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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
Alberta rats may take years to eradicate
MEDICINE HAT, Alta. -- Officials in southern Alberta have launched a new offensive in their ongoing war on rats, but believe it will take two years before they can completely wipe out the rascally rodents.
The new strategy, dubbed "Operation Haystack," will see baited, poisoned hay bales dropped around Medicine Hat to stop the flow of the vermin from the city's dump.
A nest of Norway rats was discovered at the landfill earlier this month, sparking panic and headlines across the province. Alberta had previously boasted of its rat-free status for more than 50 years.
Since finding the nest, the city reported the spread of rats into its neighbourhoods. Residents have called in dozens of sightings, with some taking photos as evidence.
Ed Jollymore, Medicine Hat's waste manager, said Thursday staff have killed 95 rats in the city since Aug. 9. He expects it will take two months to destroy the nest at the dump. But the pests are bound to keep showing up.
"This is going to be a process of years," Jollymore said.
-- The Canadian Press
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition August 24, 2012 A9
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