Rats have invaded almond orchards across the Central Valley.
The big picture: Almond growers in Merced, Fresno, Kings and Kern counties have reported a spike in rodent populations, the Almond Board of California said.
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- The rats are using irrigation canals and other waterways as corridors to rapidly spread between orchards and diverse agricultural fields.
- The California Department of Food and Agriculture found in a report released in February that over 112,000 acres have been affected by the rat infestation. Damages are estimated to range from $109 million to potentially $310 million. Damages cover machine and equipment repair, tree replacement and yield loss.
- The report recorded up to 32 rats per night per inspection site across the Valley….