CONTROL OF RATS IN OIL

PALM
By Ahmad Tamidzi bin Ismail
 Barn owls are fascinating birds of prey. Their unparalleled beauty and grace
combined with their cunning, intelligence and tender heart makes them one of
natures most intriguing creatures. But due to their nocturnal nature, few people
get the opportunity to witness the beauty and noble behavior of the barn owl.

.
Introduction
• Major persistent pests
• Cause considerable damage at all age
• In nursery, damage apical meristematic tissues – retard/death
• In immature
• Nibble petiole bases – collapsed fronds.
• Chew through the buds – death to palms
• MORE SERIOUS IN MATURE AREAS
• FFB eaten up
• LF carried away – lost from collection
• Considerable damage to leaves for nesting material
Introduction – effect of Elaeidobius
kamerunicus
• Contributed to conducivity of proliferation of rats.
• Rats feed on weevil grubs in post anthesis male inflorescences.
• Weevil grubs as source of protein – vigorous rats population.
• Weevil grubs so heavily fed – pollinators’ population reduced / fruit set affected.

• IF LEFT UNCONTROLLED, population of rats may increase from 60 per

hectare ( tolerable ) to 300 per hectare within 6 months or less.
• 5 % to 15 % crop losses from infested area
• 600 – 1,500 animals per hectare – Losses up to 30 % or more from
infested area.
Identification of Pests

Rattus tiomanicus ( Wood / Malaysian field rat )

 Adult 140 – 175 mm

 With tail 85 – 115 % of head/body
 Dorsal fur velvetly brown with clear white,
sometimes yellowish venter
 Uniformly dark tail
 Main species in oil palm.
Identification of Pests

Rattus rattus diardii ( Malaysian House Rat )

 Adult 140 – 190 mm

 With tail 95 – 115 % of head/body
 Dorsal fur harsh
 Dull Brown often variable
 Ventral coloration is light grey to dull reddish brown
 Uniformly dark tail
 Increasingly in plantation especially coastal. More
difficult to control and likely replacing Rattus
tiomanicus
Identification of Pests

Rattus argentiventer ( ricefield rat )

 Adult 150 – 190 mm

 With tail 95 – 115 % of head/body
 Dorsal fur soft
 Brown or pale brown
 Number of bristles
 Uniformly dark tail
Detection of Rat Damages
• Rat population dynamics should be monitored so that timely baiting may be undertaken when
damage exceeds an economic threshold.

• In general, rats become sexually mature when 3-4 months old and subsequently each female can
produce a litter of up to 10 off spring every 2 months. As a result of this rapid rate of
reproduction, constant vigilance to locate rat damage and timely application of appropriate
control measures is crucial.

• A census of rat damage should therefore be carried out :-

• 3 monthly intervals
• approximately 20 ha block.
• Intensity of census should be 1 row in every 10 rows.
• Only palms that have 5 or more fruits, both on mature and immature bunches, being freshly damaged should
be recorded as ‘fresh damage’ point.
• On coastal estates and low-lying portions of inland estates it may be necessary to step up census work during
extremely wet weather when a high water table or flooding may drive rats up into the palm crowns.
Rats Threshold Level
Detection of Rat Damages – Mature Area

• Control measures should be initiated when the level of fresh damage

exceeds 5% or there are 8 and more palms per hectare that are
enumerated as freshly damaged.

• Routine treatment is generally discouraged but exceptions to this

could be considered under chronic infestation situations.
Control Treatments - Mature
The main method of treatment will be through poison baiting.

Active ingredient used for such baits are categorised into chronic (blood anticoagulant) and acute poisons. Table in next slide showed
the chemicals and formulations available in the country, together with remarks on how they are commonly used. Of these baits, three
formulation types are suitable for use in Company estates, i.e. warfarin, bromadiolone and brodifacoum.

Warfarin should be the primary bait type used due to its relatively lower cost and safety towards predators of rats. However, in
properties where tolerance to the poison is confirmed, the second generation bromadiolone or brodifacoum baits could be used. In
cases where the usefulness of warfarin is unsure, PAs/R&D should be consulted before embarking on the use of the second
generation anticoagulant.

As with all poisons, protocols for procurement, storage and safe use of baits must be strictly adhered to. In addition, it is essential
that only amounts required are purchased to ensure that only fresh baits are put out into the field and to obviate the necessity to
store the relatively perishable formulations.

Safety Aspects : Prior notice shall be given to workers on the baiting exercise to ensure no accidental ingestion of baits by human
beings. For reason of food safety and RSPO, application of chemicals baits is to be administered with utmost care and responsibilities.
Chemical & Baits for Rat Control
Chemical & Baits for Rat Control
Control Treatment - Mature
For areas with history of high incidence of rat damage, baiting campaign at 6
monthly intervals must be carried out whether or not there is visible
evidence of damage.

