Book Description

Rodent pests signicantly damage crops before and after harvest with an estimated 20% of the world's food supply consumed or contaminated each year. The most severe incrop problems occur in tropical plantation crops such as sugar cane, oil palm, cocoa and coconut and also in rice, other cereals and other food crops. While the tropical climates allow many rodent species to ourish, virtually all climates are plagued by the ubiquitous commensal rodent species (Rattus norvegicus) and Mus musculus) which attack grain and other food and feed whilst in storage. Due to the rapid reproduction rates of rodents, even controlling 90 % will only have a very short term effect on minimizing damage, if the other 10 % are left to rapidly reproduce. So necessary preventive measures have to be applied for minimising damages on crops and grains both in eld and storage. The most effective control programmes involve an integrated approach consistently applied, which includes prevention, exclusion and the strategic choice of a range of poisons for the best and most economical results.