Rodent Pest Management

Rodents consume and damage the food of people. This can happen in the fields, stores and houses. Food is also spoiled by the droppings and urine and therefore, unfit for human consumption.

Damaged wire caused by rat

Rodents have the habit of gnawing. They cut containers i.e. bags, structures i.e. buildings or supports, electrical cables thereby causing electrical fire and cloths. There are species in Bangladesh which are active and destructive burrows, damaging irrigation system and causing bridges and dikes to collapse.

Rats are responsible for the transmission of many diseases dangerous to man.

Behavioral Pattern of Rodents:

Gnawing:

The incisor teeths of rodents are deeply embeded in the skull and grow throughout the life. because of this, rodents have to gnaw all the time. With this sharp and strong front teeth they may even cut into soft meat, to hold food, fighting and excavating burrows.

Behind the incisors in each jaw is a gap with no teeth, which is called diastema, through which rodents are able to spit out unwanted material while gnawing. Behind these gap are the molars used for grinding food. Those do not grow continuously.

Burrowing, Climbing, Jumping and Swimming:

Burrow made by Bendicota bengalensis

A Black field rat (Bendicota bengalensis)

Many rodents burrow. In Bangladesh, the Black field rat (Bendicota bengalensis) and Big black field rats (Bendicota indica) are very active burrowers by which they cause considerable damage to the dike, fields and seed beds. Their burrows are big and conspicuous. Burrowers are the houses of rats, in which they lives, they find protection and breed.

A climbing mouse

The House rat (Rattus exsulans) also called roof rat is a particular good climber, using its long tail for balancing. If the surface is rough it can climb vertically i.e. beams and trees. Th little house rat is a very good climber.

A mouse jumping

Some rats can jump about a meter high from the floor and also horizontally, which is important to remember if one wants to rat-proof a building or keep food out of their reach.

Rats are good swimmers. Black field rat lives in flooded rice fields. Sometimes more then 500 meter from the nearest dry land.

A rat is smelling

Sense:

Sight is poorly developed in rats. On the otrher hand their senses of smell and taste are highly developed. Most rats and mice are active at night and very secretive, that is they move under cover.

Control Method:

A. Non-chemical control

1. Vigilance
2. Hygiene
3. Proofing
4. Trapping
5. Smoking and Watering

B. Chemical control

1. Single dose poison (Acute poision)
2. Multiple dose poison (Chronic poison)
3. Tracking powder
4. Gassing
5. Fumigation

Non Chemical Rodent Management

1. Vigilance:

The most important factor in control is to be aware of the problem. We call this vigilance which means a person must inspect his field, houses and storehouse often and regularly. In fact one should inspect neighboring fields, dikes and buildings as well. As soon as the sign of the rats appears, the animal should be killed by any method available.

2. Hygiene:

House and Buildings:

Rats living with human mainly for two things: food and shelter. If no food is available or kept inside ratproof containers or cleared away, the rats will not visit the house very often. In addition if there is no shelter rats will not feel easy and leave the place. Therefore, the stores and goods should be kept tidy, sweep stores, houses everyday and close every holes.

Fields:
It is often referred to as habit management. It simply means that the habit, the living area of rats on this case, is managed or altered, so that it is less acceptable to rats. The main principle of habitat management is to reduce the shelter for for rats as much as possible. the following steps should be taken:

• Unnecessary vegetation should be cut or burnt.
• Fences particularly near houses should be kept clean.
• Crop residues and rubbish pile should be burnt.
• Dikes should be kept small between paddy fields.
• If possible, fields should be flooded.