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Title: Rat Proofing Buildings and Premises

Author: James Silver

M. C. Betts
W. E. Crouch

Release date: July 10, 2020 [eBook #62608]

Most recently updated: October 18, 2024

Language: English

Credits: Produced by Tom Cosmas

*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK RAT PROOFING BUILDINGS AND PREMISES
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«i»

U. S. DEPARTMENT OF
AGRICULTURE

FARMERS' BULLETIN
No. 1638
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RAT PROOFING
BUILDINGS and
PREMISES
« ii »

F OOD AND SHELTER are as essential to rats as to other animals, and the removal of these
offers a practical means of permanent rat control. The number of rats on premises and the
extent of their destructiveness are usually in direct proportion to the available food supply and to
the shelter afforded. Rat proofing in the broadest sense embraces not only the exclusion of rats
from buildings of all types but also the elimination of their hiding and nesting places and cutting
off their food supply. Through open doors and in other ways, rats may frequently gain access to
structures that are otherwise rat proof, but they can not persist there unless they find safe retreats
and food. When rat proofing becomes the regular practice the rat problem will have been largely
solved.
Washington, D. C. Issued December, 1930

«1»

RAT PROOFING BUILDINGS

AND PREMISES
By James Silver, Associate Biologist, and W. E. Crouch, Senior Biologist, Division of Predatory-Animal
and Rodent Control, Bureau of Biological Survey, and M. C. Betts, Senior Architect, Division of
Agricultural Engineering, Bureau of Public Roads.

CONTENTS
Page
Introduction 1
General principles of rat proofing 2
Rat-proofing farm buildings 2
Barns 5
Corncribs 7
Granaries 9
Poultry houses 9
Other farm structures 11
Rat proofing city buildings 13
Markets 18
Warehouses 19
Rat proofing the city 20
Model rat-proofing ordinances 21

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INTRODUCTION
HE PRINCIPLES of modern construction of buildings are opposed to everything conducive to the best
T interests of the rat. They call for the liberal use of indestructible and noncombustible materials, as well-
made concrete and steel, and these are too much for even the sharpest of rodent incisors. They include,
also, fire stopping in double walls and floors and the elimination of all dead spaces and dark corners, and the
rat is left no place in which to hide. They embody sanitary features that provide for hygienic storage of food,
and the rat can not live without something to eat.
Many men have devoted their lives to a study of methods of rat control, and as a result countless
preparations, devices, and contrivances are constantly being made available. Trapping, snaring, trailing,
flooding, digging, hunting, ferreting, poisoning, and fumigating are employed, and rat limes, rat lures, rat
repellents, and bacterial viruses are resorted to, and even antirat laws, local. State, and national, are
constantly being passed in a world-wide effort to conquer this rodent. These have been important factors in
keeping down the surplus, but all destructive agencies that have been used have utterly failed to reduce
materially the total number of rats in the world. Rat proofing, however, is at last making definite headway
against the age-old enemy of mankind, and it is upon this that the ultimate solution of the rat problem will
depend.
The destruction of rats for temporary relief and for keeping them under control in places where rat
proofing is not possible or practicable will always be necessary, and knowledge of the best means of
destroying rats is essential to any rat-control program. Information on poisoning, trapping, and other means
of destroying rats is given in Farmers' Bulletin 1533, Rat Control. Permanent freedom from rats, however,
«2»
should be the goal of everyone troubled with the pests and rat proofing offers the best means to this end.

GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF RAT PROOFING

Every separate structure presents its individual problem, but there are two general principles that apply in
all cases and that should be kept in mind when the rat proofing of any building is being considered. First, the
exterior of those parts of the structure accessible to rats, including porches or other appurtenances, must be
constructed of materials resistant to the gnawing of rats, and all openings must be either permanently closed
or protected with doors, gratings, or screens; second, the interior of the building must provide no dead spaces,
such as double walls, spaces between ceilings and floors, staircases, and boxed-in piping, or any other places
where a rat might find safe harborage, unless they are permanently sealed with impervious materials.
All new buildings should be made rat proof. When plans are being drawn for a building, the rat problem
is frequently overlooked, usually because rats are not often present near sites selected for new structures.
They are certain to come later, however, and should therefore be taken into account. Modern structures are so
nearly rat proof that to make them completely so requires only slight and inexpensive changes. Furthermore,
rat proofing is closely associated with fire stopping and with sanitary measures that are now required by law
in many places. Cities in growing numbers have added rat proofing clauses to their building ordinances with
such good effect that others are sure to follow their lead. Builders should therefore compare the cost of rat
proofing during construction with the probable later cost, in case local laws should require that all buildings
be made rat proof.

