require repeated feedings over a period of 3 more days
Anti-Rodent Measures –Commonly used Rodenticides in India
Barium carbonate
white tasteless powder, very cheap
mixed with wheat or rice flour in the ratio of 1:4
The mixed material is moistened with water and made into small balls.
The poisoned baits are placed near the rat burrows and in dark, secluded places. On eating the pills, rats are killed in 2 to 24 hours.
Barium carbonate is a weak rodenticide of uneven performance, and probably easily-detected by rats in many baits. Therefore and in view of the availability of more efficient rodenticides, barium carbonate should not be used any more
Zinc phosphide
Zinc phosphide is an efficient rodenticide.
When moist, the chemical slowly gives off phosphine whose garlic odour is repellent to man and domestic animals, but seems to have no adverse effect on rats.
It is used in the ratio of 1:10 parts with wheat or rice flour, mixed with a few drops of edible oil to attract rats.
Rats are killed in about three hours.
Use of rubber gloves and special bait boxes is recommended in handling zinc phosphide as it is highly poisonous.
Because of its good safety record, low cost and reasonably high effectiveness, Zinc phosphide is recommended for large scale use against rats
Multiple Dose Rodenticides
Examples include, warfarin, diphacinone, coumafuryl and pindone
As anticoagulants, they cause internal haemorrhage and slow death in 4 to 10 days.
The continued use of anticoagulant rodenticides has led to the appearance of resistant Norway rat populations in several European countries.
Therefore, in some countries, the use of chronic rodenticides has been given up.
All rodent poisons are toxic to mammals including man and call for the utmost care in their use.
Anti-Rodent Measures - Fumigation
Cyanogas Foot Pump
It is an effective method of destroying, both rats and rat fleas.
Examples: Calcium cyanide (often called cyanogas or cymag), carbon disulphide, methyl bromide, sulphur dioxide, etc.
Cyanogas has been extensively used in India for the fumigation of rat burrows.
This chemical is prepared in powder form and is pumped into rat burrows by a special foot pump called the "Cyanogas pump"
About 2 ounces of the poison are pumped into each rat burrow after closing the exit openings and the burrow is then promptly sealed with wet mud.
On contact with moisture, the cynogas powder gives off hydrogen cyanide gas which is lethal to both rats and their fleas.
Trained personnel are required to carry out fumigation as it is extremely dangerous to man and livestock.
For the eradication of rats from ships, either cyanogas or sulphur dioxide is used.
Anti-Rodent Measures - Chemosterilants
A chemosterilant is a chemical that can cause temporary or permanent sterility in either sex or both sexes.
Rodent chemosterilants are still in the experimental stage .
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