Question

to begin, note merriam - websters use of the phrase difficult to control and their mention of lice and fleas as an example. these details indicate that true vermin occur in large numbers. lice and fleas are problematic because they reproduce so quickly that they can swarm people and animals. for example, a louse may lay six to ten eggs each day, and it may live for up to thirty days. that means each louse nesting in a persons hair is capable of laying up to three hundred eggs in its short lifetime. fleas multiply even more aggressively, laying about twenty - five eggs a day in an animals fur. in contrast, most squirrels have about one litter of babies per year, with roughly three to seven squirrels in a litter. these numbers are minuscule in comparison to fleas and lice. even if squirrels decide to nest in your attic, a family of three to seven squirrels couldnt really be described as difficult to control. the second paragraph is meant to support the authors main claim that squirrels cannot be accurately or fairly described as vermin. whats wrong with the authors argument in the second paragraph? rate of reproduction is not the only trait that can make an animal difficult to control. the argument ignores the fact that squirrels can be infested with fleas. the author does not provide evidence that lice populations can grow quickly. it is impossible to determine whether squirrels are vermin without knowing how long they live.

Explanation:

The author only compares reproduction rates to define vermin. But difficulty - to - control has multiple factors like habitat, behavior etc. So, rate of reproduction isn't the sole determinant.

Answer:

Rate of reproduction is not the only trait that can make an animal difficult to control.