09/11/2000 13:15 - (SA) UK super rats resistant to poison

London - Britain's population of super rats is soaring, feeding on the remains of junk food and acquiring increasing resistance to poisons, the National Pest Technicians Association has warned.

The association had urged the government to investigate the phenomenon as a matter of urgency "before the rat situation gets out of control", the Daily Telegraph reported on Thursday.

The association said Britain's rat population had soared to the highest levels in recent memory, with rat infestations reported to local authorities increasing 18 per cent last year.

John Davison, the association's secretary, said rats were becoming resistant to anti-coagulant poisons introduced after they had already grown immune to warfarin.

The rats were also avoiding more powerful poisons after seeing the effects on other rats. "Rats are very smart animals, which is why they're still here," Davison said.

Global warming could also play a part in the rodents' survival as fewer rats died from the cold in the winter. - Sapa-dpa

http://news.24.com/News24/Technology/Science_Nature/0,1113,2-13-46_937883,00.html

-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), November 09, 2000