RAT PROOFING FARM BUILDINGS

The cost of rat proofing the entire premises of many American farms would amount to less than the loss
occasioned by rats on the same farms during a single year. In no other place is rat proofing more badly
needed or less often accomplished than on the farm. There are, however, numerous examples of rat-proof
farms in nearly every county in the United States, and almost invariably they are the more prosperous farms,
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for the rat proofing of a farm is an indication that the farmer has learned the necessity of stopping all small
leaks, which mean reduced profits.
A rat-proof farm is not necessarily one in which the entire farmstead is absolutely proofed, but rather one
where conditions are so unfavorable for any invading rats that they either will desert the premises of their
own accord or may be easily routed by man or dogs. The source of the trouble on almost any heavily rat-
infested farm can be traced directly to conditions that furnish rats safe refuges near abundant food. The
commoner of these rat-breeding places are beneath wooden floors set a few inches off the ground in poultry
houses, barns, stables, granaries, corncribs, and even residences; in piles of fuel wood, lumber, and refuse; in
straw, hay , and manure piles that remain undisturbed for long periods beneath concrete floors without curtain
«3»
walls; and inside double walls of buildings. In rat proofing the farmstead as a whole, attention should first be
paid to the premises outside the buildings and later to each building separately.
Neatness is of prime importance in keeping a place free from,
rats, and providing facilities for keeping it neat should be
considered part of the rat-proofing program. An incinerator, which
can be made from a discarded metal drum or rolled-up poultry
netting, is convenient for burning all trash and combustible waste;
and a deep, covered pit with a trapdoor will take care of tin cans
and other noncombustibles, if it is not practicable to haul them
away at regular intervals. A covered garbage can is also
indispensable on farms where table scraps are not fed directly to
poultry or hogs. (Fig. 1.) Raised platforms, 18 or more inches
high, should be provided upon which to pile lumber or other
materials that if placed on the ground would afford shelter for
rats. (Fig. 2.)
Large piles of cut stove wood on many northern farms
become rat infested. The same is true of manure piles adjoining
barns and, to a lesser extent, of hay and straw stacks near farm
buildings. These do not provide food and are attractive to rats for
harbors only if near a source of food supply; moving them to a
place at some distance from where foodstuffs are handled will
usually solve the problem.
Stone walls at times furnish excellent harborage for rats but, B31216
like the woodpile, only if there is ample food near by. Stone walls Figure 1.—An automatic garbage can, always
supporting embankments and driveways on sloping farmsteads closed
are most frequently infested, and when this occurs the inviting
openings can usually be readily closed with small stones and
cement.
Ditch banks often are a source of rat infestation, but in most climates during the warmer months only. The
rodents concentrate in such places because they are less likely to be disturbed there. Rat proofing the ditch
bank consists merely of burning or otherwise destroying the protective vegetation. This, of course, affords
only temporary relief and should not be considered strictly rat proofing.
The use of concrete in the construction of most farm buildings is usually the best means of permanently
«4»
excluding the rat. Fortunately, many of the fundamentals of rat proofing are also principles of good
construction. As am example, in order to support a building properly, the foundation should extend well into
the ground below the frost line; rat proofing likewise requires that the foundation wall extend at least 2 feet
below the surface. Rats seldom burrow deeper than 2 feet unless natural passageways assist. Foundation
walls should project a foot or more above the ground in order to protect the wooden parts of the building, and
this also lessens the opportunity for rats to gnaw through the wall. A rat is not likely to cling to the exposed
exterior of a building a foot above the ground while it gnaws a hole through wooden sheathing or siding. It
would do so very quickly, however, if such siding extended to the ground, where its work could be under
cover of vegetation or behind some object, particularly when the siding becomes somewhat rotted, as would
soon happen were it close to the ground.

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B3139M
Figure 2.—Lumber and other stored materials piled well off the ground to prevent
rat harborage

It is important that concrete be hard, as weak concrete is but a slight obstacle to the sharp rodent incisors.
The mixture approved for ordinary building construction, however, is sufficiently hard to be entirely rat
proof, and it is essential that approved practices of mixing and placing concrete be followed. Directions for
using concrete and for building concrete floors are given in Farmers' Bulletin 1279, Plain Concrete for Farm
Use, and in Farmers' Bulletin 1480, Small Concrete Construction on the Farm. Other approved building
practices, such as fire stopping double walls, eliminating waste dead spaces, making doors, windows, and
ventilators fit tightly, and screening or permanently stopping all openings, are also necessary in rat proofing.
For simple farm buildings the foundation illustrated in Figure 3 meets all the requirements of good
construction and will keep the rats out if the walls are tight.

BARNS «5»

It is seldom possible to shut out rats completely from barns or entirely to cut off their food supply where
livestock is fed. Little trouble will be experienced with them, however, if their harbors are eliminated. In
barns rat harbors are most frequently found around stalls, under wooden mangers, and stall partitions, and
beneath wooden or dirt floors. In modern barns with concrete floors, concrete or metal mangers, and metal
stanchions, such places of retreat are entirely eliminated. In older barns it is desirable at least to replace
wooden and dirt floors with concrete and reconstruct the mangers so that they are a foot or more off the
ground.
Another common source of rat trouble, particularly in the northern half of the United States, is the hollow
wall, within which rats find safe retreat and convenient runways leading to the haymow. In recent years
fibrous insulating materials have been used to line the interiors of many farm buildings, and in most cases
these have resulted in greatly increased rat infestation. Rats cut through these composition boards very easily
and seem to be attracted by the facilities for breeding thus provided. Hollow walls of any kind accessible to
rats should either be eliminated or adequately rat proofed. Such rat proofing may be accomplished by filling
the hollow spaces to a height of 8 or 10 inches above the sill with cement, bricks, or other material resistant
to the gnawing of rats, or a strip of galvanized metal 2 or more feet wide may be carried around the inside
wall just above the sill.
Old barns with wooden floors supported a few inches above the ground on girders and posts are
particularly objectionable from the standpoint of rat infestation and should be rat proofed with concrete. (Fig.
4.) A concrete foundation wall extending at least 2 feet below grade is placed under the girder between the
posts. The wooden posts may be removed after the wall has hardened, and the spaces left should then be
filled in with concrete. A concrete floor is laid, and cement stucco on metal lath is extended up the walls for
at least 2 feet, preferably to the level of window sills.
Rock foundations in many old barns offer excellent harborage for rats unless pointed carefully with
cement mortar. If possible, the floor should be raised to the level of the sill and the walls plastered to the
window-sill level (fig. 5) in such manner as to prevent access by rats to spaces between the studs.

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The grain bin and other similar fixtures must always be considered in rat
proofing a barn. It is most important that they be so situated or constructed that «6»
there shall be no hiding places for rats behind or under them. The grain bin
should be completely lined or covered with metal and should have metal-clad
lids. Any open spaces behind or under the bins should be tightly closed with
metal. (Fig. 6.)

Figure 3.—Foundation and

floor suitable for most
types of farm buildings

Figure 4.—A, Detail of old barn with floor supported a few inches above
ground on girders and posts; B, same barn made rat proof with concrete
foundation and floors and cement-plastered walls

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Figure 5.—Method of rat proofing old stable, A. Concreting and plastering as

shown in B makes for better sanitary conditions behind stock

Other accessories of various kinds of barns should be examined carefully and remodeled or moved if
necessary to exclude rats or eliminate harbors. The haymow frequently presents a difficult problem in a
heavily infested barn, but the haymow alone is seldom responsible for the rats, for if all other rat harbors in
the barn are effectively eliminated or shut off, the rats will not long remain with the hay as their only shelter.
«7»
If the lower walls are of rough surface or composed of open studs covered on the outside, rats can climb at
the corners. They may be prevented from doing so by the application of a strip of metal 8 inches wide placed
just below the joists of the upper floor. Recommended construction of walls and floors in new frame barns is
shown in Figure 7.

