The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1920-07-13
METHODS OF RAT-pRooFING
CAssociated Press,

Washington, July I3.@Methods of
destroying and proofng against rats
lare outiined in literature prepared by
the us}iksd States Public Health Sery-
lice for use by state and municipal
dhealth officers over the country in the
campaign which they have been asked
by Surgeon General Cumming to in
laugurate In order to protect the ma
tion against bubonic plague The ac-
ltivity of the health service results
from the appearance ef the pleague
I'm Mexican and American gulf ports
and at points in the Mediterranean.
"Rat destruction says the health
lservice bulletfn "can be accomplished
by individua effort toea limited de-
lgree, btu tor-be successful in large
city there must be rat-proofng of
buildings. No spasmodic or individ-.
uaI efforts viii result in the desired
ends. -
Rats can be destroyed by trapping,
Iky 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
lcurtail the rat food supply by prop
erly disposing of garbage and table
refuse, and by preventing rats gain
ling access to such foods IS con-
Itained 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-
ltection 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 be
placed wherever rats have been ac-
customed to come for feeding pur-
poses and should ebe more or less con-
Icealed, the snap trap by scattering
dust. cornmeal or flour on or about
them and the cage by pieces of sack
ing, stSaw or rubbish, leaving only
the opening free.
"Highly savored articles. such as
Ichese and toasted bacon, will more
Iquickly attract rats than will food
without odor; but the idea that a rat
lean be enticed into trap by the en-
lplayment 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 consid-
Ieration.
"The destruction of rats by poison
has always been more or less in
favor. A preparation of arsenious
acid or PHOSPHORUS, ten per cent and
Esuitable base, as cheese, meat or glu-
cose, are the most popular poisons.
Poisons undoubtedly have a certain
efficiency in ridding place of rats,
but whether by causing their migra-
ton or their actual destruction is
somewhat difficult to determine.
/ "Rat-proofng excludes rats from
harborage. Without this procedure
it is almost impossible to reduce the
rodent population.
"In rat-proofng any building, the
following parts have to be consider.
ed: ground area, walls, ceilings, gar
ret, roof, bed spaces in general, ven
tiiators, abandoned sewers, doors
windows, outside piping, water and
sewerage pipes, down spouts, wiring
sien 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 o.
the structure with the under-pinnins
opening free or by marginal walls o.
: concrete, stone or brick laid in ce
? ment mortar sunk two feet in th'
ground, fitting flush with the foo
. labove. The wall must fit tightly Il
. the flooring.
. "Food depots ara of the creates
! importance in rat-proofng becaus
. they furnish both sustenance an
! shelter for rats. In this class o
. buildings are stables, meat markets
5 retail and wholesale groceries, bak
. eries, warehouses, docks and wharves
: These places are best rat-proofed a
. to the ground areas by the construc
: ton of concrete floors and founda
= tion walls. Untenanted as they ar
. at night time rats might well ente
= doors or windows carelessly left ope
. or be introduced concealed in the meT
. chandise and knawing through plan
. flooring obtain we'll protected hidin
and breeding places.
e Double walls with dead space be
= tween should be avoided or if use
should be rat-proofed at top and bot
tom with heavy wooden timbers. fou
. by four joist or by concrete fill. Az
: tics should be well opened and keT
: free of dunnage or other refuse fo
: rats.
"Double ceiling should be avoide
. especially so in easements Boxed
= structures, such as uprights an
: roughly finished dwellings, plumbing
. kitchen sinks and the like should b