Rodent pest management went through a period of stagnation in the 1980s and 1990s mainly because was too little research effort to understand the biology, behaviour and habitat use of the species we are attempting to manage. In Asia, rats consume enough rice to feed 180 to 350 million people for a year. Their management is a high priority. Localised heavy losses associated with the patchy destruction of crops by rats, has resulted in major concerns for food stability at the village level. With the expected increase in human population growth in these countries, the situation will become more acute. There is a growing demand, particularly in developing countries, for rodent control strategies that either have less reliance on chemical rodenticides or can better target their use. Similar concerns exist with the control of insect and weed pests. However, there is hope on the horizon through the development of the concept of ecologically-based pest management (EPM) which builds on the progress made with integrated pest management (IPM). We will analyse this idea for rodent pests and consider examples where research on the basic biology and ecology of rodent pests has provided management strategies that are more sustainable and environmentally benign. Ecologically-based management of rodents will be the theme for this module. If in developing countries we can foster the importance of population ecology and an emphasis on management directed at the agro-ecosystem level, then we are confident that the next decade will see rapid advances in rodent pest management.
Currently, broad-scale chemical control is the primary method for managing rodents. This generally provides effective control in the short term. In developed countries the use of chemicals raises a number of concerns such as the risk to non-target species; the humaneness of its action; high usage patterns conflict with marketing a “clean and sustainable” produce; low efficacy of action when high quality food is available. In developing countries these issues also apply, with the additional concerns of affordability, quality control of products and correct usage patterns. Apart from considering ecologically-based management, we will also consider recent advances in biological control of rodents. Of particular interest is the use of a method aimed at reducing the fertility of rodent populations. The method is known as immunocontraception. Progress and prospects for its use will be reviewed.