Figure 6.—A convenient upper-story Figure 7.—Recommended construction of walls

rat-proof grain bin and floors of new frame barns. Cement
plaster on metal lath or Insulating board is
applied to the inside of the studs at least to
the level of the window sills as a better
protection against rats and as being more
easily kept clean than wooden lining

CORNCRIBS
Of all the buildings on the average farm the corncrib is usually in greatest need of rat proofing. Losses
sometimes amounting to a fourth or a third of the total quantity of corn held over winter have been known. A
survey in a southern State showed an average loss of 5 per cent of corn in storage; in one case 500 bushels
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were destroyed in one crib during one winter. The amount of this loss would have been sufficient to pay for
rat proofing the crib several times over. In building or remodeling a corncrib; therefore, it is most important
that it be made permanently rat proof. Probably the most satisfactory method of accomplishing this with the
common slat-sided corncrib is entirely to cover the walls and ceiling on the inside and the wooden floors on
the under side with woven-wire mesh or hardware cloth, two or three meshes to the inch. A heavy grade of
woven wire should be used, 12 or 15 gage, and galvanized after weaving. Painting with a tar or asphaltic
paint increases its durability.
Another method, and one that is less expensive and quite
effective as long as kept in good repair, is shown in Figure 8.
Wire netting should be carried around the entire crib to a height
of 2 feet or more from the top of the foundation. A strip of
galvanized iron 8 inches wide should be fastened above the
wire netting. The joints between the foundation and netting
« 8 »and
between the netting and metal strip must be tight. As rats are
unable to gain a footing on the smooth metal and can not climb
over it, it is unnecessary to use wire netting above the strip.
Care should be taken to join the lengths of metal tightly and to
carry the wire netting and strips of metal across and around
both sides of doors and door jambs. It is also advisable to
provide doors with springs or weights to insure their remaining
closed.

Figure 8.—Suggested construction for corncrib: A,

Section through wall; B, section through door,
which is made of cribbing on vertical battens; the
metal band on the wall extends across the door,
but is cut and bent Inward at the edges of the
door; C, plan of door; D, enlarged detail of Jamb
at closing side of door

B31365
Figure 9.—An inexpensive method of rat proofing a corncrib. It is supported by
glazed tiles capped with galvanized washtubs, which, though not attractive in
appearance, have successfully kept out rats

If possible the corncrib should have a concrete foundation and floor, as illustrated. Otherwise it should be
elevated on posts or piers so that it will have a clearance underneath of feet or more. If the supporting posts
or piers are covered with sheet metal, or are protected at the top with metal collars or disks extending at least
9 inches out from the posts, rats will be kept out of the crib. Old cribs can often be rat proofed in this manner
at little expense. Dish pans and washtubs make convenient rat guards. (Fig. 9.) It is important that the « 9 area
»
beneath the corncrib be kept clear and that nothing that the rats can climb be leaned against it.[1]

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[1]
Plans for a 2,000-bushel corncrib (design No. 521) are available upon request addressed to
the Bureau of Public Roads, U. S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D. C.

GRANARIES
The rat proofing of granaries is of great importance, because of the abundance of food stored there and
the corresponding opportunity for serious loss. The granary with concrete foundation and floors, tight-fitting
doors, and screened ventilators presents no unusual problem, except possibly in connection with the elevator
pit, which should be carefully checked against possible means of ingress for rats. Small wooden and portable
granaries should be protected with wire netting. (Fig. 10.)
Concrete feeding floors, troughs (fig. 11), water tanks, hog wallows, and similar structures should be
constructed with a curtain wall, or apron, around the outer edge extending 2 feet or more into the ground (fig.
12) to keep the rats from burrowing underneath the slab. This also tends to prevent the heaving caused by
frost and the uneven settling of the structure in soft ground.

POULTRY HOUSES
It is not practicable to attempt to exclude rats from poultry
houses, but such buildings can easily be made proof against
serious trouble by the elimination of all places where the
rodents can obtain safe harborage. Most rat infestation around
poultry plants is due to the presence of numerous shelters and
suitable breeding places. Three things are particularly to be
avoided: Wooden floors on or within a few inches of the
ground; double walls; and nest boxes, feed hoppers, and other
fixtures placed so as to provide shelter for rats under or behind
them. From a rat-proofing standpoint the floors as well as the
foundation should be made of concrete. (Fig. 13.) If this is not
considered practicable, wooden floors should be elevated so as
to insure a clear space of 2 or more feet between the floor and
the ground. Warmth can be provided, if necessary, by two
thicknesses of flooring with tar paper between. Hollow walls
almost invariably furnish harborage for rats. The inner stud
covering therefore, should be torn out, but if warmth is a factor « 10 »
to be considered, siding should be put over sheathing on the Figure 10.—Recommended method of rat proofing a
outside of the studs with building paper between.[2] portable granary

[2]
The construction of poultry houses and fixtures is
described in Farmers' Bulletin 1554, Poultry Houses and Fixtures.

B4390M
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Figure 11.—Rat proof pigpens and feeding troughs are easy to keep clean and
sanitary, and rats have little opportunity to steal the feed

Portable laying and brooder houses frequently become heavily infested

because they are usually built with wooden floors removed from the ground
only by the height of the runners on which they are constructed and are seldom
moved as frequently as originally intended. Feed, sifting through the floors,
attracts rats, which after finding desirable shelter soon establish themselves in
burrows beneath the houses and multiply rapidly. Portable houses, therefore,
should be raised off the ground 2 or more feet.
Nests should be raised 2 or more feet above the floor, and feed and grit
hoppers at least 1 foot. Drinking vessels for water and skim milk should
supported on a platform 1 to 1½ feet above the floor, so as to eliminate the
Figure 12.—A concrete curtain possibility of rat shelters and keep the liquids in a more sanitary condition.
wall or apron under a
feeding floor prevents
Other equipment should be given the same consideration.
raveling of earth and
consequent breaking of the
The premises around the poultry house should be cleared of all rat harbors
slab, as well as the by elevating all objects under which a rat can find shelter. (Fig. 14.) Near-by
harboring of rats buildings particularly should be considered, for it is frequently found that
« 11 »rats
living exclusively on poultry feed occupy harbors 50 or more feet away from the
food source. For this, reason it is desirable to build poultry plants at least 100
feet from any possible rat harborage. The vast number of young chicks killed annually by rats would be
greatly reduced if these simple precautions were taken.

