Ada County officials seek authority, funding and coordinated response as rat reports rise

Adam Schroeder, director of Ada County Weed, Pest & Mosquito Abatement, told the Boise City Council that his office is receiving increasingly frequent reports of both Norway and roof rats, that the department currently lacks statutory authority to address rats, and that coordinated funding and legal authority from the state would be needed for a sustained campaign.

"Rats are not mentioned within the state code or title," Schroeder said. He told the council his office is getting roughly two to five calls per week about rats, described the two species’ different behaviors, and emphasized public health risks — including leptospirosis, hantavirus and salmonellosis — while noting that the agency does not have population counts or comprehensive monitoring now.

Schroeder laid out a range of…