If rats burrow beneath a founda- 

 tion to enter a building, it would 

 be well to install a curtain wall in 

 the shape of an "L" 2 feet deep 

 and 1 foot across the footing. 

 Rats will tunnel down 3 or even 4 

 feet, but rarely will they cut 

 around the footing. Almost any 

 structure can be made ratproof 

 with a little ingenuity, and usually 

 any measures so taken will at the 

 same time result in useful and 

 worthwhile repairs to the building 

 itself. In the case of open build- 

 ings, as barns and sheds, it is 

 largely a matter of making certain 

 that no harbor is present, so that 

 if a rat does run through the 

 place, it will have no place to hide. 



GENERAL SANITATION 

 SUGGESTIONS 



Food and shelter are the two 

 most important factors in a rat's 

 existence. It hunts for a food sup- 

 ply and for a convenient harbor- 

 age nearby. Eliminate these two 

 attractants and the premises lose 

 their appeal to rats. Ignore them 

 and new invaders will appear as 

 fast as the old ones are killed off, 

 particularly if nearby areas are 

 also undergoing a control pro- 

 gram. Open garbage and trash 

 heaps should not be permitted. 

 Care should be taken not to spill 

 food on the ground and leave it for 

 rats to get. If birds are being fed, 



a rat-proof feeding tray placed on 

 a generous ledge to prevent spill- 

 ing should be provided. In cities, 

 particularly, often more food goes 

 to rats than to the birds. Un- 

 sightly dumps should be eliminat- 

 ed. If complete burning is not pos- 

 sible, the debris should be buried 

 at least 3 feet deep and the earth 

 compacted around it. Every week 

 should be a "clean-up week." 



MOUSE CONTROL 



In general, the control of mice is 

 based on the same techniques as 

 those used in the control of rats. 

 Trapping, unless the infestation is 

 heavy, will often be sufficient. Of 

 the poisons mentioned, ANTU and 

 red squill give poor results. Zinc 

 phosphide and strychnine alkaloid 

 are more satisfactory. Again, it 

 must be emphasized that care 

 must be observed in the proper 

 handling of the materials, that a 

 sufficient quantity of the mate- 

 rials be used to insure satisfactory 

 results, and that sanitary meas- 

 ures be taken to eliminate condi- 

 tions that permit the pests to 

 exist. Detailed information on 

 the control of mice can be found 

 in United States Department of 

 the Interior Conservation Bulletin 

 36, Control of Destructive Mice, 

 which can be obtained from the 

 Fish and Wildlife Service, Wash- 

 ington 25, D. C. 



5 VVHSE 00077 



U. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 



