Home Sweet Home (1970s)

[Music] Not long ago, this sign was hanging in a neat clean home. But times changed. Someone didn't care anymore. And now this once proud neighborhood is home sweet home to me. I am a rat. You'd think that people try to get rid of me. But that's not always true. In fact, here in this neighborhood, people seem very friendly. They supply me and my relatives with very comfortable nesting and feeding places. A few of our favorites are this trash, junk, rubbish, garbage. I can't think of anything better than nice, fresh garbage strewn on the ground where I can get it so easily. People in this neighborhood drop food here every day. In fact, on good days, this neighborhood is practically heaven. The folks next door are even more considerate. Right next to our food, they supply us with a big pile of old boards that are a warm, dry place for us to live. This man puts out bread for squirrels and birds, but we make sure we get our share. This dog also shares his food with us, whether he realizes it or not. As soon as he goes to sleep, I move in for the scraps. [Music] A cold weather will be here soon, but I already know where I'll be living. I'll go into this hole in this basement wall and right through to the inside. Then I've really got it made. I'll run along this wall, then down the basement stairway, and I have what every rat wishes for. A really littered basement where I can feel right at home. The stuffing in that pillow makes ideal nesting material. This old shoe is a great place to take a nap. In this basement, I go first class, but don't think I spend all my time down here. Now and then I check the upstairs, too. Especially the kitchen. [Applause] Rats cause a tremendous amount of damage. Their front teeth grow as much as 6 in a year, so they gnaw on anything to keep them sharpened to their best working length. They can give a person a vicious bite. Rats can start fires by building nests of burnable materials and by chewing on wires. In the United States alone, they eat and destroy enough food for 10 million people and do at least a billion dollars worth of damage that's included in the price of everything we use and eat and buy and rent. One way or another, we all pay for rats. When rats have good homes and enough food, their numbers increase at a fantastic rate. One pair can have as many as 150 offspring in one year. And right now there are about 200 million rats in the United States. Rats go where people are because people are careless. [Music] Careless people mean more rats. Historians tell us that rats lived thousands of years ago in Europe, the Mediterranean countries, and India. In the 14th century, the rat population exploded, causing a plague that cut the human population of Europe by almost a quarter. Rats could multiply very fast because early cities had no waste collection, so wastes were thrown into the streets. Rats were probably brought to America on the first sailing ships about 1795. The black rat stayed along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, but the brown Norway rat slowly spread throughout the country. Of course, where there are no people, there are no rats. So, Montana was not invaded until 1923. Rats thrive because people are careless about disposing of their wastes and are indifferent about protecting their food supplies and other property. Men have fought the rat for centuries. At one time, they depended mainly on traps. They also used a great variety of poison baits. But rats are a crafty and shrewd enemy, and so far they've always found a way to survive. Control methods have steadily improved. Chemists have invented gases and poisons that are fatal to rats. But health department technicians cannot control rats alone. It's a job for everyone. It's a job for you. Then how can you help? First of all, you can ask yourself which side of the fence you are on. The side that's filled with junk and the overflow of inadequate garbage cans. Or are you on the side where everything is neat and clean? If you are on this side, a few minutes work every day will keep your yard neat and beautiful. But if you are on the shabby side, you tear down the efforts of other people when your garbage cans are overflowing and your yard is a home for rats. So, it's pretty clear what you must do to get rid of rats. First, clean up your yard. Remove old lumber and other trash that provide hiding places. Clean out under your porch. It's a favorite home for rats. [Music] Fill in rat holes. Pack the earth down tightly to discourage rats from coming back again. Rat holes can be hidden by dense weeds. And to find them, weeds and tall grass must be cut down. It's really not too difficult if you get right at it. And then cut the grass as often as necessary to keep it from again becoming a hiding place for rats. Clean up the area around your garbage cans and rubbish cans. Once you've put things in shape, a little care each day will keep them that way. It's not such a tough job if everybody pitches in. Another good idea is to keep garbage cans off the ground. You can do this best with a simple platform about 18 in high. Just a couple of boards and nails will do the trick. And then get rid of old and battered garbage cans that just can't do the job anymore. Bent lids that don't fit are completely useless, so get rid of those, too. Put the platform in a clear area that's away from weeds and other places where rats like to hide. Use a sufficient number of new galvanized steel cans and see that every one has a cover that fits tightly. Garbage control really starts in your own kitchen. Be sure to drain it reasonably dry. If you leave too much water in the garbage, it'll soak into the paper and weaken it, so the bundle will fall apart. Crush down firmly and wrap as tightly as you can. Of [Music] course, all this won't do much good if you toss the neatly wrapped garbage just anywhere. You must place it into the container and pack it down firmly. Then put the cover on tightly so rats can't get inside. [Music] Old abandoned cars make a wonderful shelter for rats. Rats like to burrow into the ground under these old cars. They pull the stuffing out of the seat cushions and use it to line their nests. So, be sure to have old cars towed away. And while you're cleaning up those garbage cans, it's a good idea to remove trash from anywhere in your yard or your basement or your garage. Clean that garage out thoroughly and then keep it clean. Don't let trash accumulate again. If there's a shed or any other building on your property, clean that out, too. Better still, tear down that old shed so rats will have one less place to live. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link, so a carefully screened window won't do much good if there's a hole in the foundation right next to it where rats can get in. Seal up any openings that give rats a way to sneak in. While you're at it, repair any broken down spouts because rats can go through these pipes very easily. Remember to inspect your repair job now and then to see that it's holding up. Someone screened this opening years ago, but a hole this big will let rats come and go as they please. Fix all broken windows, especially at ground level. Replace the glass or cover the opening with screening. Close all doors securely, even on the second floor, and train your children to do the same. Instead of throwing food on the ground for birds, use an approved feeder. Then the song birds will get all the food they need without having to share it with rats. Now we're making progress. The rats are running out of places to live, and they have less to eat. When that happens, they'll be tempted by the pleasant aromomas and flavors of poisons that you set out for them. Now, we're beginning to see some real results. When you clean up your yard, you get rid of rats, and you also improve the appearance of your neighborhood. And you'll encourage your neighbors to do the same. [Music] But if you want to let rats know that you really mean business, you have to work at it every day. You can't let down for a minute. You have to do the extra little things that discourage rats. You can't clean up just once and forget about it. You have to keep things cleaned up day after day and year after year. Don't do something careless when you think no one's looking because rats are always looking. And if you are careless just once, you encourage someone else to be careless. And before you know it, the rats will be moving right back in again. [Music] Don't let it happen. Don't share your home with rats. Let them know that times have changed at your house for the better. Let them know that this does not mean home sweet home for rats. [Music]