THE BROWN RAT 61 



of cement construction. Wooden floors of buildings and porches 

 should be some distance above the ground. 



Henry Field, of the Field Seed Company at Shenandoah, informs 

 the writer that since the wooden floors of his warehouses have been 

 replaced with cement floors, and the basements floored and lined 

 with cement, he- has sustained little loss through the work of either 

 mice or rats. The problem of keeping the place in a cleanly condi- 

 tion has also thereby been simplified. 



In the construction of farm buildings such as stock barns, pig 

 pens, and poultry houses the floors and supports should be of con- 

 crete. The above animals may be kept from actual contact with the 

 cement by the use of dry sand or a wooden floor laid over the con- 

 crete. Corn cribs and granaries may be built entirely of concrete, 

 or, by the use of a galvanized wire netting placed all round the 

 inside or outside of a new or old -crib, mice, rats, and sparrows 

 may be excluded. The netting should be of not greater than half- 

 inch mesh and of sufficient weight to resist the teeth of rats. If 

 sparrows are not to be excluded the netting may be carried up 

 three feet from the ground and a belt of sheet metal a foot wide 

 nailed along its upper edge. Cribs and granaries may be built upon 

 smooth posts high enough to prevent rats from obtaining a foot- 

 hold and at the same time high enough to hold the floor well above 

 the ground, say fourteen to twenty inches, the floor being then pro- 

 tected from below by wire netting or sheet metal. The floors should 

 be as tight as possible, so that the grain may not leak through and 

 attract the rats. By placing the floors entirely above the earth, 

 thus leaving no hiding places for the rats, there is little induce- 

 ment for the pests to make such places their abode. 



An important measure in the repression of rats and mice is the 

 keeping of food materials from them. Old buildings which can- 

 not be easily and cheaply made rat-proof by some of the methods 

 suggested above may be torn down and replaced with new ones as 

 a matter of real economy. If the animals can secure food easily they 

 breed more rapidly and the difficulties in putting- into effect suc- 

 cessful control measures are increased. Foodstuffs, forage crops, 

 clothing, furniture and the like, if stored for a time are subject to 

 attack with more or less resultant loss and damage. Food supplies 

 in cellars, pantries, and kitchens may be kept safe by placing in 

 wire-covered, rat-proof containers. The proper collection and dis- 

 posal of garbage and waste from homes, hotels, cafes, slaughter 



