Comparison of the Breeding Performance of the Barn Owl Tyto alba javanica under Chemical and Bio-based Rodenticide Baiting in Immature Oil Palms in Malaysia (original) (raw)
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Slovak Raptor Journal, 2014
This study investigated the effects of the first generation anticoagulant rodenticide chlorophacinone and the second generation rodenticide bromadiolone on the population and breeding performances of barn owls at oil palm plantations. Three treatment plots were established: one baited with chlorophacinone, one with bromadiolone, and the third kept rodenticide-free. Four rat-baiting campaigns which coincided with barn owl breeding season were carried in the rodenticide-treated plots. The occupancy rate of nest boxes, clutch size, brood size and fledging rates of the barn owls in each plot were monitored weekly throughout the study. Freshly regurgitated pellets from barn owls were collected from all occupied nest boxes at weekly intervals during the development of nestlings in each breeding season. The results show that the occupancy rate of the nest boxes was significantly higher in the rodenticide-free area compared with both rodenticide-treated areas. Similarly, the breeding perfor...
Owls [Working Title]
Rat infestation in crops has been dealt with the crudest method of hunting and trapping to reliance on natural enemies to application of rodenticides and the present approach of IPM by combining baiting with biological control by a suitable predator. Sustainability is the key feature where rat pest is kept below the carrying capacity of the habitat avoiding harming nontarget animals and preserving the environment. Combining rodenticides with predators calls for a balancing act whereby the latter is not exposed in as much as possible to intoxication by the former through secondary poisoning. Long-term exposure to the first-generation anticoagulant rodenticide (FGAR) has given rise to bait resistance, prompting the formulation of highly toxic second-generation rodenticides (SGAR) that may overcome resistance in rat but lead to bioaccumulation of rodenticide residues in the predator leading to lethal or sublethal effects on the latter, which defeats the purpose. Therefore, the choice of rodenticides and applications may bring out the desired effects for a sustainable rat control programme in combination with predators as natural enemies. This paper reports on a number of studies to achieve sustainable rat control programme by combining available rodenticide formulations with the natural propagation of barn owls Tyto javanica in oil palm plantation in Malaysia.
The use of rodenticides for conservation efforts
Proc. Wildlife Damage …, 2007
Non-native rats (Rattus spp.) and mice have been introduced to more than 80% of the island groups around the world. They have caused ecosystem-wide impacts, including the extirpation and extinction of many native and endemic species which evolved in a mammalian predator-free environment. Fortunately, practitioners have developed techniques to eradicate introduced rodents, allowing ecosystems to recover. Rodenticides have proven an effective tool in eradications, having been used in over 300 successful eradications worldwide. Careful planning, adequate resources, and a sustained effort by competent field staff are needed to help ensure a successful eradication program. Island eradications are logistically complex and often quite expensive, requiring that once initiated, removal of 100% of rodents is paramount to facilitate support for future projects. However, efforts must be made to reduce potential rodenticide impacts to non-target animals, especially native birds and mammals. Standard considerations include confirming the species present, their behavioral characteristics and scale of risk, the legal status of species present, and population levels and distributions. To minimize risks, the type of rodenticide used, bait formulation, placement (stations or broadcast), timing of application, number of applications, and weather needs to be considered. It is important to recognize the great value of a successful invasive rodent eradication to island resources; recovery of native flora and fauna is usually rapid and remarkable.
Growth performance of nestling barn owls, Tyto Alba javanica in rat baiting area in Malaysia
2010
The growth of nestling barn owls, Tyto Alba javanica in immature oil palm in Malaysia was investigated under rat baiting with three different rodenticides. Four treatment plots were established with three plots baited each with warfarin, brodifacoum and a protozoan based biorodenticide, Sarcocystis singaporensis plus a fourth non-baited control plot. Three rat baiting campaign were carried out during the study, the first rat baiting campaign was conducted in October 2008, the second was in March 2009 (except for biorodenticide baiting was conducted a month earlier), and the last third baiting campaign in October 2009. The baiting campaigns coincided with the breeding season of barn owl. Nestlings body measurements namely: body mass, culmen length, tarsus length, wing length and tail length were taken after the third baiting campaign, from September 2009 to January 2010. Measurements were recorded every three days from hatching up until 49 days old, i.e., several days before fledging. Nestlings in control plot showed superior for all parameter taken compared to rodenticides treated plots. Body mass of nestlings in control plot were heavier by 8.17%, 13.04%, and 6.88% compared to warfarin, brodifacoum and biorodenticide treated plots respectively. The culmen and tarsus length of nestling barn owls reached the adult size during the growth period; while culmen length in control plot was longer by 3.07%, 5.28%, and 1.41% compared to warfarin, brodifacoum and biorodenticide treated plots respectively. The tarsus length of nestlings in control plot was also longer by 2.40%, 3.08% and 3.36% compared to warfarin, brodifacoum and biorodenticide treated plots respectively. In contrast with culmen and tarsus length, wing and tail length still grew until day 49 i.e., several days before fledging. The wing and tail length in control plot was shorter by 15.77% and 13.73% compared to adult size. Teratogenic sign was shown by one nestling in brodifacoum treated plot, where its primary feathers were malformed rendering it flightless besides tail length that were very short if compared to nestlings in control plot. Wing and tail length in brodifacoum treated plot was shorter by 15.26% and 18.24%, respectively compared to control plot.
