The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1918-02-22
IL SERVICE OF THE WHEELING INTELL1GENCEE
ROUT THE RAT
Is Time We Began Treating Destructive Rodents Plague
and Organized to Eradicate Them.
BY E. W. NELSON
Chief OF the Biological Survey t. $ Department OF
Agriculture
ROUT THE RAT

, Washington to ascertain the damage
. done by rats and as result OF TINS
! inquiry the total losses for tn" city were
estimate at $ihh.n0n. y similar lnFcSU-
cation in Baltimore showed losses OF
| SIn". hnn per year.
! Rats destroy iuodstufIs al every stage
| from III" time nf planting tn" seeds I'M
! I'll tho finished products are ready Tor
! human consumption. BESIDES they i""h
upon all kinds of animal matter. L"t-
! tors received by the biological survey
! from localities III various states report
that freshly planted grain has been dug
up by these pests SO prrStstCntlE as TO
, uccrSSIlutc Il second and even third
, rcplantinG. Often they destroy entire
crops of ripcncd grain.
| The state health commissioner or Fir-
Einia in 1914 reported that rats con-
! Sumcd about 10 pr cent of the grain
: raised in some Of the counties and de-
: stroycd IS per cent ht the young chick
ems and turkeys. AS is well Known
! rats are great egg caters. II the aGgre-
! gate Of eggs destroyed L. them on
farms could lie known the amount would
Ia, STAGGERING. hut the losses Of this kind
| III warehouses also arc tremendous.
\ milling concern in Louisville re-
! Gently stated that il cost the manage
urcmrut $4,000 a year simply I" repair
! grain sacks damaged hy rats ana mice
| 4 packing hmISc in Chicago reported
! that it had $500 hams destroyed by rats
| ~ a single year. y hotel i'll Washing
! ton sustained an average loss OF H'a a
month in damaged linen. y department.
/ store in that city at ono time IoSl rs
| much as S"n Il night in damaged goods.
| ON" merchant had so dozen hroom$ de-
SIroycd and another reported fine china
worth $500 broken i'll sinEl" night.
| Horse collars worth St0Q was the loss
! sustained by n harness dealer III one
| season. =
| In addition to the losses Of foodsiulfs
and merchandise rats continuously
cause disastrous fires by GnawinE
matches and by cutting Insulation from
! electric wires in order To S"cur" mate
! rial for their nests: 10y GnawlnG through
! lead ripr near raS meters and by &C
lcunulating nl-soakrd rags and other
! inflarnmahlc materially: they Hood houses
! hy gnawiug through water pipes: they
| damage and sometimes totally rum
/ buildings by burrowinE in FOUNDATIONS
and EnawirG tho woodwork.
Rats have been Il part Of mans en-
! vIrunmcnl so long that he has come
| TO- accept them as matter ~ course
! II is tim" for us 10 begin treating them
as Il plurllc and rot seriously down I"
! the work Of eradication. Organized ell
| fort is what is nccdcd--orGaniZaiI"n that
will hr as ncIrly national in Sr"p" rs
possible. Individual property owners
must d. the greater part of III" WORK.
| hu, there are many public and semi
public places to br looked after and the
efforts Of individuals should Inc "o-ordi-
mated. Therefore it Will be we'll Tor
civil organizations to take the lnItia-
tive.
4 poster and bulletin have been pub
Iishcd by tho biological survey. United
States department Of agriculture. which
give practical advice for combating the
rat menace. Th"s" may be secured upon
written application.