Development of best management practices to manage urban rats, protect public health, and reduce rodenticide use

Urban rodent management faces challenges such as overreliance on rodenticides and resistance to alternative methods.
The goal is efficient population control while reducing environmental and health risks.
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is advocated, though it often lacks validated methods for urban environments.

Site Selection: Four treatment types—Bait, Mixed (bait and traps), Trap, and Control—were tested in commercial, residential, and institutional settings in Orange County, California.
Monitoring Tools:
Tracking tunnels measured rat activity.
Rat telemetry tracked individual movements.
Bait consumption and mortality rates were assessed.
Analysis: Occupancy modeling and statistical tools assessed effectiveness.

Effectiveness of Treatments:
- Trap Treatment was the most effective, reducing activity significantly compared to baiting or mixed methods.
- Bait Treatment and Mixed Treatment showed lower mortality and bait consumption issues.
Mortality & Survival:
- Mortality was highest in Trap Treatment but delayed in other methods, possibly due to bait neophobia or sublethal doses.
Rat Activity: Control sites showed the highest activity, indicating the need for intervention.
Management Time: Trap treatments required significantly more time and labor than bait treatments.

Rodent neophobia, resource abundance, and bait station design hinder effectiveness.
Tracking tunnels provided valuable data but faced practical challenges like theft and vandalism.
Sustained lethal management may not significantly reduce populations due to compensatory reproduction and survival mechanisms.
Current rodenticide applications are hindered by low uptake and delayed effects.

Trap-based management was effective but labor-intensive and costly.
There’s a critical need for better tools, strategies, and education on rodent behavior to improve urban rodent management practices.
Development of BMPs must focus on practical, scalable methods that balance cost, effectiveness, and ecological impact.