13740C
Figure 13.—Rat proofing a poultry house by laying a concrete floor

OTHER FARM STRUCTURES

There are many farm buildings of various kinds that should be made proof against rats. In most cases,
however, the application of the general principles of rat proofing, as previously explained, will suffice. Not
only should all buildings in which food is kept be made inaccessible to rats, but adjoining and near-by
buildings and premises as well. The procedure to be followed in the case of farm dwellings is omitted here,
as sufficient is included under the next heading, Rat Proofing City Buildings, the conditions with respect to
dwellings on farms and in towns being quite similar.
Outside cellars frequently become infested with rats, and great havoc to stored produce almost invariably
results. Considerable expense, if necessary, is justified in making the storage cellar rat proof. A cellarway
with wooden steps and sills and earth floor is usually the source of the trouble. The sill soon rots or the rats
burrow under it to gain entrance. The remedy is to construct a concrete floor and cellarway. This not only will
exclude rats but will prove more economical in the long run. (Fig. 15.)

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« 12 »

7651-C
Figure 14.—Coop built up off the ground, rather than with
the floor resting on the ground and thereby affording
rats a desirable hiding place.

Figure 15.—A, Cellarway before rat proofing; B, cellarway rat proofed

Click on image to view larger sized.

« 13 »
RAT PROOFING CITY BUILDINGS
In rat proofing a city building it is well first to look to the exterior. If the locality is heavily infested with
rats, some are almost certain sooner or later to find their way into the building however well protected against
them it may be. Garbage and trash usually comprise the bulk of the rats' food supply. A metal, water-tight
garbage can, large enough to contain all garbage accumulations between collections and having a close-
fitting lid (fig 1), is of prime importance and should be required in all cases by city law.

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B2008M
Figure 16.—An accumulation of trash such as this Is almost certain to attract rats
and should be prohibited by law

Large accumulations of trash usually, contain much waste food (fig. 16) and are certain to attract rats and
furnish an ideal breeding place for them. Furthermore, they are a menace to health and should not be
tolerated under any circumstances. All other rat harbors, such as wooden floors and sidewalks very near the
ground, should be removed or replaced with concrete, and piles of lumber and various materials stored out of
doors should be removed or elevated 18 or more inches. Particular care should be taken to see that sheds and
other outbuildings, porches, steps, loading platforms, and similar structures on the premises are made rat
proof, either by the use of concrete, by elevation, or by keeping them open to the light and easily accessible.
A thorough inspection should next be made of the building itself and careful note taken of alterations and
repairs necessary for a thorough job of rat proofing. Inspection should begin in the basement. Doors and
windows should fit snugly, particularly doors leading to outside stairs or elevators, and these should also be
provided with automatic closing devices. Windows and ventilators should be screened or covered « 14with
»
gratings, the openings not more than half an inch square. Defects in basement floors should be repaired with
concrete, and floor drains should be fitted with tight covers, (Fig. 17.)

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B3341M:B3331M
Figure 17.—A, Broken floor drains provide a ready means for invasion by rats; B,
rat tracks in freshly laid concrete around newly repaired drain show that before
repairs were made the drain was a rat highway

Side walls should be carefully inspected, and all openings made for plumbing (fig. 18), electric-wire
« 15 »
conduits, areas around windows and doors, and unpointed joints in masonry walls (frequently left when the
exterior of the wall is hidden from public view by porches or platforms) should be carefully closed with
cement mortar. (Fig. 19.)

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B28391:B4391M
Figure 18.—A, Openings around pipes are a common source of rat infestation; B,
situations like this give rats access to otherwise rat-proof buildings

Basement ceilings, when accessible to rats, cause much trouble, and frequently the best remedy « 16is» to
remove them entirely. In frame construction spaces between studs in walls opening into basements also are a
common cause of rat infestation of the whole building. The permanent closing of these spaces with
noncombustible material not only shuts out the rats but also reduces the fire hazard by stopping the drafts and
the rising of heated gases should a fire start in the basement. This process of blocking spaces between studs
and furring is commonly known as fire stopping and is of such importance that the building regulations of
many cities now require it. Figure 20 illustrates practical methods of rat proofing stud spaces in old buildings.

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B4388M
Figure 19.—Defects in foundations, such as the opening to
the right of the step, are often the cause of rat
infestation in old buildings

All openings between floors and in partitions made for the passage of pipes and wires and any defects in
the wall should be closed with metal flashing. All dead spaces throughout the building, such as boxed-in
plumbing, spaces behind or beneath built-in cabinets, counters, shelving, bins, show windows, and many
similar places, should be removed, opened up, or effectively and permanently proofed against rats.
In the Southern States, where the roof rat occurs, similar care must be taken to make the upper floors and
roofs of buildings rat proof, as this rat is an expert climber and frequently enters buildings by way of the roof.
Doors at the top of stairs and elevators should fit snugly, and all ventilators, exhaust fans, unused chimney
flues, and other openings should be screened. Broken skylights and openings under eaves and places« 17 where
»
electric wires enter the building should be repaired or closed.

Figure 20.—Methods of rat proofing stud spaces in old buildings: A, Construction at

outer wall. Open stud spaces are filled with weak concrete, which is placed by
removing the skirting above. If the work is done a little at a time, the wooden
forms can be removed when the concrete has set, and used again. B, Another
method employing sheet metal secured to sill, joist, and flooring. C, Post and
girder in basement supporting partition with open stud spaces. Sheet metal
nailed to joists and floor and fitted about the stud prevents access to upper floors

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Figure 21.—A, Typical construction of frame building on

wooden girders and posts with Joists more than 2 feet
above ground; B, sheet metal placed as shown serves
to prevent the rats from climbing to a point where they
can gnaw through the wood