If fresh damage is observed in between the baiting campaign, rat census

must be carried out immediately in the affected areas. If the level of fresh
damage exceeds the threshold level of 5%, control measures should be
initiated for the affected areas until the baits acceptance falls to below 20%.

For areas without a history of rat damage, baiting should only be carried out
based on census result. Where the level of fresh damage exceeds the
threshold of 5% in a particular block, a programme for control should be
accordingly initiated
Control Treatment - Mature
Owing to consumers’ requirement for food safety and health, contact
between baits and FFB and loose fruits must be avoided. Placement of
baits in the weeded circle is now NOT permitted. Instead, bait should
be placed just outside of the weeded circle, away from the harvester’s
path as illustrated below:
Control Treatment - Mature
For warfarin baits, apply one bait to every palm. Missing baits should be
replaced at 3-4 day intervals until bait acceptance rate falls below 20%.
For bromadiolone and brodifacoum baits, one bait is applied to every palm
in alternate rows. Missing baits are replaced at 3-4 days intervals (7-8 days
intervals for brodifacoum baits) until bait acceptance rate falls below 20%.
Judge acceptance by bait consumption either in the whole field or by
conducting a count in a plot of 200 baited palms within each field.
Normally adequate control is achieved by the 4th round of baiting.
Nevertheless baiting should continue until fresh damage drops to below
5%
Control Treatment - Mature
Where the level of fresh rat damage exceeds the threshold as indicated in 3.3 – 3.4
in a particular block, a programme for control should be implemented.

The following poison baiting strategy should be employed:-

a. Place one bait in the weeded circle of every palm in the affected area.
b. Replace missing baits at 3-4 day intervals until acceptance declines below 20%
and there is no evidence of fresh damage. For the latter, a quick recensus in
affected block or field at monthly intervals after commencement of baiting, as
and when required, should provide the necessary indication.
c. Not withstanding the above, a minimum of three rounds of baiting must be
completed for each rat control programme. Normally, adequate control is
achieved by the fourth round of baiting.
Control Treatment - Mature
d. If there is still high bait acceptance after the fourth round but no fresh rat damage is
apparent, no further baiting should be carried out. Insects, snails and other animals
could well be responsible for the apparent high bait acceptance. In addition, during
rainy weather, bait collapse may occur more frequently. On the other hand, if high bait
acceptance after the fourth round is accompanied by evidence of fresh rat damage,
bait replacement should be continued until acceptance declines below 20%, at which
level no further bait replacement should be necessary.
e. A control programme should be carried out right through to the point where adequate
control has been achieved. Spasmodic and incomplete attempts are useless.
f. With good control technique, significant reinfestation should not usually occur until
some 6-8 months later. However, there have been increasing situations within
company estates where rensfestations persist despite forementioned detect-and-treat
control strategy, resulting in the necessity for more frequent baiting campaigns.
Consequently increased censuses would also be necessary. As this will be unwieldy,
the practice of 6 monthly baiting should be considered.
Control Treatment – Immature Areas
a. Where damage occurs in nurseries, control by baiting should be concentrated
on the nursery boundaries closest to the affected area. Place anticoagulant
baits, one at the beginning of each polybag row, at intervals of 3-5 days, for as
long as rats continue to remove or nibble them.
b. For new plantings, some indications of potential rat activity can be obtained (if
adjacent to areas with a previous history of rat attack) by placing anticoagulant
baits at every 3rd planting point, about 1 month prior to planting. The number
of baits removed or partially eaten should be recorded.
c. If the amount of bait acceptance indicates the presence of a substantial
number of rats, a programme of baiting similar to that outlined for control in
mature areas should be implemented.
Control Treatment – Immature Areas
d. Wire guards are generally not recommended. However, in new
jungle clearings, where evidence of attack by other mammalian
pests such as porcupines is apparent, wire guards may be fixed.
Wire guards (1.3Ccm mesh) should be 45cm high and must be well
secured to prevent the pests from getting underneath the guards
e. Where normal campaigns are impaired by insufficient availability of
workers, such a situation must be brought to the attention of PA or
ZH so that alternative approach can be recommended
Rat Control - Biological
Biological Control – The Use Of Barn Owls For Control Of Rat Damage In Palm Oil Palm.
- Barn owl Tyto alba as effective predator of rats.
- 50 – 100 % savings in baiting costs.

