The Ecology of Rodent and Integrated Pest Management in the Light of North Eastern States: A Review
Shareen Tikhak*
Dept. of Entomology, Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat, Assam (785 013), India
Moon Moon Basumatary
Dept. of Entomology, Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat, Assam (785 013), India
DOI: https://doi.org/10.54083/BRT/7.4.2025/118-124
Keywords: Agriculture, Indigenous control, Integrated pest management, Northeast India, Rodent pests, Zoonotic diseases
Abstract
Globally known as the most important mammalian pests, rodents cause great damage to agriculture and industry. Among the 128 rodent species in India, 18 are considered pests that significantly affect post-harvest storage and crop output, causing 5-10% annual food grain losses. In both feeding and breeding environments, rodents show extraordinary flexibility. Their highly specialized gnawing adaptations, seasonal feeding schedules and omnivorous diet help them survive in many habitats. Their reproductive success is influenced by food availability and climatic variables like rainfall and helps to explain population surges and regular outbreaks. Rodents serve as reservoirs for over 60 zoonotic illnesses, significantly compromising public health. Mostly dependent on chemical rodenticides like zinc phosphide, conventional rodent control raises toxicity questions and calls for safer alternatives. Strategies for Integrated Pest Management (IPM), especially in Northeast India, combine modern techniques with indigenous practices. Key approaches include agronomic practices, innovative technologies like smoke generators and local methods such as using Gilmat leaves and Artemisia vulgaris to deter rodents. By understanding rodent feeding and breeding behaviors, this review article discusses a more effective, eco-friendly approach to managing rodent populations, safeguarding agriculture and public health.
Downloads
not found
Reference
Augustine, D.J., Smith, J.E., Davidson, A.D., Stapp, P., 2023. Burrowing rodents. In: Rangeland Wildlife Ecology and Conservation. (Eds.) McNew, L.B., Dahlgren, D.K. and Beck, J.L. Springer, Cham. pp. 505-548. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-34037-6_15.
Awoniyi, A.M., Venegas-Vargas, C., Souza, F.N., Zeppelini, C.G., Hacker, K.P., Carvalho-Pereira, T. Marins, C.L., de Santana, M.C., Pertile, A.C., Begon, M., Ko, A.I., Diggle, P.J., Reis, M.G., Childs, J.E., da Silva, E.M., Costa, F., Khalil, H., 2022. Population dynamics of synanthropic rodents after a chemical and infrastructural intervention in an urban low-income community. Scientific Reports 12, 10109. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-14474-6.
Bhairavi, K.S., Borah, R.K., Bhattacharyya, B., Borkataki, S., 2024. Feeding and reproductive ecology of rodents: A review. Research Biotica 6(1), 01-06. DOI: https://doi.org/10.54083/ResBio/6.1.2024/01-06.
Barman, I., Sarma, A.K., Bora, B., 2024. Indigenous pest management practices in rice ecosystem of Assam, India. Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge 23(12), 1154-1160. DOI: https://doi.org/10.56042/ijtk.v23i12.15584.
Becht, G., 1953. Comparative biologic-anatomical researches on mastication in some mammals. Proceedings of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Series C 56, 508-527.
Best, I.N., Shaner, P.J.L., Pei, K.J.C., Kuo, C.C., 2022. Farmers’ knowledge, attitudes and control practices of rodents in an agricultural area of Taiwan. Agronomy 12(5), 1169. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12051169.
Bindra, O.S., Mann, H.S., 1975. Ineffectiveness of murine typhus fever bacterium against field rats and mice at Ludhiana. Indian Journal of Plant Protection 3, 98-99.
Borah, R.K., 2016. Rodent incidence in Rice-Toria cropping system. Annals of Plant Protection Sciences 24(2), 373-375.
Chauhan, N.P.S., 2003. Observations of bamboo flowering and associated increases in rodent populations in the north-eastern region of India. In: Rats, Mice and People: Rodent Biology and Management. (Eds.) Singleton, G.R., Hinds, L.A., Krebs, C.J. and Spratt, D.M. ACIAR Monograph Series No. 96. Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, Canberra, Australia. pp. 267-270.
Christopher, M.J., Balasubramanyam, M., Purushotham, K.R., 1984. Rodent problem in poultry farms of Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh. Poultry Guide 1, 47-50.
Datiko, D., Bekele, A., 2013. Species composition and abundance of small mammals in Chebera-Churchura National Park, Ethiopia. Journal of Ecology and the Natural Environment 5(6), 95-102. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5897/JENE12.045.
Deoras, P.J., 1964. Rats and their control: A review of an account of work done on rats in India. Indian Journal of Entomology 26, 407-408.