Buildings that have neither basements nor continuous masonry foundations present more difficult rat-
proofing problems. The most effective procedure is to construct a concrete foundation wall between the
existing supports and, after the wall has hardened, remove the supports, if of wood, and replace them with
concrete to make the wall continuous. Where the cost prohibits following this plan and where the supporting
sill and joists are at least 2 feet above the ground level, satisfactory rat proofing may be attained by stopping
« 18 »
the spaces between the studs with weak concrete or other material resistant to rats for a distance of 8 inches
above the floor level, or with galvanized-metal flashing nailed to the joists, plate, and floor. (Fig. 21.) The
space beneath the building must be free from all rubbish and other material that would afford shelter for rats.
A continuous masonry foundation, with screened openings to provide ventilation, presents a more pleasing
appearance.
If the clearance between the ground level and the bottom of girders and
joists is less than 2 feet, it may provide a hazardous rat harbor. One of three
things should be done: The building should be elevated on piers 2 feet above the
ground; a concrete foundation should be built as described above; or a
continuous concrete curtain wall should be constructed under the entire outer
wall of the building. (Fig. 22.)
Most new city buildings are now built practically rat proof, or could be
made so with only minor changes in the plans and at small cost. Yet if certain
essential details are not included at the start, endless rat troubles are likely to
ensue. It is therefore highly desirable that plans for every new building include
specifications for rat proofing.
All new buildings in which foodstuffs are to be handled should have ground
floors of concrete or other rat-proof material and concrete or masonry walls
extending at least 2 feet below and 1 foot above the ground surface. All
unnecessary openings in the foundation, walls, and floors should be
permanently closed, and windows and ventilators should be screened. Stud
spaces in frame construction should be stopped with noncombustible material
resistant to rats. New buildings in which foodstuffs are not to be handled may, if
desired, be elevated on piers or posts to provide a clearance of 2 feet between
the ground level and the bottom of the supporting girders, although the concrete
Figure 22.—A, Concrete or masonry wall is more satisfactory.
curtain, or area wall,
designed for rat-proofing MARKETS
purposes; it does not
support the building. B, Public, farmers', and wholesale markets, commission houses, and similar
Plan of wall where supports
are of wood; the concrete is places where vast quantities of foodstuffs are assembled and redistributed are
nearly always infested with large numbers of rats. Such structures are usually
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bound to the posts with wire
concentrated in districts, and these often become rat-breeding centers, from
mesh. C, Plan of masonry which the rats constantly overflow to adjoining sections of the city. Rat proofing
support; concrete will
a district of this kind would seem to be almost hopeless, yet it has often been
adhere to the masonry if the
surface is roughened demonstrated that the task is not only feasible but entirely practicable. . Here,
more than anywhere else, the great need is the elimination of rat shelters,« 19
which
»
in turn means the free use of concrete or other masonry. Scrupulous cleanliness
is essential in markets, but even where this is practiced it is not possible completely to eliminate rat food, so
the main reliance must be placed on the removal of all rat harbors. Not only must the building in which the
market is housed be rat proofed, but also all the fixtures. In old public markets the stalls were frequently
constructed as if designed for the protection of rats. Dark, out-of-the-way holes under counters, stands, and
shelves afford convenient places for the accumulation of trash, which it would be well to destroy; and in such
locations, with abundance of food at hand, rats are in the best possible position to thrive and multiply. The
use of smooth concrete or tile counters (fig. 23) erected on concrete floors deprive rats of the essential
shelter, provided that the space underneath the counter is kept clean and that stored material is moved
frequently. The smooth surface also prevents the rats from climbing and makes it possible to leave edible
products on the counter overnight without fear of their being damaged or contaminated by the rodents. If
wooden floors are used, the boards should be laid flat on the concrete or on sleepers not more than half an
inch high.

B3137BM
Figure 23.—Rat proof market stalls. Rats are unable to climb the smooth tiles to get
at foodstuffs left on the counter

WAREHOUSES
Warehouses require rat proofing because of the great quantities of foodstuffs handled there and even
stored for long periods. It is essential that the building itself be rat proofed with concrete or masonry
foundation, concrete floors, and tight-fitting doors lined with metal at the base. Doors of warehouses
frequently become jammed as a result of heavy trucking and should be carefully watched for defects « 20 »that
would admit rats. Concrete floors, in addition to being rat proof and fire proof, save labor because of the
comparative ease with which loaded trucks can be rolled over them.
When warehouses are found to be seriously infested with rats, the trouble can usually be traced to such
faulty construction as allows the rats access to spaces beneath floors or within walls, or even provides exits to
near-by shelter outside.
Eats also gain entrance to rat-proofed warehouses through being shipped in with produce or when doors
are left open, and once inside they may persist and do much damage from shelter afforded by piles of stored
goods. Such damage, however, is usually small in comparison with that resulting from permanent rat harbors
beneath floors, and the rats can be destroyed much more easily. A report from one flour warehouse indicated
that it cost more than $3,000 a year to repair bags gnawed by rats and mice. Such a loss would go far toward
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rat proofing any premises. A common cause of rat depredations in warehouses is the construction of
platforms a few inches off the floor upon which to pile flour and other produce. Such platforms provide
permanent shelter for rats and should be eliminated. Boards may be laid flat on the concrete floor with no
spaces between them to afford rat harbors; or, if this is not sufficient proof against dampness, the platforms
should be raised a foot or more off the floor to admit light. In such a place a rat does not feel safe and will not
stay. Bags of flour, grain, and other produce furnish harborage that can not well be avoided, but such goods
are usually moved so frequently that rats do not have opportunity to

