| United States Department of Agriculture 
Bureau of Biological Survey 
Wildlife Research and Management Leaflet 5BS-113 
Washington, D. C. * May 1938 
EUROPEAN AND AMERICAN METHODS OF RAT CONTROL 
By HE. M. Mills, Assistant Biologist, Amherst, Mass., Division of 
Predator and Rodent Control 
Contents 
Page : : Page 
Methods in Hurope. . « « » « 1 ; Methods in Burope--Continued 
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' fhe world's worst mammal pest, the brown rat (Rattus norvegicus), 
was not introduced into the American colonies until 1775. European coun- 
} tries, therefore, have had many more years of experience in combating this 
rodent than has the United States. An account of methods of control used 
in Europe, gathered from conferences with authorities in several countries, 
should aid in solving the control problem in this country. From a first- 
hand study of the situation, it seems fair to say that those nations that 
have passed rat-control laws have been much more successful in reducin 
the numbers of rats than have those with no legislation and no definite 
program on the subject. 
METHODS IN EUROPE 
Denmark 
Denmark, which is about half the size of South Carolina, was the 
first country to attempt to solve the rat problem on a nation-wide basis, 
In 1898, Emil Zuschlag, a sanitary engineer, made an address to stimulate 
interest in a national law that would provide funds for the systematic de- 
struction of rats. His address led to the organization of a society of 
2,000 members to demonstrate his methods. During 18 weeks of the following 
year 100,000 rats were caught in Copenhagen and Fredericksbereg. 
