Evening star., 1942-03-15

re been caught in traps alone by the
crew working under him In the past
year. Handicapped from the outset
by lack of funds and personnel, Mr..
Bell said he hoped that Congress
would grant the approximately $22,-
600 requested for the work in the
deficiency budget.
Small Force.
Although theoretically Mr.. Bell
has crew Of four men, the turnover
in employment has been 50 great
that the average number of men
has been three and, at the time of
the discussion with Mr. Bell, he was
down to two men. Actually, he said,
the citizens have done much of the
work.
Rats have natural enemies, but
right now, Mr.. Bell said, they seem
to be multiplying instead of dying,
adding that everything is ripe for
them. 1t is the peoples careless
ness that brought them on"
In the early part of September
of last year, Mr.. Bell made direct
appeal to civic leaders for cooper
alton in the campaign and has per-
sonally addressed some 40 civic
groups. The associations were asked
to name a chairman for their area
and appoint square managers and
block supervisors, who would super
wise the distribution Of bait, tabulate
results and give information on rat
hideouts.
The response from associations
has been poor" Mr.. Bell declared
frankly. but hastened to point out
that just about the time his work
started the task of organizing civil
ian defense work also began.
I'VE had to take a back seat" he
added, philosophically.
Two Units Make Surveys.
Two associations, both in the
Northwest, have completed surveys
of their areas with good results"
Mr.. Bell said. Several other sections
and groups have shown interest in
the drive, including the Columbia
Heights area, home of DR.. Lyman F.
Kebler of the business association
there and the Citizens Forum of
Columbia Heights, who has been
concerned over the matter for some
time.
Because of the lack of personnel,
Mr. Bell said that he could not send
workers out on all of the average Of
25 complaints telephoned in each
day, but had to select the most Sc
rious ones. Most of the callers,
therefore, receive advice. even
though some of them tell Mr.. Bell
to send an investigator or they will
get his job
His advice to those with rats in
their house Is ito clean up and
build them out" AS for building
them out, he explained that most
people did not realize that rat can
enter any place the size of his head.
He does not dare suggest the use
of poisoned bait because if the rat
dies inside the odor starts a stam-
pede for the exits and causes hard
feelings toward the Health Depart
ment in general and Mr.. Bell in
particular. And, secondly, he said
he recommended that an effort be
made to clean up garbage and keep
the cans closed.
If the rats are outside 1t is sug-
gested that householders clean up
/ their garbage so as to make the rats
hungry and use red Souill poison,
which is mixed with meat.
Mr.. Bell. who was sent to Savan-
nah. Ga, to train there under the
United States Public Health Service,
brought back over 5000 traps with
| him. as we'll as other small equip
ment. Actually. the use of traps is
fairly expensive. the casualty" rate
being about so per cent, either
through loss or just coming to pieces.
so Cents Per Trapped Rat.
Moreover, he pointed out, it costs
/ approximately so cents to get one
rat for each trap because of the
labor involved. One man can set
about 100 traps day, but they have
to be washed once week and the
local Pied Pipers consider a haul Of
five to nine rats for every 100 traps
a good catch. Although Mr.. Bell
said it was possible to get so times
the results with bait as compared
with traps for the same amount Of
money, he pointed out that in some
cases rats will not touch bait, forc-
ing the use of two methods.
Asked If any one section Of the
city was bothered with rats more
than another. Mr.. Bell indicated
that every section had them. When
the drive began he ordered a secrc-
tary to keep a record of all letters
and telephone calls so that at the
end of the month they could be clas-
Sifled. The secretary, after complet-
ing the tabulation. reported that the
complaints had been received from
every street, although there were
points of concentration.
The first area attacked was 50
square blocks around Massachusetts
avenue from Fifth street NV. to
Fifth street NE, up as far as M
street. Four thousand rats were
taken out of there and Mr.. Bell
| PANS&koVCb blldb Vic lluIIlUSI WUull
have been tripled If the traps had
been left longer. Since that time
smaller projects have been under
! taken.
In every new area attacked by the
rodent-control workers a few sam
pie rats are sent to the rNationxf
Institute of Health for analysis to
determine if they are carrying the
type of f1eas that cause typhus.
Except for some found in the Union
Station area none of the typhus-
bearing type has been found. Mr..
Bell said.
In the latter part Of January DR..
George c. Rutland, District health
officer, told a House committee of
Gordon the department placed in
the Union Station area to trap rats
and said that 5000 had been cap
tured in the drive, of which IS Of
the $50 examined carried the fieas
that cause typhus. He went on to
tell the committee that altogether
five cases Of typhus fever had been
discovered in the Metropolitan
Washington Area, but that only two
could be connected with the rats In