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Using wire mesh live traps distribution pattern of the Rattus rattus and Mus musculus in different shops of three districts of Malakand region, Pakistan were recorded from September 2014 to October 2015. Over all 103 rodents (Rattus rattus 86 and Mus musculus 17) were caught during in 0.04 trap success (2448 trap nights). Regression of daily captures on cumulative captures revealed an estimate of 103 rodents from all the sampled structures with an average of 3.55 rodents per shop. R. rattus; 83.4% of captures were numerically dominant in almost all types of shops sampled, and were significantly different than Mus musculus; 16.5% of captures. Both species were found together in some shops while they were mostly trapped from the separate shops. Male rodents outnumbered the females.

We surveyed 69 poultry farms to assess the level of rodent infestation and identify the factors associated with the infestation in the area of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. Rodents were recorded in 63 farms, and the factors associated with their occurrence included broken window screens, defective doors, presence of cracks in floor and walls, the practice of dumping poultry manure and wastes within farm premises and unmanaged wild vegetation. The structural conditions of poultry sheds were relatively better than those of the food stores, reflecting the farmers’ interest to protect poultry. Farms older than 10 years had poor structural conditions and higher rodent infestation. Farms managed by owners had lower rodent populations compared with those operated by tenants, suggesting that farm owners exert more effort to ensure adequate maintenance of farm facilities. We quantified the amount of damage caused by rodents to poultry eggs (0.001%, an average of 31±3.4 eggs per day) and food bags (5.9%, an average of 5±0.3 feed bags daily). We also measured the level of contamination of poultry food by rodents. Analysis of the samples of poultry food collected from sheds and food stores revealed that about 37.5±4.5 and 40.3±6.4 per kg, respectively, were contaminated by rodents based on counts or about 10.5±2.9 g/kg and 6.3±0.8 g/kg by weight, respectively. We conducted rodent trapping at 23 poultry farms to assess their population. We captured six rodent species, namely,

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