Rats: an ecologically-based approach for managing a global problem

Abstract

Many people have problems with pest rodents. Rats eat our crops, contaminate our stored food, damage our buildings and possessions and spread dangerous diseases to people and livestock. Compared to insect pests, controlling rats and mice can seem difficult. Experience has shown, however, that armed with the right knowledge and tools it is possible to sustainably reduce pest rodent populations in a cost-beneficial way. In recent years, applied research on ecologically-based rodent management (EBRM) has taken place in many countries throughout Asia and Africa, involving a number of research and extension institutions working together in collaboration with farming communities to develop effective, sustainable and cost-beneficial rodent management strategies. This article draws on the knowledge generated from these research and extension experiences, focusing on work carried out in the villages of Jakunipara, Sowara, Sahapur and Anandapur, all of them in Comilla, Bangladesh. We worked in partnership with the NGO Association for Integrated Development, Comilla, and with scientists from the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute, Australia’s CSIRO and the U.K.’s Natural Resources Institute