The Florida agriculturist., 1907-08-07
Methods of Destroying Rats.

the loss caused to FARMERS, SdIuc1lc1o,
fruitgrowers, and poultrymen by rats.
The smallest estimate divided by two
still shows a useless destruction OF
property which is too great to be
realized by the mind Of one who is
not stepped in statistics.
Farmers Bulletin 2o7, Of the United
States Department Of Agriculture, is
devoted to "Methods of Destroying
Rats"
The bulletin says: "The brown or
Norway rat is the worst mammal
pest in the United States. The yearly
loss amounts to many million dollars,
to more, indeed, than the losses from
all other injurious mammals combined.
In addition to it's destructive habits,
this rat is now known to be an active
agent in disseminating infectious dis
eases, a fact which renders measures
for it's destruction doubly important.
A compilation of all the methods Of
destroying rats practlCed in historic
times would fill a volume. Unfortu-
nate1y, the greater number OF them
are worthless or impracticable. Few
have more than temporary effect upon
their numbers, and even the best OF
them fail unless persistently applied.
Conditions vary so much that no one
method of dealing with this pest is ap-
plicable in all cases Among the more
important measures to be recommend
ed for actively combating the brown
rat are: CD Poisons; (2) traps; (3)'
ferrets; Cd fumigation, and (5) rat
proof construction of buildings.
Barium Carbonate.-One of the
cheapest and most effective poisOns
for rats and mice is barium carbonate,
or barytes. This mineral has the ad-
vantage of being without taste or
smell; and, in the small quantities
used in poisoning rats and mice, is
harmless to larger animals. It's action
on rodents is slow, but reasonably
sure, and has the further advantage
that the animals before dying, if exit
be possible, usually leave the premises
in search Of water It's employment
III houses, therefore, is rarely follow
ed by the annoying odOr which attends
the use Of the more v1rulent pO1sons.
The poison may be fed in the form
Of a dough made of one-hfth barytes
and four-hfths meal, but a. more con-
venient bait is ordinary oatmeal, with
about one-eighth Of its bulk Of
barytes, mixed with water into stiff
dough; or the barytes may be spread
upon bread and butter or moistened
toast The prepared bait should be
placed in rat runs, a small quantity
at place. If single application Of
the poison fails to drive all rats from
the premises, it should be repeated
with a change Of bait.
Strychnine- -Strychnine is a more
viru1ent poison, but its action is SO
rapid that the animals often die upon
the premises, a circumstance which
prohibits it's use in occupied dwellings.
Elsewhere strychnine may be employ
ed with great success. Dry strych-
nine crystals may be inserted in small
pieces of raw meat, Vienna sausage
or toasted cheese, and these placed in
the rat runs; or oatmeal may be wet
with a strychnine syrup, and small
quantities laid out in the same way
Strychnine syrup is prepared as
follows: Dissolve a half ounce of
strychnine su1phate in pint Of boiling
water, add pint of thick sugar syrup,
and stir thoroughly. In preparing the
bait it is necessary that all the oat-
meal should be moistened with syrup.
Poison in the Poultry House.-For
poisoning rats in buildings and yards
occupied by poultry, the following
method is recommended: Two wood
en- boxes should be used, one con-
siderably larger than the other, and
each having two or more holes in the
sides large enough to admit rats The
poisoned bait should be placed on the