Pest Rodents’ Responses to Rice Farming in Northern Peninsular Malaysia

Abstract

Pest rodents significantly reduce crop yields globally each year, necessitating an efficient rodent management program. In small rice-producing nations like Malaysia, these rodents might lead to food insecurity, thus a science-based pest rodent management strategy is crucial. We attempted to identify the key habitat structure that affects rodent pest populations by investigating the relationships of rodent pest populations with farming practices, site-level habitat, and landscape characteristics. We found that rodent abundance in the rice fields was positively correlated with bund height and width. In addition, rice growing stages and planting seasons affected rodent abundance. However, rodent abundance was negatively related to the distance from active burrows to residential areas. As an alternative to chemical control, we suggest that trapping exercises with a covered trap should be conducted around active burrows located nearby residential areas, with high and wide bunds during early rice planting stages in the dry rice planting season.