75 years of Alberta’s mission to keep rats at bay

Twice a year, a patrol team diligently inspects barns, straw bales, and grain storage bins along a 600-kilometre stretch of the Alberta-Saskatchewan boundary. Their mission? To prevent rats from making themselves at home in the province. This tradition dates back 75 years, with Lincoln Poulin, the president of Poulin’s Pest Control, proudly carrying on the legacy of his grandfather, Napoleon Poulin, who was known as the man that killed 10 million rats.

Napoleon Poulin was instrumental in the early days of Alberta’s rat control program, which was established in 1950 after Norway rats were discovered on a farm in the province. These rodents, believed to have originated in China, first appeared on the east coast of North America in 1775 and gradually made their way west, reaching Saskatchewan in the 1920s.

By 1959, the number of rat infestations in Alberta had increased to 573. However, through dedicated efforts and the implementation of effective control measures, the infestations plummeted, reaching zero by 2003, according to the Alberta government. The patrol team’s meticulous inspections and swift actions have been crucial in maintaining Alberta’s rat-free status.

Karen Wickerson, a pest specialist with Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation, oversees the Alberta Rat Control Program. Known as Alberta’s rat lady, Wickerson and her team work year-round to patrol the border between Saskatchewan and Alberta, setting up traps, bait stations, and cameras to catch rats before they can establish a foothold and multiply.

The rat control zone spans Alberta’s eastern boundary, from Cold Lake to the U.S. border with Montana. Wickerson explains that the focus on eastern Alberta is strategic, as rats have difficulty crossing the mountains in the west, Montana has a low rat population in the south, and the north is too cold and sparsely populated for rats to thrive.

While occasional outbreaks, like the 2023 incidents at two recycling plants in Calgary, do occur, they are rare. Rats typically enter Alberta by chance, hitching a ride on shipments of grain or other goods. Early detection is key to effective eradication efforts, as Shelby Oracheski, an agricultural fieldman with the Municipal District of Wainwright, emphasizes.

Rats pose a significant threat to farms and properties, as Bryan Skinner, a farmer near Chauvin, attests. These rodents can cause damage to feed supplies, chew on electrical wiring, and carry diseases that can be transmitted to humans. While native bushy-tailed woodrats, also known as packrats, are found in Alberta, it is the invasive Norway rat that presents the greatest concern.

Alberta’s rat control program plays a vital role in safeguarding the province’s rat-free status and protecting its agricultural and urban areas from the destructive impact of rat infestations. As rat populations continue to grow globally, Alberta’s proactive approach serves as a model for effective rat control and prevention measures. By remaining vigilant and proactive, Alberta can continue to keep its borders rat-free for years to come.