SAN FRANCISCO – Rodent expert Roger Baldwin used to get less than one yearly inquiry about rat issues during most of his extended stint at the University of California-Davis, where he’s a professor of cooperative extension focused on managing human-wildlife conflict.
Now his phone keeps buzzing with dozens of requests from farmers, journalists and others seeking his expertise amid an unprecedented phenomenon: A massive assault by rats on the state’s $4.7 billion almond industry.
The sudden invasion starting last fall took growers by surprise, and they’re still scrambling to figure out how to repel the intruders, often turning to Baldwin for guidance…