Procedure for establishment of barn owl in oil palm plantations population

a. The key to increasing barn owl populations in an oil palm plantation would be the erection of
nesting boxes, owls would naturally occupy and breed in them, requiring almost negligible
further input. Points to note in regard to construction of the box are :

i. The floor and walls of the box should be made up of weather proof plywood. This is important as
conventional or “indoor” plywood would speedily peel and wrap, this drastically reducing the useful life of
the box. In addition, the plywood panels and all framework and supporting timber should be painted with
creosote to protect the box from insect and fungus attack.
ii. Provision of the inspection door is optional. In our experience, this facility is hardly used in commercial
box establishment programmes.
Rat Control - Biological
b. Boxes should be erected in a square grid at an intensity :
i. 1st Phase : 1 box : 40 Hect ( start with area > 5 % fresh damage )
ii. 2nd Phase : 1 box : 20 Hect ( expand with 50 % of 1st phase )
iii. 3rd Phase : 1 box : 10 Hect ( expand with 50 % of 2nd phase )
c. Owl boxes should be erected at the chosen intensity to cover a significantly large and
continuous area of oil palm at a time. Random and fragmented establishment of owl
boxes will not concentrate owl populations sufficiently for meaningful suppression of
rat population to be realised. A good working area would be 500 hectares on an
annual basis. Owl boxes could then be set up around this core areas by the same
extent in subsequent for the yearly plan for owl establishment is thus necessary in
order for inclusion of costs in the annual estimates.
d. Owls are known to occupy boxes even when erected in immature or oil palm that have
canopy below the height of the boxes. Priority should nevertheless be given to
establishing boxes in tall oil palm where the box will be sheltered by the canopy of
palms. This is because owls are known to establish best under such conditions.
Rat Control - Biological
e. Steps for setting up of owl boxes are:

i. The required number of owl boxes should be constrcuted and corresponding number of
support poles acquired. Ideal material for the pole will be tanalised “resak” of “kempas”
timber.
ii. Owl box erection points in the field should be marked in a square grid following the
chosen intensity of box establishment. Box should ideally be erected in the interrows
between harvester’s paths to minimise disturbance by human activity.
iii. The boxes and poles are transported in pairs to each box points.
iv. A 90 cm deep hole to seat the supporting pole is dug. The hole should be just big enough
to slide the pole.
v. The box is fixed to the pole by nailing the end of the pole perpendicular to the floor of the
box. Nails should be driven through the two parallel battens at the centre of the floor
frame where the end of the support pole is slotted into. Fixture of the box to the pole is
reinforced by nailing two wooden struts from the pole to each end of the floor frame.
Rat Control - Biological
vi. The box is erected by firstly placing a plank of appropriate width into the hole.
The free end of the pole is then positioned at the mouth of the hole, the plank
acting as a stopper to anchor the hoisting of the box. The box can the be
manually pushed upwards, starting from the box end and proceeding down
the pole. The plank in the hole will facilitate sliding of the pole down it.
vii. Once when the box is erected, the plank is removed and the hole filled with
excavated soil. There is normally no need to use ballast or concrete for this
purpose.
viii. Experience has shown it does not matter which direction the entry door of the
box faces. For the sake for uniformity and to facilitate inspection, all doors
could be positioned to face the palm avenue.
ix. A 60 cm band of 28 gauge size zinc sheet should be fixed to the pole at breast
height to prevent predators of the owl from climbing up.
x. List of materials required for construction of the box is as in Table 1.
Rat Control - Biological
f. Once when the boxes are erected, maintenance is normally limited to
inspection and treatments against termite attack to the pole and prevention of
vandalism.
g. In-house experience has shown that the setting up if barn owl boxes will not
bring out consistent natural suppression of rat damage until about two years
later. There will be need to carry out selective baiting to control rat damage in
parts of fields where rat population are high. When doing the baits containing
second generation anticoagulants, e.g. bromadiolone and brodifacoum, should
not be used as they are secondarily toxic to the barn owl. Warfarin baits have
been safely used on a commercial scale to suppress rat populations in the
interim of the barn owls establishing themselves. For estates that are
experiencing problems with warfarin resistant rat populations, SD R & D should
be consulted in regard to suitability of owl box establishment in the properties.
Cost of Barn Owl Establishment
• Cost of establishing the barn owl box, inclusive of the labour and
transportation is expected to range from RM 150-250. This variation
is due to local situations, and availability of cheaper raw materials like
re-used timber. Bearing in mind a well constructed and erected owl
box is expected to last for 10 years and that each box covers 5-10
hectares, cost of establishment of the barn owl over then 10 year
period will be RM1.50-5.00 per hectare per annum. This compares
with a conservative cost of about RM 20 per hectare per annum for
conventional baiting.
Cost of Barn Owl Establishment
• Besides the potential savings in cost of treatment against rats, the use
of barn owl confers the highly desirable alternative of a self-sustaining
pesticides-free (or minimised) mean of control of rats in the oil palm
environment.
Barn Own – Tyto alba
Assalamualaikum – Terima Kasih