Literature Review: Analysis of the Efficiency of Various Rat Control Strategies

Rats (Rattus) are a type of rodent that is one of the common pests in the household and even in the food industry. They are the leading cause of why there are issues regarding electrical disturbances, infestations, spreading of food-borne diseases, etc.. Local communities have issues regarding these rats, mostly on how they pose a threat to human health.

Begon (2003), conducted a study and found out that rodent reservoirs having been associated at emerging infections and diseases, have accounted to both common health-risks and of those which human pathogens remain unknown. But the greater issue is the incapability of researches or solutions given by companies to control the rapid increase of the infestations of rats. These rodents have a pronounced tendency to avoid recapture that makes it harder for the elimination to take place.

Researchers from Tanzania (L.S. Mulungu, et. al.) in the study Winning the Fight Against Rodent Pests (2010) incorporated simulations and aspects of economics in the implementation of control strategies on ways to exterminate rodent pests were conducted. Although Skonhoft et al. (2006) developed a model, which can both predict rodent population dynamics and economics of different control strategies, there are many more factors to consider in exterminating rats and appropriate traps to use and that the scope could have wider one.

According to Joachim L. Dagg (2011), a case study of mouse trap history may contribute insights to the academic discussion about material culture evolution. This study tackled the evolution of mouse trap history, starting with the first-ever flat snap trap to cages recombined with powered nets, snares, wires, or clubs with skull-crushing spikes which appeared to be more complex every model. It is also presented that culture has a considerable influence on each system design for the traps created by inventors from different parts of the world.

Hammond, Taylor, and Quy (1974) conducted a study called The Reactions of Common Rats to Four Types of Live-Capture Trap, where four types of traps are tested to capture the pests. One of the live-capture traps is called the Pitfall Trap which is incorporated with a treadle supported by a small magnetic catch. Based on observations, although it can capture a rat or two, it is not capable of catching more because they turn away before they fall for the bait.

The other two, the cage trap and wonder trap, appeared to be more effective since the rats approached the cage without hesitation because of the trap’s structure. Thompson (1953) observed rats escaping from wonder traps by their efforts and with the aid of other rats trying to enter. The last trap is called the Repeater Trap that contains a two-door principle which enables other rats to enter despite the already captured.

This study sought to answer why some traps are better than the others and found out that efficiency can not only be gained through the number of rats a set of trap caught. Similarly, our study will not only focus on the population of rats but the ability to entrap by measuring time. The proportion of rats during the pre-baiting period was also considered as a factor to prove the better efficiency of the new traps which were designed to multi-capture. Moreover, these exposed that there is a necessity to determine a more alluring bait to increase the efficacy of a trap.

In Germany, rat-control strategies were examined by Endepols, Klemann, Pelz, and Ziebell (2002) to establish an effective rodent control program. The introduced control plan successfully eradicated rats with an average of 81%. The new method of bait-point allocation was incorporated into a self-explanatory computer program that enables the creation of individualized rat-control plans, including complete documentation of the control measure.

Chemical control is widely applied as the primary method for managing rodents- especially in Asia. Hinds, Hardy, Lawson, and Singleton (2003) examined this and found out that the use of chemicals can and often provide control but only for some time. Long-term effects particularly specific target and cost-effectiveness are not covered. The researchers proposed to develop a new and alternative approach for increasing concerns about the use of chemicals in the environment. This new approach may primarily include a non-toxic bait. Food-based baits, specifically bacon chunks and peanut butter were used by Astua, Moura, Grelle, and Fonseca (2006), to assess the influence of baits for small mammal capture in Brazil. They recommended to use cheesecloths for bundling the baits therefore avoiding invertebrate attacks (ants, mainly). This method has been proven to be more efficient since it inhibits bait removal and not stop the smell from emanating. Despite this effort, they found no influence in different baiting types on trapping success. The baits that will be introduced were based from the conducted study of Jackson, Hartley, and Linklater (2016) which considers the nutritive drivers— varying from protein, carbohydrates, sugars, fats, and energy consumption for rat species.

The study resulted in discovering that cheese, milk, chocolates, Nutella, and walnut were more attractive than peanut butter standard with therefore concluding that the inclusion of these nutritive drivers in the baits would increase bait consumption and improve control operation outcomes. The results were also described as realistic since they were not based on laboratory rats but free-ranging, wild rats.