ABSTRACT
The pestiferousness of a rodent depends upon one's relationship to the animal or species. Pest rodents can readily adapt to new habitats created by humans. They are highly tolerant of environmental changes, are highly resilient, and usually recover promptly after being controlled. Rodent pests must be controlled because humans have encroached upon their environment. Rodent control can be an integral part of land harmony and is often essential in helping preserve specific forage species and our wildlife heritage. A rodent-control principle that surprises many is that control problems are much greater in diversified agriculture than in a monoculture. A good way to visualize preventive rodent control is to treat pest rodents like a serious disease. Rodent control, as with all resource management, is difficult because it requires managing humans. There is no longer any biological, ecological, or economic reason for rodent health and pest problems to occur in villages, cities, and intensively cultivated agricultural areas.