RAT PROOFING THE CITY

Rat proofing the city is a responsibility of the city government. The greatest force that can be exerted to-
day toward the permanent suppression of the rat pest is through the passage of practical building ordinances
that require the rat proofing of buildings and the adoption of sanitary regulations that will insure clean
premises and adequate collection and disposed of garbage. It has been demonstrated that such requirements
not only are effective in reducing the numbers of rats to the minimum, but also that they greatly improve
health conditions, reduce the fire hazard, and from a purely economic standpoint are profitable. In one city in
which rat proofing has been vigorously prosecuted for a number of years and in which more than 80 per cent
of the old buildings have been made proof against rats, the sharp decline in the number of fires resulted in a 5
per cent reduction in the fire-insurance rates. More than $1,000,000 was spent in the same city in rat proofing
10 miles of docks, but even this large expenditure was found to be a profitable investment.
Probably nothing so nearly reflects the sanitary conditions of a city as the number of rats that it harbors,
for the rat population is usually in inverse ratio to the degree of sanitation maintained. In 1930 at least 13
cities in this country had rat-proofing laws, and more than 30 others had fire-stopping requirements that are
important in rat proofing.
An effective rat-proofing program must be practicable and not too drastic; otherwise it will fail from
« 21 lack
»
of popular support. Attempts to enforce rat proofing of existing structures would probably not be feasible
unless under stress of an outbreak of bubonic plague or other rat-borne disease epidemic. There seems to be
no good reason, however, why buildings constructed in the future or remodeled should not be made rat proof
under the requirements of building ordinances. Had such ordinances been enacted 50 years ago and rigidly
enforced since that time the large majority of buildings to-day would be rat proof, and rats, with their
accompanying filth and destructiveness, would have been largely eliminated. There would also be fewer of
the unsightly and insanitary shacks now existing in most cities, and the average structure would be of a more
desirable type. As modern construction conforms so closely in principle to the requirements of rat proofing,
there should be little, if any, opposition among builders to a rat-proofing clause in building ordinances.
In considering the suppression of rats, at the outset city authorities should discard all methods other than
those that strike at the source of the trouble. The actual destruction of rats is necessary as a temporary means
of stopping their depredations, but modern construction and sanitation are the weapons that must be relied
upon to gain permanent relief. In addition to a rat-proofing ordinance, every city should have a law requiring
that all garbage wherever accumulated be kept in rat-proof containers or garbage cans until collected or until
destroyed by incineration or otherwise disposed of in a manner that would avoid the possibility of its
providing food for rats. Containers should have covers not easily removed by dogs and other animals. The
city should also enact regulations prohibiting the accumulation of trash, refuse, or waste matter of any kind
on either public or private premises, and should provide adequate means for collecting and disposing of all
waste.
Consideration should also be given to the sewer system. Although most modern sewers do not offer
opportunity for the unrestricted breeding of rats, there are many still in use that furnish harbors for large
numbers of these pests in sections of some cities. Of most importance is the corner catch basin, storm sewer,
or street-drainage opening, which should be effectively remodeled, if necessary, to provide smooth interior
vertical walls with a drop of at least 3 feet; rats are unable to jump 3 feet vertically or to climb smooth
surfaces.
Another place that should receive attention is the city dumping ground, which frequently serves as an
incubator for rats, and these soon overflow into near-by sections of the city. A study should be made of
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methods of disposing of waste materials and a system put into effect that will meet the requirements of the
city and insure the destruction, removal, or adequate covering of all such food for rats. Any other conditions
that may be found favorable for the breeding of rats, whether on public or on private property, should be
declared a public nuisance and ordered corrected.

MODEL RAT-PROOFING ORDINANCES

The samples or models of rat-proofing and garbage-removal ordinances here given were prepared by the
United States Public Health Service as a result of its experience in combating bubonic plague in «several
22 »
coastal cities. They have, in substance, been adopted and put into practice by a number of cities and have
been found practicable. They should be applicable to any city after necessary allowance and possible changes
have been made to conform to local conditions and constitutional considerations.

AN ORDINANCE DEFINING RAT PROOFING OF ALL BUILDINGS[3]

