Control Principles

The broad principles involved must be presented before the various approaches, methods, or strategies for rodent control. All parties’ concerned need to understand these concepts in order to devise particular control tactics for a given situation. It will also assist in conveying the importance of particular actions to the personnel who are actually performing the control work.

Rodents are a constant concern in tropical regions due to the climate conditions, constant food availability, and relatively open constructions. As a result, rodent control should be treated as a management problem rather than a one-time poisoning treatment. To be effective, control strategy staff must be trained and informed, their activities must be coordinated, responsibilities must be established, inputs and equipment must be easily available, and the complete action must be planned.

Control strategies should attempt to prevent losses, which necessitates a proactive rather than reactive approach (Colvin 1990). (Figure 9.2. The philosophy behind any management strategy should be the prevention of problems.).Once a big population of rats has established itself in a store, significant losses have already occurred that cannot be recovered, and subsequent control effort is costly. It should be emphasized that information from various sources, not only approaches, should be included into a control or management strategy.

There are many more rat-control tactics and procedures than those listed here. The ones listed here have been chosen as the most useful for use in tropical areas. Meehan (1984) provides a thorough overview of procedures as well as a comprehensive list of rodenticides accessible.

These are the principle of rodent control.

Observation

Monitoring is a crucial part of any rodent control program me. It usually entails keeping an eye out for rats. However, it should also include looking for elements in the ecosystem that facilitate rodent migration. Monitoring should be organized professionally and on a regular basis; that is, certain people should be assigned to it and report on the situation on a regular basis, perhaps once a week, to a higher. The report should include the following elements:

1. Dates are kept track of;
2. The amount, types, and locations of rat indicators;
3. Building condition (broken pipes, walls, etc., state of production, tidiness or cleanliness);
4. Qualitative reports from others; dates of baiting;
5. Number of bait stations used and their locations;
6. Amount of bait and labor used;
7. Recommendations for improvement,
8. Such as structural repairs or additional action required
9. A rodent infestation is rarely totally eradicated,

• And even when it is, it is usually only for a short time. As a result, even after a successful control campaign,

Regardless of the techniques or bait employed, ongoing monitoring is required.

Collaboration

Rats from nearby locations will migrate into an area that has been made rat-free due to good management and/or effective control techniques. Control campaigns in multiple nearby locations at the same time are consequently more efficient. In the event of a village, all homes should be motivated and organized at the same time to control rats. While having authority in one household benefits the owner, the benefits increase as the number of neighbors who participate grows.

In the event of large and small establishments, the surrounding surroundings, including neighboring stores, should be de-infested as well.

Preventative Actions

The adage “Prevention is better than Cure” applies to rodents just as much as it does to other pests and diseases. As a result, the primary goal of any rodent control campaign should be to create an environment that discourages or prevents rodents from reentering an area after the rodent population has been eliminated through one or more methods.

Hygienic conditions

Rodents require food and a safe place to live. As a result, it’s critical to decrease the availability of these two crucial components, which should be at the heart of any approach. The most effective way of rodent control in buildings is to enhance hygiene or cleanliness in and around them. This primarily entails sweeping the store and maintaining it, as well as the surrounding area, clean and tidy, that is, clear of any objects that could provide cover or nesting areas for rodents, such as empty containers, idle machinery, or discarded building materials. At the end of the day’s labor, it also entails eliminating food remnants left over from feeding pets or domestic stock.

Observations have repeatedly proven that, even in the tropics, these modest procedures are the most effective prophylactic strategies available.

Any infestation will be detected at an early stage in a clean store, making additional management methods significantly more successful. Rats will not become established, that is, dwell and breed, inside a building if they have limited access to food and no hiding places. Rats and mice try to avoid being disturbed on a regular basis.

Proofreading

Because it is impractical to remove all food from businesses and homes, rats must be restricted in their access. Proofing structures or storing food in rat-proof containers are two ways to accomplish this.

Only materials that rodents cannot nibble through should be utilized to rodent control a structure. It’s also worth noting that some rat species are excellent climbers and jumpers, and the majority of them can squeeze through surprisingly small holes and gaps.

All wooden doors and frames should have firm metal strips installed on the bottom edges, and susceptible windows should have hard metal frames with tight wire netting screens. Rat guards installed on drainpipes and other building attachments should be at least one meter above ground level. Door hinges and other similar fittings should be situated or protected in such a way that rats are unable to use them for climbing.

Natural Preventative Measures (Predation)

Predation will not normally keep rats and mice at economically viable population levels. The keeping of cats is an exemption. Cats do not have direct control over rats and mice since they eat them. Most rats and mice stay away because of their presence. According to a survey done in a Myanmar village, households with cats had no rats, whereas those without cats in the same area had rats.

Controlled by mechanical means

In general, mechanical rodent control is ineffective. It’s time-consuming, labor-intensive, and frequently inefficient. Household approaches are more appropriate and can be employed if the owner does not have access to poisons or is opposed to their use.

Trapping is the most prevalent method employed in constructions. Local traps are frequently available, and some societies excel at using them. They should be installed in regions where rats migrate often. If the trap is against a wall, the treadle should be perpendicular to the wall and the bait should face the wall.

Controlling Chemicals

Chemical control may be essential in large stores, particularly those in metropolitan areas, to augment hygienic efforts. Anticoagulant rodenticides are strongly advised for use in buildings since acute poisons can promote bait shyness, especially when applied over a long period of time. As a result, this article will not cover acute rodenticides.

It’s important to remember that rats in and around buildings are especially wary of unfamiliar objects like bait, bait stations, and traps. As a result, it may take some time for rats to accept these. As a result, it’s critical that these objects aren’t touched or removed once they’ve been installed. After a week, if the bait or trap has not been touched, rats are unlikely to remain close, and it should be transferred to a new site. Chemical control, on the other hand, is only effective when combined with good hygiene measures.