Elango, K., Vijayalakshmi, G., Arunkumar, P., Sujithra, P., Sobhana, E., 2022. Indian scenario of non-insect pests affecting agricultural crops - An overview. Journal of Entomological Research 46(Suppl.), 1194-1204. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5958/0974-4576.2022.00204.3.
Gebresilassie, W., Bekele, A., Belay, G., Balakrishnan, M., 2004. Microhabitat choice and diet of rodents in Maynugus irrigation field, Northern Ethiopia. African Journal of Ecology 42(4), 315-321. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2028.2004.00530.x.
Geleta, M., Mamo, Y., Bekele, A., 2011. Species richness, abundance and habitat preference of rodents in Komto Protected Forest, Western Ethiopia. Journal of Agriculture and Biological Sciences 2(6), 166-175.
Getachew, G., Balakrishnan, M., Bekele, A., 2016. Species composition and habitat association of rodents in Yetere Forest, Central Ethiopia. International Journal of Ecology and Environmental Sciences 42(3), 193-200.
Gogoi, P.P., Borah, R.K., 2012. Burrowing behaviour of Lesser Bandicoot rat, Bandicota bengalensis in rice ecosystem in Upper Brahmaputra valley Assam. Annals of Plant Protection Sciences 20(2), 483-484.
Gogoi, P.P., Borah, R.K., 2013. Incidence of lesser bandicoot rat, Bandicota bengalensis (Gray) in rice ecosystem in the Upper Brahmaputra Valley. Indian Journal of Entomology 75(1), 19-22.
Grist, D.H., Lever, R.J.A.W., 1969. Pests of Rice. Longmans, Green and Co. Ltd., London. p. 520.
Hiiemae, K.M., Ardran, G.M., 1968. A cinefluorographic study of mandibular movement during feeding in the rat (Rattus norvegicus). Journal of Zoology 154(2), 139-154. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7998.1968.tb01654.x.
Khatoon, N., Bilqees, F.M., Jaffery, D.S., Rizwana, A.G., 2004. Histopathologic alterations associated with Syphacia sp. (Nematode) in the intestine of Nesokia indica. Turkish Journal of Zoology 28(4), 345-351.
Kumawat, M.M., Tripathi, R.S., Riba, T., Pandey, A.K., Rao, A.M., 2016. Rodent pests of Arunachal Pradesh and their management. Technical Bulletin No. 34, College of Horticulture and Forestry, Central Agricultural University, Pasighat, Arunachal Pradesh, India. p. 60. DOI: https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.11438.89921.
Lawton, D., Huseth, A.S., Kennedy, G.G., Morey, A.C., Hutchison, W.D., Reisig, D.D., Dorman, S.J., Dillard, D., Venette, R.C., Groves, R.L., Adamczyk, J.J., Dos Santos, I.B., Baute, T., Brown, S., Burkness, E., Dean, A., Dively, G.P., Doughty, H.B., Fleischer, S.J., Green, J., Greene, J.K., Hamilton, K., Hodgson, E., Hunt, T., Kerns, D., Leonard, B.R., Malone, S., Musser, F., Owens, D., Palumbo, J.C., Paula-Moraes, S., Peterson, J.A., Ramirez, R., Rondon, S.I., Schilder, T.L., Seaman, A., Spears, L., Stewart, S.D., Taylor, S., Towles, T., Welty, C., Whalen, J., Wright, R., Zuefle, M., 2022. Pest population dynamics are related to a continental overwintering gradient. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 119(37), e2203230119. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2203230119.
Mariadoss, A., Alice, J., Chakraborty, A., 2020. Rodent damages and approaches for their management. Innovative Farming 5(2), 54-59.
Massei, G., Jacob, J., Hinds, L.A., 2024. Developing fertility control for rodents: A framework for researchers and practitioners. Integrative Zoology 19(1), 87-107. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/1749-4877.12727.
Meerburg, B.G., Singleton, G.R., Kijlstra, A., 2009. Rodent borne diseases and their risks for public health. Critical Review of Microbiology 35(3), 221-270.
Nowak, R.M., 1999. Walker’s Mammals of the World, Volume I, Sixth Edition. Johns Hopkins Press, Baltimore. p. 1936.
Parshad, V.R., 1999. Rodent control in India. Integrated Pest Management Reviews 4, 97-126. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1009622109901.
Pathak, K.A., Kumar, D., 2001. Rodent management. In: Steps towards Modernization of Agriculture in NEH Region. (Eds.) Verma, N.D. and Bhatt, B.P. ICAR-Research Complex for NEH Region, Umiam, Meghalaya (India). pp. 161-174.
Phukon, M., Borah, R.K., 2019. Species composition of field rodents in rice-vegetable cropping system at upper Brahmaputra valley zone, Assam. Journal of Entomology and Zoology Studies 7(1), 961-969.
