Deterioration of food in cold stores caused by Rattus rattus and its control - a case study.
Ahmad N., Parshad V. R., Malhi C. S.
Author Affiliation: Department of Zoology, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana 141?004, India.
International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation 32 : 305-312
Abstract : In a cold store, the house rat, Rattus rattus, damaged fruits and vegetables, including potatoes, cauliflower (Brassica oleracea), sweet orange (Citrus sinensis), mango (Mangifera indica), grape (Vitis vinifera) and apple (Malus pumila). Sweet orange and grape were damaged most frequently and damage to potatoes was relatively infrequent. Packaging materials like jute bags and cardboard boxes were more frequently damaged by rats than were wooden boxes. Rats avoided metallic bait containers because they were made of good conductors of heat. Trapping of rats conducted using insulated traps resulted in the control success of 83-94%.