Rodents in human life - the harm and benefits of rodents
Rodents have influenced the development of human society more than any other group of mammals. They adapted to live practically everywhere, often side by side with the human. Typically, rodents are pests of crops and can also spread dangerous diseases. If you are located in Karachi, get in touch with Star Fumigation Services Company now if you are going through the same problem.
How can rodent harm us?
Among more than 2 thousand species of rodents, the most common pests around the world are the gray rat, black rat and house mouse. In any case, they can cause less harm compared to other pests. However, there are many noticeable damages they can cause; they eat the food available at homes such as grains, root crops and nuts with their sharp incisors and leaving their saliva in remaining food. Moreover, they bite out the barks of trees; which often destroys the whole tree.
During the increase in the number of voles, there can be up to 2 thousand per 1 hectare.
The harm caused by rodents is not associated only with eating food. Three hundred rats living in the granary can eat 3 tons of grain per year. Besides, it is also recorded that in Pakistan, they also contaminate 15 thousand kilograms of grain in every 24 hours, 3.5 Kilograms of Urea and an undetectable amount of excretion; which makes rodent full of infectious diseases.
What damages can rodents cause?
Apart from being harmful from food perspective, there are the number of damages they can cause; we are going to discuss those damages as well. Rodents also involve in physical damage due to their burrowing and gnawing activity. Ultimately, gnawing electric cables can cause fire, which leads to huge financial loss. Small pests also cut electrical wires in the walls of closed poultry farms, disrupting the ventilation system of the premises, which also causes losses.
Common rodent species in Pakistan and other countries
In Pakistan, the main problematic species are gerbils, polygonous and grass rats. They play their role in devastating the fields. Other economically dangerous pests are the cotton and membranous hamsters. However, they are rare in Pakistan.
Precisely, food is the main cause of the conflict between rodents and humans. In Asia, small pests regularly eat 5-30% of the rice crop, sometimes devastating an area of 10 thousand hectares or more. They are also responsible for the annual destruction of 5-10% of grain reserves in China – an amount sufficient to feed 100 million people.
In Britain, Gray Rats can live in the fields during the warm summer months when food is plentiful, and their numbers are relatively high. But, when the winter arrives, the rats move to houses after field harvesting.
What diseases do rodents carry?
Rodents can spread more than 20 diseases dangerous to humans. Bubonic plague, typhoid, salmonellosis, leptospirosis, lassa fever are some of the potentially fatal diseases carried by rats. Therefore, it is mandatory to contact the best rodent control company in Karachi.
Over the past millennium, rat-borne diseases are believed to have claimed more deaths than all wars and revolutions.
At the end of the 20th century, medical researchers focused on the rodent-borne viruses of Hemorrhagic (mouse) fever. From 1995 to 2000, at least 25 new Hantaviruses and Arenaviruses were discovered associated with rodents. Approximately 200,000 new cases of kidney infection with fever are recorded annually in Asia, with a mortality rate of 1-15%. Each virus is usually associated with one particular host species. A person becomes infected through contact with urine, faeces or rodent saliva.
Are there any benefits from rodents?
Many rodents are very significant in ecosystems and useful to humans and other creatures on the planet. For instance, they play a key role in maintaining the relationship between plants and fungi. Many Fungi form Mycorrhiza – symbiotic associations with plant roots, increase the ability of plants to extract nutrients and water from the soil a thousandfold. Small mammals enter fungal spores that accumulate in their litter on forest glades, thus delivering mushrooms to where plant seeds germinate.
In South America, Africa and Asia, some large rodents are an important source of animal protein; some mammals hunt them. Such mammals include guinea pigs in South America and cane rats in Africa.
Moreover:
- In many ecosystems, rodent is an important food source for a huge number of predatory animals and birds;
- Numerous experiments and research use rats and mice to check their discovered drugs for scientific purposes;
- In west countries, people keep rodents as their pet, such as hamsters, decorative rats and chinchillas;
- In some countries, rodents are even trained and taught to find mines in the fields, such as giant Gambian Pouched Rats;
What are the methods to kill Rodents and get control over them?
A man has been trying to fight against rodents since long. The Greek philosopher, Aristotle, described the use of Strychnine. However, the fast-acting poisons against rodents include Strychnine, Thallium Sulfate, etc., these compounds have negative consequences – both technically and environmentally. At the same time, poisons pose a danger to other animals.
The use of Anticoagulant
Since 1945, when Warfarin was first synthesized, several Anticoagulants controlled and killed rodents. These substances reduce the ability of blood to clot, which over time leads to death as a result of internal or external bleeding.
First-generation of Anticoagulant
The first generation of anticoagulants was an effective means of controlling species, such as Gray Rats. Gradually, some rats acquired genetic resistance to the action of the substance.
Second-generation of Anticoagulant
Second-generation Anticoagulants include active substances, such as Brodifacoum and Bromadiolone. They are designed for only one dose and usually fatal for most species of rodents. Besides, you must never forget about the dangers that these poisons pose to other pets.
The use of traps
The simplest and traditional method of killing rodents is a trap. However, this method doesn’t work every time; rodents are smart enough to sense the danger.
Chemical Sterilisation
Advanced methods of rodent control sometimes work efficiently; one of those advanced methods include chemical sterilization. This method significantly reduces the population of rodents.
Ultrasonic and electromagnetic
The use of ultrasound and electromagnetic fields also affect the health of rodents. This is quite an advanced technique but expensive. Besides, this technique doesn’t clear the premises at once, experts apply it more than one time for desired results. Remember, this technique has not surpassed the use of anticoagulants in efficiency.
Domestic pets
Domestic predators, such as cats and dogs, are practically not able to reduce significantly existing rodent populations. Apart from the fact that the rodents are the source of food for these pets, they contribute to limit the rodent population growth. Most people believe that cats are no.1 enemy of rodents. This fact doesn’t always work perfectly since cats mostly start playing with mice during which the rodent may die. On the other hand, dogs are specially trained for this reason. Some dog breeds can dig into the garden to seek mouse and kill them.
Conclusion
Precisely, all the techniques mentioned above are risky if you are planning to do it your own. You are encouraged to contact Star Fumigation Services Company in case you find rodent in your house. After all, it is the leading pest control Company in Karachi.
