Rating the rat: global patterns and research priorities in impacts and management of rodent pests

Abstract

ABSTRACT1. We report the results of the first systematic assessment of global patterns and research priorities emerging in the field of rodent pest management. We carried out an extensive literature review targeted towards identifying the most relevant rodent pests, their impacts and the most common methods used to control them. 2. We identified three disproportionally important pest species that are characterized by severe, generalist and geographically widespread impacts: the black rat Rattus rattus, the Norway rat Rattus norvegicus and the house mouse Mus musculus.Overall, only 7% of known rodent species may be considered pests. Scansorial (i.e. terrestrial and semi arboreal) and fossorial species are generally important as pests, while aquatic and arboreal species have only specific impacts. 3. Impacts of rodent pests on arable crops were studied most, followed by impacts on ecosystems. Studies on arable crops were typical in countries with low net income and health expenditure, while the opposite was observed for studies on ecosystems. Poisons were the most commonly used control method, followed by traps and habitat management. The need to control rodent species is expanding, especially to protect ecosystems and public health. Unlike in other fields of pest management (e.g. insect control), in rodent control we are approaching new problems with old solutions; control strategies and methods have not kept pace with emerging impacts. 4. The need to control a rodent pest species is higher when it is non-native than within its original geographical range. The impact of a rodent species in its native range is a good predictor of the impact it may have in areas of introduction. 5. Our review will contribute towards guiding researchers and stakeholders to focus research efforts and investments on a subset of species, and on new, less hazardous control techniques.

Is It Time for Synthetic Biodiversity Conservation?

“…Only 147 of the more than 2000 species of rodents worldwide are considered to be pests, and of these three species alone (black rat Rattus rattus, Norway rat Rattus norvegicus, and house mouse Mus musculus) have by far the greatest negative impact on the systems they invade, particularly on endemic fauna on island systems [49]. Rodent invasions of islands have resulted in the extinction of hundreds of species of native birds [50], particularly seabirds, thereby disrupting the flow of nutrients from the ocean to the land [51].…”

“…Although there are alternative techniques that do not require toxins (e.g., [54]), toxicants are still considered the most effective. There are concerns about the development of anticoagulant resistance in target species, and about the effects of poisons on non-target species, but it has been suggested that the search for alternative techniques has not yet been fruitful [49].…”

Estimating rodent losses to stored rice as a means to assess efficacy of rodent management

“…At the household level where food is stored, several surveys have shown that rodents are considered a problem, chewing through clothes and blankets, disturbing sleep, biting people and contaminating food stores Garba et al 2013;Stuart et al 2011;Yonas et al 2010). Actions to manage rodents around households often involve keeping a domestic cat, or ad hoc poisoning or trapping (Brown et al 2008;Capizzi et al 2014). Although Langton et al (2001) reported that dwellings with pets had higher numbers of rats and mice in urban habitats in the UK.…”

Dental Shape Variation and Phylogenetic Signal in the Rattini Tribe Species of Mainland Southeast Asia

“…It includes a range of specialist and generalist species, including some of the most successful and destructive commensal and agricultural pest species known today, such as Rattus norvegicus (the brown rat) and R. rattus (the black rat) (Myers et al 2000;Lecompte et al 2008;Pagès et al 2010;Morand et al 2013;Capizzi et al 2014;Kosoy et al 2015). The identification of Rattini tribe species is particularly important in the study of fossil and sub-fossil records.…”