Evaluation of Different Food Baits by Using Traps for the Control of Lesser Bandicoot Rat (Bandicota Bengalensis) in Field Crops of Pothwar Plateau, Pakistan

Abstract

The lesser bandicoot rat (Bandicota bengalensis) is a widely distributed and serious agricultural pest in Pakistan. It has wide adaptation with rice-wheat-sugarcane cropping systems of Punjab, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces and wheat-groundnut cropping system of the Pothwar area, thus inflicting heavy losses to these crops. Comparative efficacies of four food baits (onion, guava, potato and peanut butter smeared bread/Chapatti) were tested in multiple feeding tests for snap/kill trapping of this rodent species in the Pothwar Plateau between October 2013 to July 2014 at the sowing, tillering, flowering and maturity stages of wheat, groundnut and millet crops. The results revealed that guava was the most preferred bait for the rat species as compared to the other three. Among relative efficacies of all four tested baits: guava scoring the highest trapping success (16.94 ± 1.42 percent), followed by peanut butter, potato and onion (10.52 ± 1.30, 7.82 ± 1.21 and 4.5 ± 1.10 percent) respectively. Crop stage/season-wise highest trapping success was achieved at maturity stages of the crop. Moreover, the maturity stage of wheat crop coincided with spring breeding season and maturity stages of millet and groundnut matched with monsoon/autumn breeding peak of the lesser bandicoot rat in the Pothwar area. Preferred order among four baits tested was guava > peanut butter > potato > onion.

Dietary habits of lesser bandicoot rat (Bandicota Bengalensis) in an agro-ecosystem, Pothwar Plateau, Pakistan

“…The lesser bandicoot rat (Bandicota bengalensis) is one of the most abundant rodent pests in crop fields of Pakistan. It is also a serious problem of wheat throughout southern and south-eastern Asia (Munawar et al, 2019). Pakistan has two isolated populations of this rat, one throughout central and northern Punjab and in the southern part of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, and the other in the southern Sindh (Smiet et al, 1978;Roberts, 1997).…”

“…Dietary habits of lesser bandicoot rat (Bandicota Bengalensis) in an agro-ecosystem, Pothwar Plateau, Pakistan burrows (Munawar et al, 2019). Among small mammals, the most thoroughly studied hoarder is the lesser bandicoot rat (Fulk, 1977;Maqbool et al, 2011).…”

Antifertility effects of quinestrol in male lesser bandicoot rat, Bandicota bengalensis, and potential in managing rodent population under field conditions

“…Among several rodent species, Bandicota bengalensis (Gray, 1835) has been reported throughout Southeast Asia (Singla & Parshad 2010;Singleton et al 2021). Besides causing serious damage to food crops (Singla & Babbar 2012;Munawar et al 2019;Baig et al 2021), it is also involved in spread of several diseases and is a host of parasites (Singla et al 2008(Singla et al , 2016Meerburg et al 2009;Brar et al 2021). Various methods are applied worldwide to reduce losses caused by rodent pests, but the use of rodenticides as a lethal method is considered the most practical, economical, and effective (Buckle & Eason 2015;Witmer 2019).…”

“…Besides causing serious damage to food crops (Singla & Babbar 2012; Munawar et al. 2019; Baig et al. 2021), it is also involved in spread of several diseases and is a host of parasites (Singla et al.…”