Rodents principally rats and mice are some of the most bothersome and damaging creatures in the world. Almost every type of food commodity is subjected to rodents attack and losses to cereals are serious problem experienced throughout the sphere. Significantly rodents may affect rice crop production and rodenticides are likely to remain the essential management tool for controlling their damage in the field. This paper reports the results of the field studies to identify and quantify the species complex, damage pattern and efficiency of rodenticides in controlling rodents attacking rice (Oryza sativa L.), fields. The replicated trial was arranged according to randomized complete block design, and the samples for rodent species, preference for poison baits and comparative effectiveness of rodenticides in reducing pest populations and damage were taken before, during and after control operation was applied. Present results revealed that a guild of four rodent species viz., the lesser bandicoot rat (Bandicota bengalensis Gray), the metad (Millardia meltada Gray), the short tailed mole rat (Nesokia indica Gray), and the house mouse (Mus musculus L.) was observed damaging in the rice fields. However, the bandicoot rat (B. bengalensis) was found to be the primary and the most dominant species among the other rodent pests, which was responsible for inflicting severe damage to paddy throughout the rice growing season. Out of two tested rodenticides; Brodifacoum (single dose anticoagulant) was proved more efficient than Warfarin (multiple dose anticoagulant) for rodents management. When compared with additive poison baits, it was found that mixture of Brodifacoum plus egg was preferred by rodents over the other combinations and found most effective to achieve a successful control of these economically important agricultural vertebrate pests. For preventing losses from rodents feeding, growers should also implement a sound integrated pest management (IPM) program in their field crops.
International Biodeterioration, 1987
Three anticoagulant rodenticides, warfarin, bromadiolone and brodifacoum, were evaluated in the laboratory for their activity against the Indian field mouse, Mus booduga. In oral intubation studies M.booduga was found to be more susceptible to bromadiolone and brodifacoum than warfarin. Feeding studies with 0.005% bromadiolone and brodifacoum baits produced 83% mortality after a single day's feeding while a similar mortality was achieved with 0.025% warfarin only after 6 days of consecutive feeding. The anticoagulant baits were less palatable than the plain (unpoisoned) bait. Laboratory feeding tests confirmed that 0.005% of the active ingredient would be an effective bait concentration for field use of both bromadiolone and brodifacoum. The single-feed potency of bromadiolone and brodifacoum indicate that these rodenticides may be more effective and economical than warfarin in the field.
The risks, costs and benefits of using brodifacoum to eradicate rats from Kapiti Island, New Zealand
New Zealand Journal of …, 1999
In 1996 an eradication operation against two species of rats (Rattus norvegicus and R. exulans was conducted on Kapiti Island (1965 ha) and its small offshore islands. Trials with non-toxic baits had been carried out to help determine the risks to non-target species, and research was undertaken to collect baseline data for measuring the response of vegetation, invertebrates, reptiles and birds to the removal of rats. Talon 7-20 bait (containing 0.002% brodifacoum) was distributed over Kapiti Island in September and October by helicopter and by hand, while bait stations were used on the offshore islands. Impacts on birds and reef fish were investigated. Although there were non-target bird deaths as a result of the poisoning operation, posteradication monitoring indicated that the toxin had no deleterious effect on breeding and most losses would be rapidly made up by recruitment of new individuals into the breeding population. There was no evidence that reef fish were negatively affected. The successful removal of rats has apparently resulted in a significantly improved survival rate for stitchbirds (Notiomystis cincta) and saddlebacks (Philesturnus carunculatus). Benefits to other taxa are expected and will be documented as follow-up studies are completed.
2017
Rodent species was surveyed during the four seasons of 2014 and 2015 years, in four locations (El-Kharga at sherka sabaa (the company seven) area, El-Dakhla at Elrashda and Gharb El-Mawhob villages and El-Farafra at bir sitta (the sixth well) area) at Al-Wadi Al-Gadeed governorate of Egypt which located in the southwestern part of the country, in Egypt's Western Desert, part of the Sahara Desert between the Nile, northern Sudan, and southeastern Libya Which represented about 44% of the area of Egypt. Cultivated area about 108067 feddan. Six rodent species, Rattus rattus, Rattus norvegicus, Acomys cahirinus, Meriones libycus, Gerbillus gerbillus and Gerbillus campestris were founded. R. rattus and R. norvegicus were more abundant species in the four seasons (spring, summer, autumn and winter) than other species. Rodent damage assessment to some field crops as wheat, maize, broad beans and tomato in mature stage was carried out. The highest damage was in maize, broad beans and tomato in all studied area and the lowest damage was in wheat in all studies area during 2014 and 2015. On the other hand, the efficacy of bromadiolone and chlorophacinone anticoagulant rodenticides against rodent was tested under field conditions. The field results revealed that, Bromadiolone achieved 86.44% population reduction in maize crop followed by 79.0% for chlorophacinone compound. Also, the population reduction of rodent in broad bean was 87.6% by bromadiolone and 80.59% by chlorophacinone. In case of tomato, bromadiolone gave 87.68% population reduction followed by 81.87% for chlorophacinone compound.