The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1909-11-18
RAT 4 IS A PROBLEM
PROBABLY THE WORST MAMMA.
LIAM PEST KNOWN TO MAN.
Destroys Property Worth Millions o.
Dollars Every Wear and Discern
mates Rubonic Piapue-Stud'
led by Biological Survey.

The, rat is believed to be the worst
mammalian pest known to man. Not
only does 1t destroy property worth
millions Of dollars every year, but 1t
ia now known to be the principal
agent in disseminating bubonic
plague. This is not contagious dis
ease in the ordinary sense. The In
lection 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 its biological sur
vey, has recently given the rat prob
lem serious attention. The results OF
that work have appeared in a 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. $50
The rats bill of fare includes al
most everything eaten by man, and
considerable number of things not In.
cluded in human dietaries, as, for in
stance, carrion, mice, kid gloves, ivory
and horses hoofs.
Among the most common foods OF
rats are corn and other grain. If fed
on grain alone, it is estimated that
one rat will eat 60 cents worth in
year, while of oatmeal, it will con-
sumo 81 so worth. If we suppose the
number of rats in the United States
to be equal to the number Of horses,
cattle, sheep and hogs, it would cost
more than 100000 year to board
them on grain.
But the damage done By rats Is &c.
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
entertainments, by gnawing 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 fire.
quently destroy the nests of wild
birds. They have been known to
gnaw holes in lead pipes, and they
cause fires by gnawing the insulating
covering from electric wires where
they pass under the floors or inside
partitions. They also cause fires by
carrying and gnawing matches.
Though serious pest on farms,
rats commit their greatest depreda-
lions 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.
The data secured indicate losses ex.
ceeding 100000.
The rapidly with which rats multi
ply is the main reason why man ap-
pears to make SO little Roadway In
their destruction. The females give
the intervals between the litters are
short. More than 20 young rats have
been found in single nest, and it is
safe to estimate the average litter at
more than ten. It has been calculat-
ed that a single pair of rats and their
progeny breeding without Interrupt
ton and suffering no losses would in
three years increase to more than
2o.o0o,o0 ...
The author of this bulletin says
hawks and owls, especially the lat
ter. destroy great numbers Of rats, =
good work which man should encour-
age. Weasels, mfnks and skunks are
also rat destroyers. He recommends
the persistent use of traps and poi
sons But he thinks the most prom
Using. lines of effort lie in ~ rat
proof construction of buildings, espe-
cially the use Of concrete in founda-
tons; and ~ reducing the food sup
ply Of rats by the disposal of garbage
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