Sightings more frequent; eradication options mulled

By KYLE ODEGARD

Gazette-Times reporter

Oregon State University student Sarah Ashurex said she sometimes hears rustling in the bushes on campus.

"You think it's a bird, but really it's a rat," said Ashurex, a sophomore who is the executive director of external development for the Associated Students of OSU. "It's disgusting."

The city of Corvallis' pest expert said OSU representatives contacted him last month for advice on OSU's rat problem.

"They have had an increased rat population surface, more than they had ever seen. … They seem to think the rat population had doubled or tripled or maybe even quadrupled in certain areas," said Bill Munson, the city's vector control employee.

OSU officials acknowledged there are rodents other than Benny Beaver on campus, but they said it wasn't a major issue.

"We've had a few reports of rats, but some of that goes with the territory of having a campus adjacent to lots of fields and agricultural land," said Mark Floyd, director of OSU News and Communications.

"There certainly are rats on campus, spotted in different ivy beds," said Joe Majeski, manager of landscape management in OSU's Facilities Services Department. "They get inside older buildings, mostly during the winter when it's cold, but not so much during the summer."

Todd Simmons, OSU assistant vice president for advancement, said the university has contracted with a pest company to deal with periodic reports of rats, and it may even fill in some flower beds with concrete where problems have been most persistent. Those could include near the Memorial Union, which has several restaurants, and university greenhouses, where plants serve as a food source for the rodents.

Construction a cause?

Munson isn't sure if there are more rats on campus. Instead, he believes the rats are heading for fresh air because their access routes to the rest of the city have been cut off by construction projects redirecting or replacing existing storm and sewer lines.

Every summer, rats migrate underground from OSU to the rest of Corvallis because their food supply gets cut off when students leave, Munson said. Construction can seal off routes in the pipes, forcing the rats to surface to search for food, he added.

Steve Rogers, public works director for the city of Corvallis, said construction projects typically only disrupt the routes of rats for days. "What makes a big difference is a food source on the ground," he said.

Much of the city's stormwater and sewer systems are connected, so unused food that goes down garbage disposals provides nourishment for the critters. The rodents usually can travel freely and typically don't leave the pipes - unless there's a free and easy lunch above. The old sewer and wastewater pipes essentially serve as "rat hotels," Munson said.

The city employee circles the sewers around campus with poisoned bait, but this summer, he's seen much less evidence of underground rat travel.

The city has seen an increase of the pests on Monroe Avenue near campus, Munson said. There hasn't been an increase elsewhere in Corvallis, however, he added.

Good Earth Pest Company has seen a higher percentage of rodent calls this summer, however, said Rene Kesecker of the Philomath-based family business.

"I really can't say we've seen an increase in our business with rats," said Gloria Johnson, office manager for Guardian Pest Control, which serves the mid-Willamette Valley and Eugene areas.

Munson said OSU's rat issues could also stem from increased awareness due to television programs about exterminators, which could lead to more reports.

An issue for years

Jordan Brinck, a crew member for the musical "The Mikado," said he's noticed rats for years on campus.

"They hang out in the flower beds because there's so much garbage from students," said the recent OSU graduate, behind Withycombe Hall. "They don't like to cover open ground. … They're like the ninjas of the rodent world." He said he hadn't seen an increase, however, because he wasn't out much at night at OSU this summer.

Jarrod Hyam, a philosophy graduate student, said he'd recently seen a couple of rats walking around during the daytime.

James Alston, reading a book and sunning in the MU Quad, said he noticed a dead rat recently on campus. "That's the first rat I've seen here, and I've been here for four years," the OSU senior said.

Ashurex said the rodent problem is mostly outside, and she didn't notice it until the spring. But she's also seen the critters in the Memorial Union, Snell Hall and the Women's Building. She's also lived in two fraternities near campus this summer, and spotted rats there, as well.

Rats can be carriers of diseases, but they also can cause property damage to structures. Munson said the easiest way to eliminate rodent problems is to eliminate easy food sources, such outdoor dishes for cats and dogs, or birdfeeders that drop seed on the ground. People should also make sure rats can't get into garbage cans.

Gazette-Times staffer Brandon Goldner contributed to this story.

Kyle Odegard covers Oregon State University. He can be contacted at kyle.odegard@lee.net or 758-9523. For more information on this article, go to Kyle Odegard's blog at www.gazettetimes.com.