Management of

Rodents, Golden Apple

Snail and Birds

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Learning Outcomes

At the end of the module, participants should be

able to:

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Structure

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Lesson 1:
Management
of
Rodents
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Learning Outcomes
At the end of the module, participants should be
able to:

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Structure

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Basic facts about rodents

Rodents do not like wide, open spaces

because they are more vulnerable to attack
from predators.

They like to hide and burrow in weedy

areas near major irrigation canals, in
village gardens and in other non-crop
areas which provide good cover.

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Common Rat Pest Species of Rice in the Philippines

Rattus norvegicus

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Common Rat Pest Species of Rice in the Philippines

Rattus argentiventer

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Common Rat Pest Species of Rice in the Philippines

Rattus tanezumi

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Common Rat Pest Species of Rice in the Philippines

Rattus exulans

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Population and behavioral ecology of rodents

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Population and behavioral ecology of rodents

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Damages of rodents

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 Growth stages of the rice plant where
this pest is dominant

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 Control and management of rodents

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 Control and management of rodents

Successful rodent management involves

the active participation of an entire
community, preferably during the early
season of the rice crops’ vegetative
stage.

Rodents can be controlled by limiting their

food and habitat. This is effectively done
through a community-wide effort.

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 Control and management of rodents

Suggested methods of rodent control

1. Early action is the most
effective – before the rats
breed. Physical or mechanical
methods such as blanket
system or “drive”, destroying
burrows, and flame throwing
are ways of controlling rats.
Community rat control
campaigns are best done
within the first three (3) weeks
before planting.
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 Control and management of rodents

Suggested methods of rodent control

2. Using the trap barrier system is also a very effective
technique. For every 10-hectare adjacent rice area,
allot a 20 x 20 m area in the plot for planting rice to be
used as bait. Use aromatic and good eating quality
varieties, planted a month ahead of the regular rice
crop. Fence the area with 24.5 inch high plastic sheets
and support it with bamboo stakes. Make sure that the
stakes are placed inside the plastic fence. Install rodent
traps made of screen wires in four locations inside the
fenced area.

Where is the community trap barrier system set up?

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 Control and management of rodents

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 Control and management of rodents

Suggested methods of rodent control

3. Cultural methods such as synchronous

planting, field sanitation, and reduction of
levee size to 6” x 8” to make it unsuitable for
burrowing.

4. Chemical control such as use of rodenticides

(acute or chronic) and fumigants.

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Lesson 2
Management
of Golden
Apple
Snail
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 Counting of GAS Egg Mass

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Learning Outcomes
At the end of the module, participants should be able
to:

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Structure

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 Golden Apple Snails (GAS)
What are Golden Apple Snails?

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 Golden Apple Snails (GAS)

Eggs

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 Golden Apple Snails (GAS)

Adult

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 Exercise 2. Identifying the sex of GAS

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 Population and behavioral ecology of GAS

• Golden snails live in ponds, irrigated fields,

swamps, canals and water-logged areas.
• They bury themselves in moist soil during
the dry season.
• They can aestivate (sleep or hibernate) for
six months, and then become active again
when the soil is flooded.
• They can survive in harsh environmental
conditions such as low oxygen levels and
polluted water.
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 Damages of GAS

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 Damages of GAS

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 Growth stage of rice plant where this pest
is dominant

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Control and management of GAS
Continuous destruction of GAS eggs, hatchlings,
and adults in a community-wide effort is the most
important and effective way to control GAS.
Suggested strategies to facilitate collection
and destruction of GAS includes:
1. During the last harrowing, construct canalets (at least
25cm wide and 5 cm deep) in the paddies along the
edges of the levees. Provide 10-15 m distance between
canalets, thereby facilitating easy collection and
destruction of GAS. This simple practice also facilitates
and minimizes the use of molluscicides because
application can be largely concentrated within the
canalets.
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Control and management of GAS
Suggested strategies to facilitate collection
and destruction of GAS include:

2. Herd ducks during land

preparation up to the last
harrowing and right after
harvest as they feed on
small GAS.

