Port Moody school's rat infestation puts parents on edge

A rat infestation at a Metro Vancouver school has gotten so bad that teachers and students have resorted to hiding their papers so they won't get chewed, says one parent.

The rat problem at Moody Elementary School has been going on for several years, according to Alicia Purvis, vice-chair of the Moody Elementary Parent Advisory Committee. The rats are chewing shoes and paper, urinating on carpets and leaving droppings in vents, she said.

"When you get feces in the vents and everything, and the vents are turned on, all that comes through and [the students] breathe that in, so it's very unhealthy for them and the teachers to have to work in that environment," she told The Early Edition's Rick Cluff.

The school has tried fumigation and traps, but none of the measures seem to be working, Purvis said.

Reno Ciolfi, assistant superintendent with School District 43, says rat infestation has been a problem at Moody Elementary since 2009, and the school administration has been working hard to eradicate the rodents.

As far as he knows, there has only been one sighting recently.

"We're taking every measure we can to address the problem," he said.

"Every morning of everyday, we have our custodial team working through the school to make sure it's clean when the students arrive. Every measure we take is absolutely safe for students."

More extreme measures, such as poison and sealing access to the rodents, can only be done in the summer, when students aren't around, Ciolfi said.

To hear the full story, listen to the audio labelled: Port Moody school has rat problem