Rats have taken an unusual interest in the specialty crop capital of the nation. Many attribute the cause to the pest multiplying unchecked in orchards and vineyards in the Central Valley that have been abandoned due to water restrictions and economic challenges. This becomes a real problem when the rats move into neighboring farms in active production, tearing up driplines, feeding on crops and damaging trees. Growers are in a state of emergency and have limited tools for managing this pest.  Malcolm Media Editor-in-Chief Matthew Malcolm met with UCCE Wildlife Specialist Roger Baldwin at the California Association of Pest Control Adviser’s annual conference to gain answers on how to knock down populations effectively and keep the pest at bay.  Watch this brief interview and learn more by attending Baldwin’s presentation on rat control at the Grape, Nut & Tree Fruit Expo at the Fresno Fairgrounds on Nov. 14 (register to attend at agexpo.biz).