Going back to the 1980s I have worked professionally with elements of the pest control industry providing public relations services The process of educating the public is necessary because new generations must be informed of the threats pests pose to health and property.
Back when it was still known as the National Pest Control Association, I even received a beautiful certificate of appreciation that hangs in my office. At some point several years ago, it and state organizations changed their name to “Pest Management” presumably to divest themselves of the image of actually killing the creatures that annually spread disease and do millions in property damage.
In past years environmental organizations devoted a lot of time and money to convince the public that the real problem was the pest controllers, not the pests. If they all changed their profession next Monday, the entire nation would be totally over-run with roaches, termites, rats and mice in a month. The work is not glamorous, but it is utterly essential to society.
NOTE: This shows how crazy things have gotten with our politicians.
I have long thought that the world is nuts, especially the world of Washington, D.C. Now I am sure. It seems Washington, D.C. has a rat problem. No, not that kind, the four-legged kind. Some of the rats are big as cats, so big that some homeowners are fearful of permitting their cats to confront the rats after dark. Traditionally, rats have always been fearful of cats, but not these super rats!
Rats have infested some half-million-dollar homes and have been seen robbing bird feeders in daylight. Other homeowners have had rats come up in the commode from the sewer system. One family had that experience three times!
Washington’s Wildlife Protection Act of 2010 now requires pest control companies to capture rats “and capture them in families” but no one knows how to identify a “family.” Then the rats have to be relocated. However, the relocation must be humane. Rats must be relocated at least 25 miles away (so that would eliminate moving them to the White House) because they will return unless there is a river between their old home and the new one. Of course there is the Potomac River and that has RATtled Virginia. They see animal control officials dropping off the disease-infested vermin in their state knowing the river will keep them there. Maryland is also up in arms–which they could use against rats although PETA officials might get heartburn thinking of those poor, defenseless rats being shot by heartless citizens.