Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings collection

 

Date of this Version

March 1992

Abstract


The black rat (Rattus rattus) has global distribution with 570 forms (Walker 1940). However, in India it is represented by 16 sub-species (Biswas and Tiwari 1969) with R.r. rufescens as most common commensal rodent (Barnett and Prakash 1975). It distinctly occupies rural and urban areas in Rajasthan. Besides infesting human dwellings rats occupy poultry farms, godowns, shops, flour mills, etc. With increase in poultry farming the rat problem has become critical and so is the fate of farm produce being stored at farmers’ godowns which are small, non-scientifically constructed and nonrodent proof.

Often it is recommended that poultry feed may be used as baiting medium (Bhardwaj 1983) to contain rodent menace in poultry farms. Poultry raisers often reported that desired results are not obtained if poultry feed is used as bait. Therefore, it is thought pertinent to investigate under laboratory conditions as to how black rats behave when; 1) these are directly exposed to selected cereal baits and poultry feed, 2) selected baits with additives like vegetable oils, sugar and salt, 3) to see efficacy of 0.005 percent flocoumafen in most preferred baits.

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