[3]
U. S. Pub. Health Serv. Bul. 121, Preliminary Report on Proposed Antiplague Measures in
Massachusetts.
Section 1. Be it ordained, etc., That it shall be unlawful for any person, firm, or corporation hereafter to construct any building,
outhouse, or other superstructure, stable, lot, open area, or other premise, sidewalk, street, or alley, or to repair or remodel the same to an
extent of ———— per cent of cost of construction within the city of ————, unless the same shall be rat proofed in the manner
hereinafter provided for.
Sec. 2. Be it further ordained, etc., That for the purpose of rat proofing all buildings, outhouses, and other superstructures in the city
of ————, except stables, shall be divided into two classes, to wit, class A and class B, and the same shall be rat proofed in the
manner following, to wit:
Class A.—All buildings, outhouses, and other superstructures of class A shall have floors made of rat-proof material or of concrete,
which concrete shall be not less than 3 inches thick, and overlaid with a top dressing of cement, mosaic, tiling, or other impermeable
material laid in cement mortar, and such floor shall rest without any intervening space between upon the ground or upon filling of clean
earth, sand, cinders, broken stone or brick, gravel, or similar material, which filling shall be free from animal or vegetable substances;
said floor shall extend and be hermetically sealed to walls surrounding said floor, which walls shall be made of rat-proof material or of
concrete, stone, or brick laid in cement or mortar, and each wall shall be not less than 6 inches thick and shall extend into and below the
surface of the surrounding ground at least 2 feet and shall extend not less than 1 foot above the surface of said floor; provided that
wooden removable gratings may be laid on such concrete floors in such parts of such buildings, superstructures, and outhouses as are
used exclusively as sales departments, provided that wooden flooring may be laid over the concrete wherever the intervening space
between such flooring and the concrete shall not exceed one-half inch; provided further that any sleepers that are sunk into the concrete
shall be creosoted.
Class B.—All accidental and unnecessary spaces and holes, ventilators, and other openings other than doors and windows in every
building, outhouse or other superstructure in the city of ————, shall be closed with cement, mortar, or other material impervious to
rats or screened with wire having not more than one-half inch mesh, as the case may require, and all wall spaces shall be closed with
cement, mortar, or other material impervious to rats, which closure shall extend the full thickness of the wall and shall extend upward at
least twelve inches above the floor level, and the whole in such manner as to prevent the ingress or egress of rats; or the ingress or egress
of rats from such double wall or space may be prevented by protecting the junction of said wall with the floor or other wall with metal
flashing of galvanized iron of 28 or 30 gauge, provided that where such double wall is open beneath or is in communication with
foundations of the house that said opening shall be effectively closed or said junction with foundations flashed with metal as provided
above: Provided, That in all buildings, outhouses, and other superstructures of class A and in all stables where there are any spaces in
walls between the wall proper and the covering on same, or in ceilings between the ceiling and floor, or other ceiling covering above,
said spaces shall be eliminated by the removal of said covering, or so closed with cement, mortar or other material impervious to rats as
to prevent the ingress or egress of rats: Provided, That all such wall spaces shall be closed with cement, mortar, or other material
impervious to rats, which closure shall extend the full thickness of the wall and shall extend upward at least twelve inches above the
floor level.
The cellar of every building hereafter erected within the building limits shall be made rat proof by the use of masonry or metal. All
openings in foundations, cellars and basements In such buildings, except for doors and hatchways, and except also for such«windows
23 »
wholly above ground as may be exempted by the ———— in his discretion, shall be completely covered with screens of metal having
meshes of not more than one-half of an inch in least dimension and constructed of rods or wire of not less than twelve gauge.
All buildings, outhouses, and other superstructures of class B separated from any other building on three sides by at least ten feet and
lacking any basement or cellar may be rat proofed in the following manner, to wit: Said building, outhouse, or other superstructure shall
be set upon pillars or underpinning of concrete, stone, or brick laid in cement mortar, or may be set upon underpinning of substantial
timber, such pillars or underpinning to be not less than eighteen inches high, the height to be measured from the ground level to the top
of said pillars or underpinning; and the intervening space between said building and the ground level to be open on three sides and to be
free from all rubbish and other rat harboring material, or may be made rat proof by constructing at the margin of the ground area of said
building a wall of concrete or brick or stone laid in cement; such wall to extend into and below the surface of the ground at least two feet
and to meet the floor of the building above closely and without any intervening space, to be at least four inches thick and extend entirely
around said building Provided, That said walls may be built with openings therein for ventilation only: And provided further, That such
openings for ventilation may be all of such size as the owner may elect and shall be securely screened with metallic gratings having
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openings between the bars of said gratings of not more than one-half inch or with wire mesh of not less than twelve gauge, having
openings between the wires of said mesh of not more than one-half inch and the whole so constructed and closed as to prevent the
entrance of rats beneath such building.
Sec. 3. Be it further ordained, etc., That every restaurant kitchen, hotel kitchen, cabaret kitchen, dairy, dairy depot, dock, wharf, pier,
elevator, store, manufactory, and every other building, outhouse, or superstructure wherein or whereon foodstuffs are stored, kept,
handled, sold, held, or offered for sale, manufactured, prepared for market or for sale, except stables, shall be rat proofed in the manner
provided for hereinabove as class A: Provided, That such part of any structure hereinabove defined as of class A that shall be entirely
over a body of water may be rat proofed as of class B, as hereinafter provided for.
"Foodstuffs," as used in this ordinance, is hereby defined to be flour and flour products, animals and animal products, produce,
groceries, cereals, grain, and the products of cereals and grain, poultry and its products, game, birds, fish, vegetables, fruit, milk, cream,
and products from milk or cream, ice cream, hides, and tallow, or any combination of any one or more of the foregoing.
All other buildings, outhouses, and superstructures, except stables, not hereinbefore specified as class A, and all buildings used
exclusively for residential purposes, shall be rat proofed in the manner provided for hereinabove as class B: Provided, That the owner of
any building, residence, outhouse, or other superstructure in class B may, if he so elects, rat proof same in the manner provided for in
class A.
Provided, That in any case where, under the foregoing provisions, any building, outhouse, or superstructure is required to be rat
proofed as of class A and the said building or outhouse or superstructure is used in part for residential purposes, and the part used as a
residence is effectively separated from the part falling within class A, by permanently and effectively closing all openings above and
below the ground floor, or by constructing a new wall, and in either case the whole in such manner as to make such wall whole and
continuous in its entirety, without doorways, windows, or other openings between the part used as a residence and that used for such
purposes as makes it fall within class A, then in such case and for rat-proofing purposes only, the said building will, after such separation
and closure of the openings, or by the construction of such new wall, be deemed to be two buildings; and that part used exclusively for
residential purposes may be rat proofed in the manner provided for as a class B building, and the remaining part of said building shall be
rat proofed in the manner provided for a class A building.
Stables.—Stables and all buildings hereafter to be constructed and used for stabling horses, mules, cows, and other animals shall be
constructed as follows:
Walls: The walls of such buildings shall be constructed of concrete, brick, or stone, laid in cement mortar, and shall be not less than
four inches thick, and shall extend into and below the surface of the surrounding ground not less than two feet, and shall extend« 24above
»
the ground sufficient height as to be not less than one foot above the floor level. All openings in such foundation walls shall be covered
with metal grating having openings not greater than one-half inch between the gratings.
Floors: The floors of stables and stalls shall be of concrete not less than three inches thick, upon which shall be laid a dressing not
less than one-half inch thick of cement or stone, laid in cement mortar, or shall be constructed of floated concrete not less than four
inches thick, in such way as to prevent ingress or egress of rats, and such floors to have a slope of one-eighth inch per foot to the gutter
drain hereinafter provided for.
Stalls: The floors of stalls may be of planking, fitting either tightly to the concrete floor or elevated not more than one-half inch from
the stall floor, and so constructed as to be easily removable. Such removable planking shall be raised at least once a week, and the said
planking and the concrete floor beneath thoroughly cleansed.
Gutters: Semicircular or V-shaped gutters shall be constructed in such manner that a gutter shall be placed so as to receive all liquid
matter from each stall, and each of these gutters to connect with the public sewer or with a main gutter of the same construction, which
in turn shall be connected with the public sewer or public drain. All openings from drains into sewers shall be protected by a metal
grating having openings not more than one-half inch between the gratings.
Mangers: Each manger shall be constructed so as to have a slope of two inches toward the bottom, shall be covered with tin or zinc,
and shall be at least eighteen inches deep, to avoid spilling of food.
Feed bins: All feed bins shall be constructed of cement, stone, metal, or wood, and with close-fitting doors. If constructed of wood,
the bins shall be lined or covered with metal, and the whole so constructed as to prevent the ingress or egress of rats. All grain, malt, and
other animal food, except hay, stored or kept in any stable, must be kept in such feed bins. Said feed bins must be kept closed at all
times, except when momentarily opened, to take food therefrom or when same are being filled. No feed shall be scattered about such bin
or stable, and all such feed found on the floor or in the stalls of said stables shall be removed daily and placed in the manure pits. No
foodstuffs intended for or susceptible of human consumption shall be kept or stored in any stable or any other place where animals are
kept.
Sec. 4. Be it further ordained, etc., That the construction and materials used in rat proofing shall conform to the building ordinances
of the city of ————, except and only in so far as the same may be modified herein.
Sec. 5. Be it further ordained, etc., That all premises, improved and unimproved, and all open lots, areas, streets, sidewalks, and
alleys in the city of ———— shall be kept clean and free from all rubbish and similar loose material that might serve as a harborage for
rats; and all lumber, boxes, barrels, loose iron, and similar material that may be permitted to remain thereon and that may be used as a
harborage by rats shall be placed on supports and elevated not less than two feet from the ground, with a clear intervening space beneath,
to prevent the harboring of rats.
Sec. 6. Be it further ordained, etc., That all planking and plank walks on and in yards, alleys, alleyways, streets, sidewalks, or ether
open areas shall be removed and replaced with concrete, brick, or stone, laid in cement, gravel, or cinders, or the ground left bare.

