California's almond industry is under siege as a relentless rat infestation chews through crops and equipment, leaving a trail of damage costing farmers up to $310 million, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. According to the Almond Board of California, roof rats have damaged more than 100,000 acres across Merced, Fresno, Kings, and Kern counties in the state's Central Valley, chewing through trees and irrigation systems. The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) pegs the cost of replacing irrigation drip lines alone between $56 million and $168 million.
Efforts to control the rats—ranging from bait stations to fumigation—have yielded limited results. Some farmers report exterminating up to 100 rats a day, yet the population remains stubbornly high. One factor: the rats have adapted, shifting from their typical behavior of nesting in trees or home attics to burrowing underground, making them harder to catch. This behavior change is thought to be tied to wetter conditions following years of drought, which have made farms more appealing to rodents.
California produces more than 75% of the world's almonds, USA Today reports. But abandoned orchards, left behind as almond prices sag, have also become safe havens for the pests. "The abandoned orchards are like little refuges for the rats," says Niamh Quinn of the University of California Cooperative Extension. The rats' mobility, aided by irrigation canals and waterways, is complicating containment, the Almond Board notes.
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