Rat Management for Rural Communities in Bangladesh

Publications

The Rat Management for Rural Communities project wants to raise awareness about rats, the problems they cause and the ecological solutions which the project is promoting. We will be producing many posters, stickers and leaflets, and electronic copies of the outputs will be posted here as they are created.

Belmain, S.R. (2009) Rat Race. Developments. 45: 33-35.
Developments Magazine is supported by the UK Department for International Devleopment.

Rat Poster, September 2008

Farmers Diary Cover, September 2008

Previous DFID-funded projects on ecologically-based rodent management in Bangladesh produced some training tools that can be used by professional staff involved in development and extension as well as by farmers themselves. These are being used within the Rat Management for Rural Communities project and can be freely downloaded by clicking on the relevant links below.

A three part video on "how to control rats"
Belmain, S.R., Kamal, N.Q., Harun, M., Kadry, N.I., Baker, A., Roy, R.N., Hossain, M., Mithu, M.S.H., Islam, S. Hoque, A., Shafali, R.B., Meyer, A., Aplin, K., Singleton, G.R., and Azad, A.K. (2005) Managing Rats in Rural Villages of Bangladesh. AID-Comilla, Dhaka, Bangladesh. 3-part video, 45 minutes. In English: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 (short video introduction) In Bengali: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3.

A training manual in Bengali language adapted from a book originally published by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research
Aplin, K.A., Brown, P.R., Jacob, J., Krebs, C.J., Singleton, G.R. Belmain, S.R., Kamal, N.Q., Shafali, RB, Harun, M., Kadri, N.I., Baker, A., Azad, A.K., Hoque, A., Meyer, A., Mian, Y. (2006). Field methods for rodent studies in Bangladesh. AID-Comilla, Dhaka, Bangladesh 250 pp. In Bengali
Link to English version.

Other publications about ecologically-based rodent management and similar topics by members of the project team and other authors.

BBC World Service. Rats! a two-part programme broadcast within the One Planet series. The second 30 minute programme contains much material derived from the ratzooman project and scientists involved. The programmes were broadcast internationally on two separate occasions, in June 2005 and January 2006. The programmes have been permanently archived on the BBC website and were separately produced on a CD for limited distribution. You can listen to the programmes by clicking on the below links.
Rats! part one: New York
Rats! part two East Africa

BBC World Service radio programme on rodent pests in Mozambique from BBC production “In The Field”

Belmain, S.R. (2007) Rats, an ecologically based approach for managing a global problem. Low External Input and Sustainable Agriculture. 23(4): 18-20.

Belmain, S.R., Dlamini, N., Eiseb. S., Kirsten, F., Mahlaba, T., Makundi, R., Malebane, P., Maltitz, E. von, Massawe, A., Monadjem. A., Mulungu, L., Siwiya, E., Taylor, P., and Tutjavi, V. (2008) The ECORAT project: developing ecologically-based rodent management for the southern African region. International Pest Control. 50(3):136-138.

Taylor, P.J., Arntzen, L., Hayter, M. Iles, M., Frean, J., and Belmain, S.R. (2008) Understanding and managing sanitary risks due to rodent zoonoses in an African city: beyond the Boston Model. Integrative Zoology. 3: 38-50.

Stenseth, N.C, Aikimbayev, A., Atshabar, B.B., Begon, M., Belmain, S.R., Bertherat, B., Carniel, E., Gage, K.L., Leirs, H. and Rahalison, L. (2008) Plague: Past, Present and Future. PLoS Medicine. 5(1): e3. 9-13.

Bonner, P.C., Schmidt, W.P., Belmain, S.R., Oshin, B., Baglole D., and Borchert, M. (2007) Poor housing quality increases risk of rodent infestation and Lassa fever infection in refugee camps of Sierra Leone. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. 77(1): 169-175.

Kamal, N.Q. and Hossain, M.M. (2003) Comparison of different baits to attract rats to traps in rice fields in Bangladesh. In: Rats, Mice and People: Rodent Biology and Management (Singleton, G.R., Hinds, L.A., Krebs C.J. and Spratt, D.M. eds). ACIAR Monograph Series No. 96. Canberra: Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, pp. 281–283. Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4

Singleton, G.R., Hinds, L.A., Leirs, H. and Zhang, Z. (eds.) (1999) Ecologically-based Rodent Management. Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, Canberra, AU. 494 pp. This book can be downloaded via the International Rice Research Institute.