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Control and management of GAS
Suggested strategies to facilitate collection
and destruction of GAS includes:
3. Place wire mesh or woven bamboo screen on
the main irrigation water inlet and outlet to
prevent the entry of GAS, to keep those inside
the paddy from transferring to other fields, and
to facilitate easier collection.

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Control and management of GAS

Suggested strategies
to facilitate collection and
destruction of GAS
include:
4. Put attractants such as old
newspaper or any plant
materials (e.g., leaves of
gabi, banana, papaya, and
trumpet flower), along the
levees of the paddy to attract
GAS and facilitate collection.

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Control and management of GAS

Suggested strategies to facilitate collection

and destruction of GAS include:
5. Put bamboo stakes on waterlogged areas in the
paddies or near canals for adult GAS to lay their eggs
on. Through this, collection and crushing eggs is
easier.
6. If GAS is a big problem, transplant 20 to 25 day old
seedlings of early maturing varieties.
7. Drain the field occasionally to limit snail mobility and
feeding activity during transplanting.

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Control and management of GAS
Some naturally occurring
biological control agents
help in managing GAS
populations:
• Red ants feed on GAS
eggs.
• Ducks eat the flesh
and young snails.
• Human beings eat the
flesh when it is
properly cooked.
• Field rats bite on the
shell and eat the flesh.
• Long-horned
grasshopper predated
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Manong Juan’s Dilemma

Manong Juan’s rice crop was attacked by GAS the

previous season. To prevent the problem from happening
again, he plans to plant more seedlings so that there would
still be enough plants left in case of GAS infestation. He
also wants to flood the field so that he could kill the snails
by drowning; he will employ the wet bed preparation
method.

Is Manong Juan’s
decision right?

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Integrated management scheme based on
rice growth stages
Pre-
Post
establishme Crop establishment
production
nt
Land After
Vegetative Reproductive Maturity
Preparation harvesting
A B and C D E

A = Duck pasturing, handpicking, constructing canalets, use of plant

attractants and destruction of egg masses
B = Handpicking, duck pasturing, screen trapping, staking, and
destruction of egg masses
C = Water management, handpicking, use of plant attractants, and
destruction of egg masses
D = Sustain handpicking and destruction of adults and eggs
E = Duck pasturing, dry Land preparation
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 Lesson 3

Management
of
Birds
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Learning Outcomes

At the end of the module, participants should be

able to:

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Structure

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Birds

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Birds

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Damages from birds

Rice-eating birds chew rice grains, and

can cause whitehead or unfilled panicles.

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Damages from birds

Whiteheads can also be caused by stemborer. To confirm

the cause of damage:

• In bird damage, not all grains are

chaffy (some of the grains are
filled).

• In stemborer damage, all grains in

a panicle are chaffy (empty) and
the panicle can be pulled out
easily

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Growth stage of rice plant where this pest
is dominant

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Control and management of birds
Reflective ribbons or used video
or cassette tapes (if still
available) strung across the rice
fields is effective for scaring
birds away. Other methods of
driving them away include
throwing dirt clods or
firecrackers; making noise by
pulling empty cans tied in
strings; and use of scarecrows.

Bird boy if used needs to be

present in critical times from
6:00 – 10:00 am and 2:00 – 6:00
pm.
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Control and management of birds

Thirty to forty percent of the bird population can

be managed by baiting before flowering for three
to four days. Bait may be palay (1 kg) soaked for
24 hours in a liter of chemical. After the palay is
removed from the chemical, scatter it in places
where birds take their bath.
However, these tactics are not usually effective
for long unless backed up by people moving
about the fields and contributing to the effort.

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 CONCLUSION

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 Activity: Evaluation

What is the likelihood that the pests named below will be a

problem under the different establishment or planting
methods?
Establish- Golden
ment Rodents? Apple Snails Birds? Weeds?
Method (GAS)?
Transplant-
ing
Wet direct
seeded

Dry direct
seeded
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 Thank you!!!

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