That's a great idea, Jeff. Barn Owl nest boxes are provided in many
areas of oil palm plantations in southeast Asia for rat control. I
haven't read about the effectiveness of it, but it has been going on
for some time, so someone must consider it effective. Now we just
need to figure out a way to get rid of the oil palm plantations. Hmm,
an interesting conundrum if the owls, by killing the rats, are making
it possible for the oil palms to succeed and eventually wiping out
the rain forests of southeast Asia.

In response to Murray's question, there is standard rat poison that
people can use in their yards, not to mention rat traps that are
often effective. So there are time-proven ways of controlling rats on
a yard-by-yard basis, and perhaps the ports do this. (If rat traps
are set, they must be taken in before any birds begin to feed, even
before dawn.) But they are only temporary measures, as the rats will
always come back, and I think it would prove beyond the community's
resources to control them in cities. I don't know what their protocol
for ships arriving at the ports, but you can't control rats by
controlling their immigration, as they are essentially everywhere.
Hopefully the FWS can do something on Rat Island.

Dennis


On Dec 2, 2007, at 9:44 AM, Jeff Gilligan wrote:

> Since Norway rats will never be eliminated from the mainland of
> Washington, I suggest exploring the possibility of providing Barn
> Owls with nest boxes in areas with rat concentrations. As I
> understand Barn Owls, they are not territorial (or at least not
> very territorial) and will nest in concentrations where there is
> sufficient food supply. This has occurred to me in regard to the
> rat population along Portland?s waterfront. Perhaps in this way
> rats numbers can be controlled. Additionally, if it is effect, it
> might serve as an instructive tool to the general population about
> the benefit of birds, and the maintenance of a balance among species.
>
>
> On 12/1/07 10:30 PM, "MurrayH at aol.com" <MurrayH at aol.com> wrote:
>
>> Dr. Paulson: Your posting came at the same time as an article in
>> the News Tribune of Nov. 28th. Evidently wildlife scientists are
>> planning to eradicate the rats on the Aleutian Islands' Rat
>> Island. The muscular Norway rats typically have 4 to 6 litters a
>> year and , according to the article, riddle the island with
>> burrows, trails, droppings, and chewed vegetation. They evidently
>> feed on eggs and chicks of nesting puffins, auklets, and storm
>> petrels.
>> I don't know if it's verifiable but the Rat Island
>> assault, beginning as early as next October, involves the use of a
>> blood thinner causing the rodents to bleed to death ?? Maybe
>> O.K. for Rat Island, but anywhere in our WA Ports of Call? Can
>> someone suggest what we can do?
>> Hopefully,
>> Murray

-----
Dennis Paulson
1724 NE 98 St.
Seattle, WA 98115
206-528-1382
dennispaulson at comcast.net



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