The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1918-05-23
'$2Oo,O0O,OOloLOss
YEARLY BY RATS.
Pest Has Become Great Liability
to United States.
STARTLING ARRAY Of FACTS
cenlns Originally From Asia the Ro.
dent Has Spread Al Over the
World - During Campaign Against
Dubonlo Plague IN San Franciseo
From 1904 TO 1907 More than soo,.
900 Were kiIisd-lnereass Rapidly

900 Were Killed lnerease Rapidly.
TO what extent the rat pest has b.
come q national liability, entailing
the loss Of more than $500, 10000
worth of foodstufts and other property
In the United States every year, 10
told with q startling array Of facts in
q communication to the National Geo
graphical society derived from coun-
try-wide survey by Edward w. Nelson.
the well known biologist, q part ,of
which has been made public In q pre-
vious bulletin. The following supple
mentary bulletin Is now issued:
House rata are extremely numerous
and are worldwide in distribution. At
the present time they destroy annually
hundreds of millions Of dollars worth
Of 'foodstuffs and other property, and
through the distribution Of bubonic
plague and other diseases cause the
death Of untold number Of human BE-
lngs. These facts being known, why
should we delay in vigorously using
known methods for the elimination
from our homes and communities Of
these wasteful and loathsome pests9
Al Gene Frsm Ada.
'The common house.frequenting rats
ore Of three species, the brown, the
black and the roof rat. All are b.
'lieyed to be natives of Asia. whence
they have spread to most parts of the
world. In their relations to man their
habits are 80 similar that they may
be included in one account. The larg,
ser size, abundance, more general dis
tribution, and aggressive predomi-
nenceN Of the brown rat, also known
as the Norway and wharf rat, have led
TO its being generally known as the
house rat
$50 far as known, these rodents ars
! always, everywhere. thoroughgoins
pests with no usefulness to man. y
! sThe history Of the brown rat Is an
extraordinary one, one unequaled BY
that Of any other mammal. 1t was IN
known in Europe until 1927, when vast
1hordes Of them swan the volga river.
A year or two later 1t arrived in Eng
land on ships from the Orient. Since
that time 1t has steadily extended its
distribution BY. means Of ships and 9th.
Ter transportation agencies, and by
'migrations overland, until 1t shares
with mankind, nearly all parts Of the
earth, from Greenland to Patagonia
and aroun,f tie globe:
some weigh Four Pounds
1T sisea sturdy, fierce and cunning
spimal. With extraordinary fecundity
1fese, CHARACTERISTICS have enabled It
quickly to, overrun and occupy new
territory despite the never-ceasl4g'
warfare waged against it by man and
the competition of other mammals.
'.The smaller black rat and roof rat,
formerly existed in most parts Of the
old world. They preceded the brown
rat also in America, but when the lat
ter arrived were promptly reduced by
1t to q secondary position or extermi-
mated. Black rats still exist in some
parts Of the United States, and roof
rats are common with the brown rat
in the milder climate Of the southern
states.
''The greater size Of the brown rat
readily distinguishes 1t from either Of
the other species. It averages from
one to one and half pounds In
weight, and about IS inches In length
Occasionally giants Of its kind occur,
however, as shown BY the capture,
near Canterbury, England, Of one huge
Individual weighing over four pounds
and measuring 22h inches in length.
Their Increase Very Rapid.
d'With an abundant food supply
brown rats increase with almost In.
credible rapidly. They have from
three to twelve filters q year, each
containing from six to more than
twenty young. the average being about
ten. The young begin to breed when
less than three months Of age.
"Rats are nocturnal, and a. q rule
keep hidden during the day In holes
and other places Of concealment about
buildings or n burrows which they dig
In the ground. Within their retreats
they make warm nests of shredded
abrous material, often cut from costly
fabrics, in which their naked and help
less young are safely brought forth.
after careful investigation the
United States public health service es-
Inmates that the number Of rats living
under normal conditions in our cities
equals the human population, but that
in country districts they are relatively
three or four times as numerous.
''This estimate is practically the
same as that obtained some years ago
In Great Britain and Ireland, Dem
mark, France and Germany. At inter.
walls, as the result of especially favor
able conditions Of food supply and
weather, extraordinary increases Of
rats occur over considerable areas and
the damage by them is enormously in.
creased.
Their Numbers Enormous 81.
"A vivid realization Of the multi
tude of rats witch thrive rs parasites
on mans industry may be gained from
the result Of local campaigns against
them. In 1904 plague Of rats 0c-