rats!!! alaska maritime national wildlife refuge

Rats!!!

Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge

Rodents Continue to Spread Diseases

“Rat-borne diseases are thought to have taken more human lives in the last ten centuries than all the casualties from all wars and revolutions ever fought” Gratz 1984

Rat Fleas Carry More Diseases

Rats Cause Fires by Chewing Wires

Wildlife Islands Are Vulnerable to Rats

Rats take: eggs chicks adults

Cache of adult auklets

Great Circle Route Brings Many Ships By Refuge Islands

Shipwrecks Can Introduce Rats

Selendang Ayu – December 2005On refuge land on Unalaska Is.

Chil Bo San #6

Unalaska Island1992

Rat Infested Shipwreck

Some Alaskan ports are rat infested

Dutch Harbor

St. Paul & St. George Have Rat Prevention Programs

1993 – present 6 rats in a million trap nights

Pribilof Islands

St. Paul6 - Rats Killed

2 - Sighting of Fox w/ Rat

1 - Dead Rat Found

2 - Infested Ship Evicted

Integrated Pest Management

• Sanitation (garbage control, etc)

• Clean up cover (harborage for rodents) – trash, clearing brush, grass

• Structural Design & maintenance

• Proper control

Rats Nest in Net Piles – Need to be Shaken Out Before Loaded

Structural ModificationLimits Rodents

Store Foods Out Of Reach

Properly Control Garbage

Control RodentNumbers with

Snap traps and poison

Rodent Prevention Kits Given to Ships

Harbor PosterNewspaper Ad

We Want To Hear From YouPlease fill out questionnaire!

• Do you have rats/house mice?

• Are you worried about rats arriving on ships?

• Are you doing control?

• Do you need help?

• Comments/ideas?

Poppy Benson Terry JohnsonAlaska Maritime Refuge Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program907-226-4606 907-235-5643Poppy_Benson@fws.gov rftlj@uaf.edu