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Way back when rat baiting was a sporting event in Marry old England. Crowds gather, money was wagered and heroes made. Men like Jack Black, a famous rat catcher would catch 1000s of live rats for the events, Billy, a Bull Terrier, was one of the most famous dogs of his time setting rat killing records that have never been broken.
Well the British help export not only that sport to the United States but the concept of feeding rats to build up the population so there would be large numbers of rats that could be caught for the events.
The Rat population began to explode in the large metropolitan areas. Not the rats needed that help, but it’s the idea that people would promote the increase of rats in any area for sport or because they are cute.
In Pacific Palisades, an affluent community in west side of Los Angeles, two sisters began feeding the rats in and around their home. It’s estimated that this feeding increased the rat population buy 10’s of thousands of rats which spread throughout that area affecting the whole area. Houses were sold in that area but the previous home owners didn’t disclose they had a serious rat problem on their property and throughout the neighborhood. The new owners began to investigate.
It was found that two sisters, they are supposed to be teachers, had been feeding rats since they moved into their home in 1958.
Hers’ a quote from their deposition:
"Since 1958, we've had rats," Marjorie told Barak Lurie during her deposition in May. "I've lived with rats since 1958, honey.... When I got the house in [1958], that's the day I started feeding all the animals. And I fed them as long as I lived there."
One of the main techniques in rat control is to remove all possible food sources form these creatures. But we as a company have found numerous situations where people promote rat problems by providing food, shelter and water. Most people will work to clear up these types of problem on their properties once they are pointed out but we always seem to find one person that won’t. That’s all it takes to have a rat population explosion in your neighborhood.
