Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1909-12-31
RAT is A PROBLEM
PROBABLY THE WORST MAMMA
LIAM PEST KNOWN TO MAN.
Destroys Property Worth Millions Of
Dollars Every Year and Dissem-
mates Bubonlc Plague-Stud-
led by Biological Survey.


The rat is believed to be the worst
mammalian pest known to man. Not
only does it destroy property worth
millions of dollars every year. but it
is now known to be the principal
agent in disseminating bubonic
plague. This is not a contagious dis
ease in the ordinary sense. The in
fection is spread from rat to rat and
from rat to man solely by means of
the rat flea.
The United States department of
agriculture, through it's biological sur
vey, has recently given the rat prob
lem serious attention. The results of
that work have appeared in bulle-
tin on THE Brown Rat" There are
several species of rats, but the com.
mon house or barn rat, the so-called
Norway rat" is the most widespread
and by far the most destructive. BY
means of ships it has been carried to
almost every part of the world, and
wherever landed it has proceeded to
make itself at home.
The species has wonderful adapta-
bility to climatic and other conditions.
In North America it is found from
Panama to the Yukon valley and to
Greenland
The rats bill of fare includes al.
most everything. eaten by man, and a
considerable number of things not in.
cluded in human dietaries, as, for in.
stance, carrion, mice, kid gloves, ivory
and horses hoofs.
Amorg the most co., on foods of
rats a"e corn and other grain If fed
on grain alone, it is estimated that
ne rat will eat 60 cents worth in a
ar, while of oatmeal, it will con.
sumo $3.50 worth. If we suppc2e the
number of rats in the United States
to be equal to the rumber of horses,
cattle. sheep and hogs, it would cost
n ore than 100000 900 year to board
them on grain.
But the damage done by rats is not
to be measured by what they eat.
Through pollution OF food products
they do as much damage as by eat
ing them. Besides they do great dam
age by digging under buildings and
smbankments, by gnlwing woodwork,
but cutting holes in sacks, and by cut
ting up goods and papers to make
nests. They kill young poultry and
squads. They steal eggs. They fre-
luently destroy the nests of wild
birds. They have been known to
ynaw holes in lead pipes. and they
cause fires by gnawing the insulating
covering from electric wires where
hey pass under the floors or inside
partitions. They also cause fires by
1anying and gnawing matches.
Though a serious pest on farms,
rats commit their greatest depreda-
tons in cities. An attempt has been
made to secure from the business men
of Washington, d. c., estimates Of
the annual losses due to rats and mice.
rhe data secured indicate losses eX-
cseding 100000.
The rapidity with which rats multi
ply is the main reason why man ap-
9ears to make so little headway in
heir destruction. The females give
irth to large litters of young, and
he intervals between the litters are
hort. More than 20 young rats have
been found in single nest, and it is
safe to estimate the average litter at
more than ten. 1t has been calculat-
ID that a single pair OF rats and their
,rogeny breeding without Interrupt
ZION and suffering no losses would in
,hree years increase to more than
| 2O,000,00O.
The author of this bulletin says
| hawks and owls, especially the lat
er destroy great numbers of rats, a
| good work which man should encour-
age. Weasels, minks and skunks are
| also rat destroyers. He recommends
The persistent use of traps and poi
| ons. But he thinks the most prom
| sing lines of effort lie in Q) rat
proof construction of buildings, espe-
| tally the use of concrete in founda-
lions; and (2) reducing the food sup
ply of rats by the disposal of garbage
and the protection of food supplies.