A rodent crisis is spreading across the agricultural land of California’s Central Valley.
Almond growers across Merced, Fresno, Kings, and Kern counties are seeing an especially severe roof rat problem, causing over 100,000 acres of damage and millions of dollars in economic losses.
According to an Aug. 1 report by the Almond Board of California (ABC), the rodents travel through irrigation canals and other waterways to quickly move between orchards, making containment difficult.
“The Almond Board of California is uncertain why the issue is worse this season. It’s likely a combination of several factors, such as abandoned orchards/vineyards, but at this point, that is all hypothetical,” an ABC spokesperson told The Epoch Times in an email….