Reports of rat populations increasing in the Pacific Northwest

[Emily]

http://www.kgw.com/home/County-sees-rise-in-rare-roof-rats--225237442.html

County: 'Roof rats' on the rise in Portland
by Cornelius Swart, KGW.com Staff
Posted on September 25, 2013 at 12:46 PM
Updated Wednesday, Sep 25 at 1:35 PM

PORTLAND --The roof rat, also known as the black rat or ship rat was once famous for spreading Europe?s Black Plague...

http://thedailyworld.com/sections/newswire/northwest/centralia-woman%E2%80%99s-property-overrun-rats.html

8:30 am - October 14, 2013 ? Updated: 8:30 am - October 14, 2013
Centralia Woman?s Property Overrun by Rats

By Kyle Spurr

The Chronicle

A seemingly clean Centralia property in a residential neighborhood on View Avenue has recently attracted an onslaught of rats, leaving the property owners and county officials perplexed.

Joan Lankow and her husband have trapped many of them. Others were killed by their dog. In all, nearly two dozen rats have been found in their backyard in the past two months.

?We never had a problem like this,? Lankow said. ?In the 40 years we lived here, I?ve probably seen two. I don?t understand it.?...

Photo of dog that was bitten 18 times by a rat:
http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.town...7b-001a4bcf887a/52588fffc0671.preview-300.jpg

Wildlife experts suspected a rat population explosion in WA state in 2012 was due to the decimation of coyotes in the area:

http://www.insidebainbridge.com/2012/08/03/got-rats-population-explosion-on-bainbridge/