piles, under enclosed patios and stairwells, and in unwanted items such as old water tanks, appliances, building materials and tires.

Rat Prevention:

Give them nothing to eat:

  • Do not store garbage outside; place it at the curb no earlier than 6 a.m. on your garbage collection day.
  • If you use a garbage box, make sure that it is well maintained and free from any holes which would allow access by rats.
  • Remove bird feeders or attach catch basins so bird feed does not fall on the ground.
  • Do not store pet food, bird feed and lawn seed outside.
  • Pet owners should feed dogs and cats only what they will eat and then remove the food and any spillage.
  • Compost properly – do not add fish or meat to backyard compost bins.

Give them nowhere to live:

  • Tall grass, weeds and vegetation next to buildings and fences should be removed.
  • Lumber, rocks, garbage, building materials, and other unwanted or unused materials should be removed.
  • Do not enclose the base of patios and raised stairwells, not even with lattice.
  • Construct concrete floors and foundations of high quality materials.
  • If building a patio or shed on a grade, bury sheet metal 30 cm (12 inches) below the grade and skirting
  • In the case of patios and sheds built on grade, use sheet metal buried 30 cm (12 inches) below grade to skirt the structure.
  • Items that must be stored outside should be at least 46 cm (18 inches) off the ground and 30 cm (12 inches) from walls and fences.
  • Make it impossible for rats to get into any structure; use screens in drains and tightly seal where utilities enter buildings and install a metal kicking plate or heavy weather stripping beneath doors, including garage doors.
  • Norway rats can be deterred from climbing vertical pipes by applying a 30 cm (12 inch) band of glossy paint around the pipe or conduit.

Eradication

As the Norway rat has such an enormous reproductive capacity, controlling the spread of this species means eradication, followed by year-round inspections to ensure the problem is corrected.

In a community-wide rodent control program, poisoning rats is an essential part of the plan. Timing of the poisoning effort is of utmost importance. Rat poisoning methods are applied most effectively before sanitation and cleaning programs are begun to prevent out migration of rats to other areas. Also early in the spring where burrows are easily recognized and prior to initial breeding of mature rats.

Forms of eradication include:

  • traps
  • glue boards
  • rodenticides
  • fumigation
  • ultra-sonic devices

Whichever method of eradication is used, it is best conducted by a professional Pest Control Operator. Look for ‘Pest Control Services’ in the Yellow Pages or online.

Precautions and legal implications

  • All rodenticides are potentially dangerous enough to cause death to animals other than rodents, so be sure to place them where they are inaccessible to children, pets, livestock and wildlife.
  • Read and follow the rodenticide label instructions.
  • Dispose of dead rats immediately and avoid handling rats with bare hands.
  • When baiting outdoors, put all bait deep into burrows or in covered rodent bait stations. If placed directly into burrows, baits must be contained in their original packets unopened. This will prevent spoilage caused by moisture and insects, as well as making it recognizable as a poison.
  • The burrow should then be covered to prevent access by children or non-target animals.
  • When baits are placed indoors, use covered bait stations where possible. It is legal to use open bait trays indoors only when they are protected under equipment, furniture or some other fixed structure which limits access to humans or animals.

Note: We strongly advise against baiting indoors as there is always a chance of rodents dying in the walls and creating a foul odour. Also, no matter what form of eradication method is used, it has to be placed where the rat will come into contact with it, i.e. adjacent to a wall, behind objects.

To obtain information on provincial legislation as it relates to rodenticides contact:

Department of Environment & Climate Change

Pollution Prevention Division

Pesticides Control Section

Community Control Program

There is no government organized rodent control program in the Town of Bay Roberts, or in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. The responsibility for rat control lies with the owner and/or the occupant of the land, dwelling or business.

If you suspect there is a rodent problem on Town owned land, contact the Town of Bay Roberts at (709) 786-2126 to arrange for an inspection.

Understanding the Norway Rat

The Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus), also known as the sewer rat, harbour rat, wharf rat or common rat, is the only species occurring in Newfoundland. It is not native to North America, but is believed to have been introduced by early settlers when their rat infested ships first visited our eastern shores. The Norway rat quickly spread and became a serious pest. Wild rats are recognized as the most destructive vertebrate animal in the world, both in terms of economic losses they cause and their effects on human health. Knowledge of the biology, physical abilities and behaviour of the rat can help you in establishing a successful control program. The adult Norway rat weighs an average of 450 g (1 lb). Body length various from 190 to 255 mm (7.6 to 10 inches). The tail is round, almost hairless and shorter than the body, averaging approximately 180 mm (7 inches) in length. The life-span of a wild Norway rat may extend from nine to 14 months.

In general, Norway rats have large litters of eight to 12 young. Under ideal conditions Norway rats can produce six to seven litters in a single year. Born in a nest about 21 to 23 days after conception, young rats are naked and their eyes are closed. Females may mate again within a day or so of littering. At about three months of age the young are reproductively mature. The females come into ‘heat’ every four to five days and remain receptive to males for a day or two. Rats have an excellent sense of balance and, like a cat, a falling rat always lands on its feet. A Norway rat can drop as much as 15 meters (50 feet) without being killed or seriously injured. Norway rats are good swimmers. They are able to swim up through floor drains and toilet bowl traps. They may swim as far as 0.8 km (½ mi), dive through water plumbing traps, and travel in sewer lines, even against substantial water currents.

The Norway rat can climb quite well when necessary. When rat proofing a structure, it would be wise to consider that rats can:

  • Climb both horizontal and vertical wires
  • Climb the inside of vertical pipes that are 4 to 10 cm (1.5 – 4 inches) in diameter
  • Climb the outside of vertical pipes that are up to 7.5 cm (3 inches) in diameter
  • Climb brick or other rough exterior walls which offer footholds

Rats are omnivorous, meaning they eat nearly any type of food although each colony or group of rats has its own preferences. The Norway rat is an avid consumer of garbage. Rats are a nocturnal animal which means they are most active at night. Rats can be very aggressive with other rats, especially when they become numerous. Dominant males exclude other males from the burrow which may be occupied by several females. This is one major cause of rat migration. Again, migration will occur when all suitable habitat is occupied or if available food is not sufficient to sustain the present population.

Rats will often avoid strange objects, and other changes in their environment for three or more days. The rat will recognize a trap or poison bait only as a new object to be avoided; something which may be hazardous. A change in location of a familiar object may cause avoidance, or a noticeable drop in feeding. In environments where strange objects appear regularly, such as at dumps or in busy warehouses, rats may show little evidence of shyness.