Seasonal abundance and distribution among habitats of small rodents on poultry farms. A contribution for their control

Abstract

Small rodent communities and their distribution among habitats (sheds, perimeters and interphases) were seasonally sampled over 2 years on 30 poultry farms. Interphases were present when sheds were close to perimeters (in 16 of 30 farms). The exotic Mus musculus and four sylvan species: Calomys laucha, Akodon azarae, Oligoryzomys flavescens and Calomys musculinus were captured. Mus musculus was more abundant in sheds and A. azarae in interphases and perimeters. The other species did not differ among habitats. Mus musculus abundance did not vary through the year, whereas the abundance of the other species was greater in autumn – winter. Sheds of farms with interphases were more probably infested with sylvan species than sheds of farms without interphases. Different kinds of management are needed to control both groups of species: not building sheds close to perimeters or keeping vegetation low in interphases for sylvan species, and periodical control in sheds and on chicken food for M. musculus.

Keywords:

• Small rodents
• Mus musculus
• poultry farms
• pest control
• rodent abundance
• Argentina

Acknowledgements

We want to thank all the farmers who kindly let us work at their farms and the Universidad de Buenos Aires, CONICET, and Alberto J. Roemmers Foundation (Argentina) for having supported our work. We developed this study in the framework of the agreement between Exaltación de la Cruz Municipality and Universidad de Buenos Aires.

Notes

Animals were manipulated in accordance with the 14346 National Law of Animal Care of Argentina.