I saw the coverage on TV concerning Whidbey Island’s rat problem and read the article in the paper. I am a little disappointed in our so-called Island County Health Department and their lack of action. I don’t expect them to come over and take care of my rats but why not some help in ways to kill the little guys? I am concerned the rats might bite my pets and possibly pass on rabies to my grandkids.

I have been battling the rats for about two years now and have learned a lot about the little critters. I have killed about 120 of them during that period.

I have been using two types of traps with great success. The first is the old standard bait on the trigger type. The second is the baitless trap that has a cheese looking plate where the rats walk across. I use three various types of cheese and peanut butter on my traps. I vary the food to give the guys a balanced diet. Rats like traveling along walls going to their next feast of bird food or dog food that we all leave outside. If you place the baitless trap along the wall the rats will walk right over the trap and expire with extreme vengeance.

My other way of killing the rats is with at least three types of poison. I like the bar types because I can position the stuff in some unique places under porches or wood piles . . . I like using different types of poison so I can make sure there is something they like to eat.

I just noticed yesterday the little guys have invaded my pickup. A mouse can squeeze through a hole the size of a dime and a full grown rat can squeeze through a hole the size of a quarter. If you see a hole plug it up with steel wool, they do not like the taste of it.

If you feed birds or feed your pets outside you have rats and so do your neighbors.

Hopefully some of our government officials will realize there is a rat epidemic on this island.

Walter Nelson

Oak Harbor