SAN FRANCISCO – Rodent expert Roger Baldwin used to get less than one yearly inquiry about rat issues during most of his extended stint at the University of California-Davis, where he’s a professor of cooperative extension focused on managing human-wildlife conflict.
Now his phone keeps buzzing with dozens of requests from farmers, journalists and others seeking his expertise amid an unprecedented phenomenon: A massive assault by rats on the state’s $4.7 billion almond industry.
A newsletter this month by the Almond Board of California said the infestation in parts of the San Joaquin Valley, one of the world’s top agricultural regions, has impacted more than 100,000 acres and caused $109 million to $311 million in losses from damage to equipment and crops over a year.
The sudden invasion starting last fall took growers by surprise, and they’re still scrambling to figure out how to repel the intruders, often turning to Baldwin for guidance.
“There are inquiries and questions about doing interviews on rat control and giving seminars on rat control, and can I write articles about this,’’ Baldwin said. “The problem went from very, very low to being the No. 1 issue I’ve dealt with in my 17 years with UC.’’
