Herbal rodent repellent: a dependable and dynamic approach in defiance of synthetic repellent

Abstract

Background Rodents are the most common and diverse order of mammals, the most troublesome pest in agriculture, gardening, forestry, and public products, and to blame for the spread of many illnesses to humans and animals. In terms of rodenticidal exposure, rodenticide use is only to kill the rodent, not to repel it. On the other hand, herbal rodent repellents are compounds that, by taste, odour, or both, keep rodents away from human habitat and prevent diseases spread due to them. Herbal rodent repellents are more potent, economical, biodegradable, and do not persist in the soil or water, and they also have a broad range of other biological properties. Main body of the abstract Rodents are a prevalent and harmful pest that accounts for more than 2277 species distributed all over the world. The growing public awareness of the ethical and animal welfare problems associated with traditional pest animal control methods has progressively switched to non-lethal alternatives for the management of rodents. This article promotes herbal rodent repellents due to the various reported toxic effects of synthetic rodenticides on human health and the environment. The review discusses some of the important herbs that have the potency to repel rodents thereby raising awareness for the use of non-toxic methods for pest control. Data from different database like PubMed, Google Scholar, Research Gate, PLOS One, and others were retrieved, and then, an extensive literature review was carried out to prepare the article. Short conclusion From the information provided, it can be concluded that rodenticide poisoning could cause a serious public health issue with a high case death rate. Increasing public understanding of rodenticide toxicity, as well as stringent monitoring of rodenticide sales and use, might assist to reduce indiscriminate use and poisoning. Therefore, herbal rodent repellents, due to their least toxicity, could provide a safe and dynamic approach over the use of synthetic rodenticides.