RODENTS AND CONTROL.pptx its about rodent control

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1. RODENTS IN STORAGE AND THEIR CONTROL BY, THAFSEENA K DEPT OF FOOD TCEHNOLOGY

2. RODENTS Rodents are the major vertebrate pests causing damage to various crops and commodities by feeding and indirect damage by spoilage. contamination and hording during on-farm and post-harvest stages. It was reported that the overall losses of grain to rodents were approximately 25% in pre harvest and 25-30% in post-harvest situations in India. 2 most important types of rodents associated with storage are: 1. Squirrels 2. Rats.

3. RODENTS .Rodents not only feed on grains but also contaminate 20 times more than what they consume with their feces, urine, hair and even some times with their own dead bodies. On an average each rat drop 25 to 150 pellets voids 15 to 25 ml urine and shed thousands of body hairs / fur daily. Gunny bags are torn by rats which leads to spoilage of foodgrains. Rats are known to eat the grains partly and also to eat its embryo point making it unfit as seed leading to waste. Besides they transmit at least 35 types of communicable diseases to man.

4. CONTROL MEASURES Preventive Measures: Sanitation : i . Regular sweeping the store and keeping both storage and the surrounding area neat and tidy so that there will be lack of nesting places for rodents. Removing food scraps left over from feeding pets or domestic stock should be done. ii. Rats avoid clear spaces. Therefore, by keeping a strip of two or more meters around a building, clear of vegetation will reduce the chance of rats entering the building. iii. Branches overhanging the building should be lopped off to prevent climbing species to enter from above.

5. CONTROL MEASURES Proofing: i.keeping food in -rat proof containers. ii. Steel rat guards fitted to drain pipes and other attachments to the building should be at least one meter above ground level. iv. New holes dug by rats should be filled in immediately, repairs should be carried out as soon as the damage is noticed.

6. CONTROL MEASURES Curative control measures : i . Mechanical Control (a) Trapping: (b) Flushing rodents out of their burrows: (c) Ultrasonic devices: ii. Biological control: iii. Cultural Control: (a) Frequent deep plowing and harrowing: (b) Weed control: (c) Burning/Removal of wild vegetation. (d) Use of Repellent and Attractant: iv. Chemical Control: (a) Anticoagulant/ Chronic Rodenticides: b. Acute Rodenticides/ Fumigants:

7. MECHANICAL CONTROL (a) Trapping: i . Generally 2 types of traps are used. Break type and Catching type. Catching type is most preferable and it can be either single catching type or multiple catching type. ii. Sticky or glue traps are another way of catching rats and mice. They are boards made of wood, hard- or cardboard covered with very sticky material. iii. Traps should be placed where rats move regularly. (b) Flushing rodents out of their burrows: This can be done with smoke or by flooding them with water. (c) Ultrasonic devices: These create a loud noise above the range of human hearing (above18-20 kHz) that is unpleasant to pest species

8. BIOLOGICAL CONTROL ii. Biological control: (a) Rodents serve as food for Cats, kites, owls, snakes, jungle cats, foxes, mongooses and monitor lizards. (b) Bacteria, viruses, protozoan as microbes possess biocontrol potential. (c) S.typhimurium and S.enteritis have proved ineffective against R. rattus and B. bengalensis in India due to poor mortality (15-20%). (d) Trypanosoma evansi (protozoan) has proved effective against R. rattus and B. bengalensis.

9. Cultural Control (a) Frequent deep plowing and harrowing : It destroys the burrows and helps in migration of rodents from fields. (b) Weed control : Weeds provide food and shelter. Regular weed control practices may minimize the rodent infestation considerably. (c) Burning/Removal of wild vegetation. It also destroys the burrows. (d) Use of Repellent and Attractant: Neem oil repel the rats to the tune of 18- 48%. Crude cotton-seed oil (5%) shows anti fertility effects on bandicoots. cotton plugs soaked in jiggery solution act as an attractant for rodents as after feed on it, the rodents will die due to choke.

10. Chemical Control: (a) Anticoagulant i . Anticoagulant rodenticides interfere with the blood clotting mechanism of the body. ii. The animal gradually dies because of loss of blood through external and internal wounds that is hemorrhage. iv. The antidote(  substance that counteracts the effects of a poison or toxin) to anticoagulant rodenticides is Vitamin K. Eg : Difenacoum , brodifacoum, bromadiolone, warfarin. enticides :

11. Chemical Control: b. Acute Rodenticides/ Fumigants: i . Acute poisoning means exposure to poison on one occasion or during a short period of time that means a single dose is enough to kill the pest. ii. The simplest method is to use a powder which releases hydrogen cyanide, or aluminium (magnesium) phosphide tablets which release phosphine when placed into the burrows. The gases are generated when the powder or tablets come into contact with moisture in the soil. iii. Alternatively, methyl bromide gas may be pumped into the burrow system. iv. As soon as the fumigant has been applied all burrows must be closed, by filling the entrance holes with earth.