Rodenticide Use in Rodent Control in Upper Egypt: An Overview

Abd El-Aleem Saad Soliman Deso

Abstract

Rodenticides, in many situations, are the most practical and effective way to reduce a large, widespread rodent population. There are two general classes of oral rodenticides. (1) Acute rodenticides including (zinc phosphide and ……) usually kill with a single feeding. In contrast, (2) chronic or multiple-feeding rodenticides (including warfarin, diphacinone, and chlorophacinone) usually require a period (days) of feeding before killing. The distinction has become somewhat blurred because the anticoagulant group includes first generation (examples given) and second generation (bromadiolone, brodifacoum, difethialone) anticoagulants. Second generation anticoagulants are very toxic and can usually kill within several days of a single feeding. These materials are generally available for field application. Use patterns generally allow rodents to feed continuously at bait stations, however, so that second generation materials offer practical advantage in many situations. An additional group of rodent toxicants includes the fumigants (e.g., gas cartridges, aluminum phosphide, and methyl bromide) which are used in building fumigation or in burrow systems that are closed after application.