RATS. 8S 



The lower part of outer doors to public buildings, especially 

 markets should be reinforced with light metal plates to pre- 

 vent the animals from gnawing through. 



Dwellings. — In constructing dwelling houses the addi- 

 tional cost of making the foundation rat-proof is slight as 

 compared with the advantages. The cellar walls should have 

 concrete footings, and the walls themselves should be laid 

 in cement mortar. The cellar floor should be of medium 

 rather than lean concrete, and all water and drain pipes 

 should be surrounded with concrete. Even old cellars may 

 be made rat-proof at comj)^ratively small expense. Rat holes 

 may be permanently closed with a mixture of cement, sand 

 and broken glass, or sharp bits of crockery or stone. 



On a foundation like the one described above, the walls 

 of a wooden dwelling also may be made rat-proof. The 

 space between the sheathing and lath, to the height of about 

 a foot, should be filled with concrete. Rats can not then 

 gain access to the walls, and can enter the dwelling only 

 through doors or windows. Screening all basement and cellar 

 windows with wire netting is a most necessary precaution. 



Old Buildings in Cities. — Aside from old dwellings, 

 the chief refuges for rats in cities are sewers, wharves, 

 stables and outbuildings. Modern sewers are used by the 

 animals merely as highways ' and not as abodes, but old- 

 fashioned brick sewers often afford nesting crannies. 



Wharves, stables and outbuildings in cities should be so 

 built as to exclude rats. Cement is the chief means to this 

 end. Old tumble-down buildings and wharves should not be 

 tolerated in any city. 



In both city and country, wooden floors of sidewalks, 

 areas, and porches are commonly laid upon timbers resting 

 on the ground. Under such floors rats have a safe retreat 

 from nearly all enemies. The conditions can .be remedied in 

 towns by municipal action, requiring that such floors should 



