Rodents cause multiple problems for people in rural areas. They destroy crops, contaminate stored food, damage buildings and possessions and spread diseases.  Unfortunately it is extremely difficult to control rodents effectively.  As a result, people are often discouraged and come to accept the adverse impacts of rodent activity. 

In recent years rodent control has been largely based on the use of acute poisons.  However, rodenticides have several disadvantages and researchers have demonstrated that an ecologically-based rodent management (EBRM) strategy is more sustainable.  EBRM may be cheaper than poisons in the long-run and it is also more environmentally-friendly.  Dr Steve Belmain of the Natural Resources Institute (UK) has published an article on EBRM in the latest issue of the LEISA magazine (December 2007) which focuses on ecological pest management.  He describes the collaboration between NRI, the Comilla-based NGO Association for Integrated Development, the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute, and CSIRO in Australia.