176 



supporting a fair quota of rats. The entire inclosure should be 

 protected by wire fencing 6 feet high and of a mesh not larger than a 

 half inch. Ordinary poultry netting is inadequate, the mesh being 

 too large. The edge of the yard should be of concrete construction, 

 the concrete extending 1 foot upward and 2 feet inward. If, on 

 any subsequent inspection, rats have been found to have burrowed 

 into the inclosure, the entire area should be concreted, sand or earth 

 being allowed as a top dressing. 



It would seem sufficient to confine these specifications to a feeding 

 pen, but in practice this will not suffice, as a mere pretext of such a 

 place would be built, and the housewife would continue to throw 

 scraps into the unprotected yard. 



The dwelling house itself should receive the most careful attention. 

 If it is a small frame structure the cheapest and most effective means 

 of rendering it free from rats is by elevating it, the minimum height 

 being 1J feet, measured from the most dependent joist. At the 

 same time, all underpinning should be freed of rubbish or other 

 material. It is not sufficient to raise the structure a few inches so 

 as to permit the entrance of cats and other enemies of the rat. Such 

 height and exposure must be secured as to deprive all rodents of 

 cover. 



If the house is of more substantial structure, and always if it has 

 a cellar or basement, concrete or some other rat-proof material should 

 be adopted. If sound foundation walls of stone or brick exist, then 

 only the addition of a concrete floor is necessary. The stopping up 

 of rat holes in any substance pervious to rats is at best a poor 

 expedient. 



The grounds must be rendered rat proof by piling all loose materials 

 at such an elevation as will preclude rat harborage. All rubbish 

 should be burned or otherwise destroyed. All basement windows 

 should be properly protected against the ingress of rats, and if the 

 Mus rattus be present, even second and third story windows should 

 not be considered too high to afford them entrance. 



All loose materials on the premises should be properly piled, even 

 though they are in a rat-proof cellar. It is not probable that the 

 Mus decumanus would remain or breed in any place where it could 

 not burrow; but no encouragement should be offered to any rodent 

 let in by carelessly left open doors. There have been cases where 

 the black rat has lived, increased, and overrun a house which was 

 structurally rat proof, but in which there was allowed easy access 

 through open windows and doors, and great piles of loose materials 

 and dunnage furnish harborage. 



Stables are of two-fold importance because they provide a source 

 of food supply for rats and furnish harborage. All grain must be 

 kept in a metal-lined box or granary. A small stable is sufficiently 



