The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-07-11
RAT-PROOFDNC
PLAN OUTLINED
SURGEON GENERAL CUMMINGS
HAS COMPILED DATA ON RAT
EXTERMINA FOR WIDE
DISTRIBUTION.

Washington, July s.-Methods %
destroying and proofing against rats
are outlined in literature prepared by
the United States Public Health Ser
vice for use by State and Municipal
| Health Officers over the country in
| the campaign which they have been
asked by Surgeon General Cumming
] TO inaugurate in order to protect the
nation against bubonic plague. The
activity of the health service results
from the appearance of the plague in
Mexican and American gulf ports and
! at points in the Mediterranean.
Rat destruction" says the Health
Service Bulletin, can be accomplish
ed by individual effort to a limited
| degree. bu. to be successful in a large
city Their must be rat-proofing of
buildings. No spasmodic or individ-
ual efforts will result in the desired
end.
| Rats can be destroyed by trap
ping, by poisoning, and by using
natural enemies, such as certain
breeds of cats and dogs. To insure
/ the success of these measures it is
necessary to curtail the rat food sup
ply by properly disposing of garbage
and table refuse, and by preventing
rats from gaining access TO such foods
| as is contained in pantries. groceries,
! markets, stables and the like
Success in trapping is proportion
al TO the attention and industry the
/ trapper devotes to his traps and pro-
| lection of other food supplies. Two
| kinds of traps are generally used
the wire cage trap and the snap trap
! or dead fall. The trap should he
placed wherever rats have been ac-
customed to come for feeding pur-
poses and should be more or less
concealed. the snap trap by scattering
dust. corn meal or flour on or about
them and the cage trap by pieces OF
sacking, straw or rubbish, leaving only
the opening free.
Highly savored articles, such as
cheese. and toasted bacon. will more
quickly attract rats than will food
without odor; but the idea that a rat
can be enticed into a trap by the en-
ployment of bait more appetizing to
him than the surrounding food sup
ply is fallacious. To the rat. food
supply is a question OF availability
and preference is a secondary con-
sideration.
The destruction Of rats by poison
has always been more or less in IA
vor. A preparation Of arsenious acid
of phosphorus. ten per cent and suit
able base, as cheese. meat or glucose
are the most popular poisons. Poisons
undoubtedly have a certain efficien-
cy in Kidding a place Of rats. but
whether by causing their migration or
their actual destruction is somewhat
difficult Of determination.
Rat proofing excludes rats from
the food supply and deprives them Of
harborage. Without this procedure il
is almost impossible TO reduce the ro-
dent population.
I'm rat-proofing any building. the
following parts have to be considered:
ground area, walls, ceilings garnet.
roof, bed spaces in general. ventila-
tors, abandoned sewers, doors. win
dows outside piping, water and sew
erage pipes, down spouts, wiring and
air or light shafts. BY the ommis-
sion Of some small detail an other
wise rat-proof structure may become
badly rat-infested
'The rat-proofing Of floors of build
ings is secured either by elevation Of
the structure with the under pinning
opening free or by marginal walls Of
concrete, stone or brick laid in ce-
ment motar sunk two feet in the
ground, fitting flush with the floor
above. The wall must fit tightly to
the flooring.
Food depots are the greater i'm
portance in rat-proofing, because they
furnish both sustenance and shelter
for rats. In this class Of buildings
are stables, meat markets, retail and
wholesale groceries, bakeries, ware
houses docks and wharves. These
places are best rat-proofed as to the
ground areas by the construction of
concrete floors and foundation walls
Untenanted as they are at night time
rats might well enter doorways or
windows caerlessly left open or be in
troducd concealed in the merchandise
and knawing through plank flooring
obtain well protected hiding and
breeding places.
Double walls with dead space be
tween should be avoided or il used
should be rat-proofed at top and bot
tom with heavy wooden timbers. four
by four joist or by a concrete fill.
Attics should be well opened and
kept free Of dunnage or other refuse
for rats.
Double ceiling should be avoided
especially so in Easements. Boxed in
structures. such as uprights and
roughly finished dwellings. plumbing.
kite hen sinks and the like should be
removed Miscellaneous openings as
light shafts, ventilators and windows
should be screen preferably by twelve
gauge wire screen with mesh not ex-
ceeding one-half inch. The grounds
about the buildings are 10 be de-
void Of rat harboraCe and premises
a 70 m he Kent clean and frer ~ -grh--