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Sec. 7. Be it further ordained, etc., That it shall be the duty of every owner, agent, and occupant of each building, outhouse, and
other superstructure, stable, lot, open area, and other premises, sidewalk, street, and alley in the city of ———— to comply with all the
provisions of this ordinance.
Sec. 8. Be it further ordained, etc., That it is hereby made the duty of ————, and particularly through its health department, to
enforce the provisions of this ordinance.
Sec. 9. Be it further ordained, etc., That any law or ordinance in conflict with the provisions of this ordinance be, and the same is
hereby, repealed.

AN ORDINANCE REGULATING THE REMOVAL OF GARBAGE

Section 1. Be it ordained ———— of the city of ————, That from and after the promulgation of this ordinance, the owner, agent,
and occupant of every premise, improved or unimproved, in the city of ————, whereon or wherein garbage shall be created, shall
provide a metal, water-tight container or containers, each with a tight-fitting cover, such container or containers to be of such «size
25 »as to
be easily manhandled, and of such number as to receive the garbage accumulation of five days from each such premise, and shall place
or cause to be placed such container or containers, for the purpose of having their contents removed, on the sidewalks or open alleys in
front or rear of said premises, at the times hereinafter set forth.
Sec. 2. Be it further ordained, etc., That for the purposes of this ordinance, the city of ———— is hereby divided into ————
garbage districts.
Sec. 3. Be it further ordained, etc., That for the purpose of this ordinance, the word "garbage" as used in this ordinance shall be
construed to mean house and kitchen offal, and all refuse matter not excrementitious liquid, and composed of animal or vegetable
substances, including dead animals (except cows, horses, mules, and goats) coming from public and private premises of the city, and not
destined for consumption as food.
Sec. 4. Be it further ordained, etc., That it shall be unlawful for such owner, agent, or occupant of any such premise to have,
maintain, or keep any garbage on any premise except in such garbage containers as are provided for in section 1 of this ordinance.
Sec. 5. Be it further ordained, etc., That such garbage containers shall be kept tightly covered at all times, except when momentarily
open to receive the garbage or to have the contents therefrom removed, as provided for hereinafter.
Sec. 6. Be it further ordained, etc., That when such garbage container is placed on the outside of any premise it shall be unlawful for
any person engaged in the removal of garbage, or for any person to remove the cover from such garbage container, except for the
purpose of emptying its contents Into a duly authorized garbage wagon or to throw such garbage container on the street or sidewalk, or
to injure it in any way, so as to make it leak or to bend it or its cover, as to prevent said garbage container from being tightly covered;
and all persons engaged in the removal of garbage shall, after emptying said container, replace the cover tightly on said container.
Sec. 7. Be it further ordained, etc., That the owner, agent, or occupant of every premise in the city of ———— shall keep separate
from their garbage and ashes, tin cans, broken crockery, hardware, old planks, wooden matter, paper, sweepings and other trash, and
place same in a sound, substantial vessel or container kept for that purpose, which vessel or container shall be placed on the sidewalk or
alley in front or rear of each premise of the city of ————, as provided in section 1 of this ordinance, for garbage containers, for
removal on ————, provided that such rubbish, other than garbage, may be so placed -------- on ————.
Sec. 8. Be it further ordained, etc., That the provisions of this ordinance shall apply to all public and private markets, as well as all
places of business, hotels, restaurants, and all other premises, whether used for business, boarding, or residential purposes.
Sec. 9. Be it further ordained, etc., That for the purpose of enforcing this ordinance any person living on any premise shall be
deemed an occupant, and any person receiving the rent, in whole or in part, of any premise, shall be deemed an agent; that on any
premise where construction of any kind is in progress, and where employees or workmen eat their dinners, or lunches, In or about said
premises, or scatter lunch or food in or about such premises, the contractor or foreman or other person in charge of such workmen shall
be deemed an occupant; and that the person in charge of any market, or stall in any market, shall be deemed an occupant.
Sec. 10. Be it further ordained, etc., That it shall be unlawful for any person to pick from or disturb the contents of any garbage
containers or vessels, or other containers provided for in this ordinance.
Sec. 11. Be it further ordained, etc., That each day's violation of any of the provisions of this ordinance shall constitute a separate
and distinct offense.
Sec. 12. Be it further ordained, etc., That any person violating any provision of this ordinance shall, on conviction, be punished by a
fine of not less than ten ($10.00) dollars nor more than twenty-five ($25.00) dollars, or in default of the payment of said fine by
imprisonment ———— for not less than ten (10) days nor more than thirty (30) days, or both, at the discretion of ———— having
jurisdiction of the same.
Sec. 13. Be it further ordained, etc., That any law or ordinance in conflict with the provisions of this ordinance, In whole or in part,
be and the same is hereby repealed.

« 26 »

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ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF

AGRICULTURE WHEN THIS PUBLICATION WAS LAST PRINTED
Secretary of Agriculture Arthur M. Hyde.
Assistant Secretary R. W. Dunlap.
Director of Scientific Work A. F. Woods.
Director of Regulatory Work Walter G. Campbell.
Director of Extension Work C. W. Warburton.
Director of Personnel and Business
W. W. Stockbebger.
Administration
Director of Information M. S. Eisenhower.
Solicitor E. L. Marshall.
Weather Bureau Charles F. Marvin, Chief.
Bureau of Animal Industry John R. Mohler, Chief.
Bureau of Dairy Industry O. B. Reed, Chief.
Bureau of Plant Industry William A. Taylor, Chief.
Forest Service R. Y. Stuart, Chief.
Bureau of Chemistry and Soils H. G. Knight, Chief.
Bureau of Entomology C. L. Marlatt, Chief.
Bureau of Biological Survey Paul G. Redington, Chief.
Bureau of Public Roads Thomas H. MacDonald, Chief.
Bureau of Agricultural Economics Nils A. Olsen, Chief.
Bureau of Home Economics Louise Stanley, Chief.
Plant Quarantine and Control Administration Lee A. Strong, Chief.
Grain Futures Administration J. W. T. Duvel, Chief.
Food and Drug Administration Walter G. Campbell, Director of Regulatory Work, in
Charge.
Office of Experiment Stations ————, Chief.
Office of Cooperative Extension Work C. B. Smith, Chief.
Library Claribel R. Barnett, Librarian.

U. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1930

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, Washington, D. C. — Price 5 cents

Transcriber Notes
Illustrations were repositioned so as to not split paragraphs.

*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK RAT PROOFING BUILDINGS AND PREMISES
***
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