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RODENTS. Commensal rodents. Commensal means “ sharing a table” Rodent’s are responsible for loss of 1/5 of world’s crop production Sometimes referred to “kelpto-parasites”. Problems with Rodents. Spread diseases like plague, leptospirosis, salmonellosis, etc.
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Commensal rodents • Commensal means “ sharing a table” • Rodent’s are responsible for loss of 1/5 of world’s crop production • Sometimes referred to “kelpto-parasites”
Problems with Rodents • Spread diseases like plague, leptospirosis, • salmonellosis, etc. • Consume and contaminate significant percentage of • the worlds food supply. • Rodents carry fleas and other parasites into buildings. • Cause economic damage by gnawing on structures • and wiring.
Diseases transmitted to Man • Plague • Murine Typhus • Rickettsial pox • Salmonellosis • Rat bite fever • Weils disease • Hanta virus • Typhoid • Dysentery
Defect Action Levels • 9 mg or more/kg of rodent excrement in wheat for human consumption • 1 rodent hair/50 g of wheat flour
COMMON RODENTS • House Mouse (Mus musculus) • Norway Rat (Rattus norvegicus) • Roof Rat (Rattus rattus)
A COMPARISON OF RODENT SPECIES
HOUSE MOUSE • Body small and slender, 2 to 3.5 inches long • Average weight is 12 to 25 g • Tail is equal to or longer than head and body • combined • Eyes are small. • Ears are relatively large • Nose and muzzle are pointed
BIOLOGY AND REPRODUCTION • Limited by environment • Female produces 4 to 7 pups per litter • A 19-day gestation period • Eight litters in lifetime • Lives 6 months to a year
FEEDING BEHAVIOR • Nibblers- may feed 20 – 30 times per day • Sites may be marked by urine odor • Consume 3 – 4 g of food per day • Can satisfy daily water needs from foods • Prefers cereal grains and seeds; can also feed on insects, frozen meat, etc
NORWAY RAT • Body is heavy and thick, 7 to 10 inches long • Average weight is 105 to 600 g • Tail shorter than head and body combined. • Eyes & ears are small. • Nose and muzzle are blunt
BIOLOGY AND REPRODUCTION • Breeding peaks in spring and fall • Gestation period is 22 days • 8 – 12 pups per litter • 4 – 7 litters per year • Prefers cereal grains, seeds, nuts, meat, fish
BEHAVIOR • Organized social structure • Requires 25 – 30 g of food per day • Needs available free water • Neophobic (shyness of new objects) • Range 50 – 150 feet from nests
ROOF RAT • Body is slender, 6.5 to 8 inches long • Average weight is 80 to 350 g • Tail is longer than head and body combined • Eyes & Ears are large. • Nose and muzzle are pointed
BEHAVIOR • Prevalent along the coastal areas of the US • Tend to live above the ground on roofs or aerial structures • Prefers seeds and plant foods
BIOLOGY • Similar to that of the Norway Rat • Gestation period is about 23 days • Produce 6-8 young/litter and 4-6 litters/year
COMMON TRAITS OF RODENTS • Nocturnal in habit • Excellent swimmers • Good climbers • Good sense of smell and hearing • Can gnaw through materials like lead sheathing, aluminium, wood, wiring, etc • Can enter through very small openings
DIFFERENCES • Norway and Roof rats are quite cautious in their movements and food acceptance whereas Mice are very curious. • Norway rats are burrowers. Roof rats prefer to climb in rafters and overspaces. • Both Norway and Roof rats need a source of water to survive. Mice can survive on water metabolized from food.
INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT • Rodent inspections • Sanitation • Exclusion (rodent proofing) • Population reduction • Trapping programs • Baiting programs
Signs of Rodent Infestation • Rodent droppings & urine stains • Rodent tracks • Gnawing damage • Burrows • Runways • Grease marks • Rodent sounds and odors
SANITATION • Proper removal of trash and garbage piles • Removal of grass, weeds and undesirable • vegetation adjacent to buildings • Elimination of potential rodent harborages • Proper storage practices to allow cleaning • inspection
EXCLUSION • Seal all openings greater than 1/4 “ for mice • and 1/2 “ for rats • Use coarse steel wool, sheet metal, hardware • cloth, mortar, etc for sealing openings • Use 12 inches of a 24 gauge sheet metal • at the bottom of doors
INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT • Rodent inspections • Sanitation • Exclusion (rodent proofing) • Population reduction • Trapping programs • Baiting programs
PLACEMENT OF TRAPS AND BAIT STATIONS • MICE : 8 to 12 foot intervals • RATS : 25 to 50 foot intervals
TRAPPING • COMMON SNAP TRAPS • GLUE BOARD TRAPS • AUTOMATIC, MULTIPLE-CATCH TRAPS