HOUSE RATS AND MICE. 



CONTENTS. 



Page. 



Page. 



Destructive habits. 



Protection of food and other stores.. . 



Rat-proof building 



Keeping food from rats and mice 



9, 

 II 

 II 

 15 

 18 



o 



3 

 5 



l)estroying rats and mice — Continued. 



Fumigation 



E.at viruses 



Natural enemies 



18 

 19 

 20 

 20 

 21 

 21 

 22 



Destroying rats and mice. 



Traps 



Poisons 



Domestic animals 



Organized efforts to destroy rats. 



Community efforts 



State and national aid 



Important repressive measures 



DESTRUCTIVE HABITS OF HOUSE RATS AND MICE. 



LOSSES from depredations of house rats amount to many millions 

 iof dollars yearly — to more, in fact, than those from all other 

 injurious mammals combined. The common house mouse ^ and the 

 brown rat- (fig. 1), too familiar to need description, are pests in 

 nearly all parts of the country; while two other kinds of house rats, 



known as the black rat ^ and the roof rat,* are found within our 

 borders. 



Of these four introduced species — for none is native to America- 

 the brown rat is the most destructive, and, except the mouse, the most 

 numerous and most widely distributed. Brought to America just 



Fig. 1. — Brown rat. 



^ Mus mu8culus. 

 8 Rattus norvcgiciis. 



3 RattKS rattus rattns. 



* Rattus rattus aleccandrinus. 



