Coyote killings may be cause of rat increase on Bainbridge Island

BAINBRIDGE ISLAND, Wash. — A biologist on Bainbridge Island suspects the rat population is on the rise because the number of coyotes in the area is down. The West Sound Wildlife Shelter takes in 1,000 creatures every year, many needing medical help. But lately, there have been some uninvited guests. For the first time in a decade, rats have been trying to get into the shelter. Mike Pratt has set a trap and cleared brush away from the building so that hawks and owls could take care of the problem for him. "I just gave them dinner, is all I did," said Pratt. Pratt suspects the rat population is up all across Bainbridge Island because his shelter has seen a 75 percent jump in complaints. "People have been shooting and poisoning and killing a lot of coyotes on the island," said Pratt. In an effort to protect pets and chickens, islanders have been killing off coyotes. Pratt said normally, up to 40 percent of a coyote's diet is rodents. "Maybe we should leave the coyotes alone," said neighbor Jean Janich. Janich said she's taken down her bird feeders after neighbors reported rat problems. "We had three (rats) that would come right up to our window," said Sarah Larson. Larson said when traps didn't work, her father shot a couple rats with a BB gun. Some pest control companies reported a jump in business on the island, where Chris Curtin is working at least three days a week, setting out bait boxes and rat traps. He said others from the company are working on the island as well. "It's been year round and it's been pretty busy," said Curtin. Another theory about the rise in the rat population is that the last two winters have been relatively mild, so more rodents survived and successfully reproduced on Bainbridge Island.

KIRO