ABSTRACT
A wide range of methods has been used to evaluate rodent control techniques in the field. This chapter presents the approaches which are most commonly used, to compare different methods, and to illustrate how they can be used in particular situations. Large-scale evaluation is important because rodent pest management itself is usually most effective when implemented on a large scale. Evaluation on a large scale might include appraisal of people management techniques, as well as of the final effectiveness of the program in managing rodent damage. A useful rodent control technique should reliably give a substantial reduction in damage, in spite of this heterogeneity. In the deep-water rice areas characteristic of the river deltas of Southeast Asia, rodents move extensively between fields and villages as the flood waters rise and fall. Trapping really only provides a measure of rodent activity, which is related to population size.
