Rats also carry disease.
Throughout history rodent-borne diseases have causedmore human deaththan any other epidemics on earth.
For centuries, humans have been raging a losing war against rats.
Then last year, the cityearmarked $32 millionon yet another rat eradication program.
Likewise, New Zealand has vouched to make the entire archipelagorat-free by 2050.
So far, only a few rat-eradication program have been successful.
Alberta didnt have arat problemuntil 1950.
Only its eastern border with Saskatchewan was exposed.
Shortly after, the intruders were discovered by the Alberta Department of Health.
Next, the public was educated and trained on how to recognize and eliminate rats.
Thousands of posters, booklets and pamphlets were distributed among the public.
No person should spare any effort to kill every Norway rat he sees, it added.
By 1960, the number of rat infestations in Alberta had dropped to below 200 per year.
Albertas rat control zone shown in red.
Confirmed sightings are dealt by a SWAT-like team of pest-control officers armed with shotguns and poison pellets.
Thats more than 3,100 farms that need to be inspected annually.
Exterminated rats lie in a pile in Manitoba.
Weve never totally been rat-free but we dont have a breeding population.
We never have,Phil Merrill asserts.
Thats an impressive achievement, considering the size of the provinceAlberta is nearly as big as France.
