Rodents: Burrowing rat, Tatera indica

Symptoms of damage

• The burrowing rats burrow down to the bole of the palms and make cavities into the hole
• Feed the sweet inner cabbage portion.
• No external symptoms - entire meristematic region is devoured.
• Suddenly the leaves look wilted or dried and death of the palm.

Identification of the pest

Management

• Rodent management envisages a comprehensive programme involving

1. Orchard sanitation
2. Trapping
3. Poison baiting,
4. Mechanical barriers   
5. Bio-control agents.

• Field sanitation
• Clean cultivation

• At the time of planting - rodent infested areas, can be covered with 22 gauge galvanized iron (chicken) wire mesh

around the bole.

• Different traps are available in the market.
• Cage trap, spring death trap, death fall trap, bamboo noose trap etc.
• Trap shyness may become a problem after continuous use.
• Cleaning and washing the traps daily
• Changing the places for keeping the traps frequently etc.

• A number of rodenticides are available in the market under acute poisons and chronic poisons.
• Zinc phosphide - used acute poison, but induces bait shyness in rodents.
• Single dose anticoagulant - Bromadiolone (0.005%). It is available in wax cake formulations.
• Multiple dose anticoagulants - Warfarin, Fumarin.
• The basins should be placed in the field in the evening and removed in the morning.
• Dead rats should be buried to avoid secondary poisoning.

• A large number of predators used to regulate the rodent population in nature.
• Predators - Snakes, vultures, mongoose, cats and dogs.

Barn owl (Tyto alba Stertens)

• It is recently reported and useful in controlling rodents.
• It is used in Malaysia and Tamil Nadu for controlling the rat population in Oil palm
• and paddy fields.