The Effect of Mealworm as an Additional Bait to the Consumption of Malaysian Field Rat (Rattus tiomanicus) and Rice Field Rat (Rattus argentiventer)

Rats is one of the important pest to human life, both in the agriculture and plantation, include rice field rat in rice and malaysian field rat in oilpalm. Various tactics and strategies have been conducted to control population of rat, one of them used poisonous bait (rodenticide). The attractiveness of poisonous bait is very important because rats do not like taste of the active ingredients of rodenticide. The aims of this research was to investigate the influence of mealworm (larvae of Tenebrio molitor) to the consumption of bait and poisonous bait. Therefore, it can increase the effective control to malaysian and rice field rat. There are four trial step in this research with choice test method. First trial, malaysian rat consumed more broken rice, while rice rat consumed more unhulled rice. Secondly, malaysian rat consumed more mealworm and broken rice, otherwise rice rat consumed more unhulled rice. Thirdly, the consumption of malaysian rat to mealworm showed significantlty difference with brodifacoum, while rice rat showed no difference. Fourthly, the consumption of malaysian rat to mealworm showed no significantly difference with bromadiolone, while rice rat showed difference. To increase the consumption of malaysian and rice field rats on rodenticides containing brodifacoum and bromadiolone, mealworm can be added as a flavoring to the rodenticide. By adding mealworm to rodenticide with a mixture of poisonous bait specifically for rats and placed in a special place for rats, it will increase rat’s consumption to the point of killing them, while not inviting non-target animals to consume it and save to the environment.