![]() They also grant city employees the authority to make inspections and issue notices of violation. ![]() Such ordinances require the rancher to rodent-proof chicken coops and outbuildings that contain food, and they prohibit ranchers from storing garbage unless it is stored in rodent-proof containers. In trying to understand why there was an increase in rat populations but not in the diseases they carry, Messmer said most cities have ordinances designed to prohibit conditions that attract rodents. However, surprisingly, over this same time period, there were no increased reports of infectious diseases that can be traced to rats, including bubonic plague, hantavirus, leptosporosis and rat-bite fever.Īccording to Terry Messmer, Utah State University Extension wildlife specialist, humans can get these diseases if they are bitten by an infected rat or if they inhale or ingest microorganisms in the rat’s feces or urine. Pest control companies in the area also reported a brisk spike in business. ![]() Residents there reported seeing more rats, and in areas where they haven’t been before. In a story by the Associated Press last December, a link was shown between an explosion in the rat population in Eugene, Oregon, and the growth in backyard chicken ranching. Several cities along the Wasatch Front have recently passed ordinances allowing urban residents to raise backyard chickens. Is There a Correlation between Backyard Chickens and Increased Rodent Populations? ![]()
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