Pradhan, M.S., Talmale, S.S., 2011. A Checklist of Valid Indian Rodent Taxa (Mammalia: Rodentia). Zoological Survey of India, Central Zone Regional Centre, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh (India). p. 12.
Prakash, I., Mathur, R.P., 1992. Acute rodenticides. In: Rodents in Indian Agriculture. (Eds.) Prakash, I. and Ghosh, P.K. Scientific Publishers, Jodhpur (India). pp. 497-516.
Previtali, M.A., Lehmer, E.M., Pearce-Duvet, J.M.C., Jones, J.D., Clay, C.A., Wood, B.A., Ely, P.W., Laverty, S.M., Dearing, M.D., 2010. Roles of human disturbance, precipitation, and a pathogen on the survival and reproductive probabilities of deer mice. Ecology 91(2), 582-592. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1890/08-2308.1.
Rana, B.D., Tripathi, R.S., 1999. Recent Advances in Co-ordinated Research on Rodent Control. Central Arid Zone Research Institute, Jodhpur (India). p. 48.
Roonwal, M.L., 1987. Recent advances in rodentology in India. In: Records of the Zoological Survey of India. Director, Zoological Survey of India, Calcutta (India). p. 126.
Sandhu, K.K., Singla, N., 2020. Growth and breeding biology of female Indian Gerbil (Tatera indica): Reproductive, biochemical and histological evaluation. Indian Journal of Animal Research 54(5), 534-542. DOI: https://doi.org/10.18805/ijar.B-3822.
Sharma, P.K., Rao, A., 1989. Effect of bund dimensions on rodent infestation in rice. International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) Newsletter 14, 40.
Sharma, G., Kamalakannan, M., Venkataraman, K., 2015. A checklist of Mammals of India with their distribution and conservation status. In: ZSI e-publication, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata. pp. 1-107.
Singh, B., 1961. The biology, habits and control of field rat (Tatera indica) (Muridae: Rodentia). MSc Thesis, Punjab University, Chandigarh, India. pp. 112-197.
Singh, Y.P., 1995. Rodent Pests and Their Management in North Eastern Hill Region. Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Meghalaya (India). p. 35.
Sinha, B., 2014. Non-empirical validation of indigenous rodent control methods practiced in Northeastern India. Proceedings of the Indian National Science Academy 80(2), 235-245. DOI: https://doi.org/10.16943/ptinsa/2014/v80i2/55104.
Singleton, G.R., Hinds, L.A., Makundi, R., Belmain, S.R., 2024. Rodent biology and ecologically based rodent management (EBRM) - 25 years of progress through promoting multidisciplinary research. Integrative Zoology 19(1), 2-7. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/1749-4877.12792.
Sluydts, V., Crespin, L., Davis, S., Lima, M., Leirs, H., 2007. Survival and maturation rates of the African rodent, Mastomys natalensis: Density-dependence and rainfall. Integrative Zoology 2(4), 220-232. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-4877.2007.00065.x.
Smith, R.F., van den Bosch, R., 1967. Integrated control. In: Pest Control: Biological, Physical and Selected Chemical Methods. (Eds.) Kilgore, W.F. and Doutt, R.L. Academic Press, New York. pp. 295-340.
Soininen, E.M., Neby, M., 2024. Small rodent population cycles and plants - After 70 years, where do we go? Biological Reviews 99(1), 265-294. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/brv.13021.
Srihari, K., Raj, G.G., 1988. Effective period for control of Bandicota bengalensis in paddy fields. International Journal of Pest Management 34(2), 141-146.
Thakur, N.S.A., Firake, D.M., Kumar, D., 2013. Indigenous traps for the management of rodent outbreak in North Eastern Hill region of India. Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge 12(4), 730-735.
Verma, M., Kaur, H., Babbar, B.K., 2025. A sustainable breakthrough in rodent pest control: Laboratory validation of novel neem-andrographolide bait with dual toxic and contraceptive effects. The Journal of Basic and Applied Zoology 86, 11. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s41936-024-00421-6.
Waterman, J., 2007. Male mating strategies in rodents. In: Rodent Societies: An Ecological and Evolutionary Perspective. (Eds.) Wolff, J.O. and Sherman, P.W. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago. pp. 27-41. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7208/9780226905389-005.
Wolff, J.O., Sherman, P.W., 2007. Rodent Societies: An Ecological and Evolutionary Perspective. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago. pp. 1-490. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7208/9780226905389.
Zhu, N., Li, X., Wu, X., Li, L., Yang, S., Fu, H., Yuan, S., 2024. Effects of overgrazing on the functional diversity of rodents in desert areas. Ecology and Evolution 14(2), e10849. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.10849.