The BLACK DEATH, or plague, killed nearly half the population of Europe in the 14th Century. It is primarily carried by Y=Pesties infected fleas infesting rats. Fewer rats – fewer rat fleas – less chance of the plague? Right?
Y-Pesties (or Yersinia Pesties)
Do you put down a rat poison? If so, it probably contains a form of Coumadin (Warfarin)? You probably do because it is the most common kind of poison (think little dark brown boxes you tear the top off exposing turquoise pellets). The EPA has banned this in the common form, so will rats and potentially rat-borne illnesses increase?
That would be my concern at the top of the list of unintended consequences – otherwise known as short-sighted government thinking.
Rats in particular are especially vulnerable to any blood-thinning agent such as the commonly-prescribed medicine Coumadin.
If the quick and easy way commonly used to kill rats is banned won’t that mean that more landlords and homeowners will not commonly put it down to keep down the rat population?
Just off the top of my head this wasn’t thought through completely because, although Coumadin is dangerous to humans and pets, gram-for-gram (proportional to body weight) it is far more lethal to vermin.
Sure, rat poison is dangerous, that is why you don’t serve it for lunch, but a little common sense can go a long way and few toddlers are going to jack up my antique cars to get at the rat poison I put under them every few months.
What’s next? Ban the old-style mouse traps on the premise that children could eat the moldy cheese???
