Opinion: Idaho’s ‘Rodents of Unusual Size Act’ was Flawed in Design

For the last few years, people in and around Boise and Eagle (Idaho) have been alarmed and outraged by the seemingly sudden outbreak of rats. While the Treasure Valley area has always contended with field (or deer) mice, rats are a relatively new problem. The area is fairly dry and was long unsuitable for rats, since they require both drinking water and dense human populations — conditions that were only sparsely present until recently. However, a housing expansion has replaced miles of farmland with houses and businesses, and between folks watering their lawns and providing all the other food and harborage a rat could love, rats finally took hold.

Norway rats were known to be present perhaps as early as four or more years ago, in small numbers. Around two years ago, roof rats established themselves in the area and rapidly spread. Unaccustomed to dealing with rats — and alarmed by how quickly the infestation grew — residents pressured local representatives to act, leading to the introduction of Idaho House Bill 1271, nicknamed the “Rodents of Unusual Size Act.”

The bill was a desperate attempt to address the new and quickly growing rat problem. The Idaho Pest Management Association made a clear and successful effort to assert that private enterprise (i.e., pest management professionals) should not be circumvented in rat control efforts.

As it turned out, it does not appear that there was any solid consultation of a rodentologist to carefully craft Idaho House Bill 1271. The scope of work and methods to address a runaway rat population explosion were not realistically addressed. Particularly, a realistic budget to contain the rat population in at least three cities and all their suburban sprawl to actually eliminate rats was not available. And even if such an effort at great expense could occur, what would keep rats from being introduced numerous times again in the future?

The fact is that residential and commercial presence in Boise and Treasure Valley has substantially changed, allowing rats to now be part of the landscape.