ROUGH ON RATS

Wanganui Chronicle, 6 May 1948, Page 4

ROUGH ON RATS

| growing determination to make war on the Dominion’s rodent 'population is expected to develop into action in the near future. The action to be taken must be widespread for the rat is a very intelligent animal. He is not partial to any locality; he is prepared to migrate for any sufficient reason; h/never puts up a fight, preferring flight to safer quarters. T>3 rat probably suffers a high mortality rate through various causes, but he enjoys such a tremendous fecundity that the only limitation set to the rat population is the food supply. In searching for food the rat shows great cunning and he goes on with his task industriously day and night, but principally at night. AV here food is available to him there will the rat be also; it becomes necessary to destroy all possible rat food if it is desired to reduce the rat population. This is not as easy as it sounds to accomplish, hut the probability is that if the available food could be reduced to a considerable extent the rats would turn cannibal. The nocturnal industry of rats makes it difficult to assess Weir presence even in considerable numbers. They are also capable of travelling considerable distances so the eliminating of one nest in a building does not mean very much. Unless the whole block is dealt with it simply means that the remainder in the block have to travel a little further for their supper but get more when they arrive. It is easy for a rat to cross the street and thev are to be seen in the cities of all the Dominion at any hour of the night making their way to their feeding grounds. They are particularly active in ports partly because they arrive in ships and partly because there are always good pickings to be had where cargoes are unloaded. They take journeys in railway trucks following the gram and other produce to its destination and as opportunity occurs contriving to get into the packing- of eased goods. unless, therefore, the whole of the Dominion will into action against the rat population attacking from the waterfront to the back qouutry farmyard the good achieved today in one area will soon’ b$ Undone as a result of the neglect in other areas The rat is the most persistent enemy of mankind. He is classed first of the unholy trinity which comprises the rat, the fly and the flea in the spread of disease among mankind. Among the achieve ments ol the rat is-aecording to some medical historians-the bringing down of the Roman Empire.