Below, you will find links to a range of scientific and popular press articles that have been developed by the StopRats team and colleagues.
Scientific publications developed with support from the StopRats project
Mahlaba T.A.M., Monadjem A., McCleery R. and Belmain S.R. (2017) Domestic cats and dogs create a landscape of fear for pest rodents around rural homesteads. PLoS ONE 12(2): e0171593.
Labuschagne, L., Swanepoel, L.H., Taylor, P.J., Belmain, S.R. and Keith, M. (2016). Are avian predators effective biological control agents for rodent pest management in agricultural systems? Biological Control. 101: 94-102.
Mgode, G., Machang'u, R.S., Mhamphi, G.G., Katakweba, A., Mulungu, L., Durnez, L., Leirs, H., Hartskeerl, R.A. and Belmain, S.R. Leptospira serovars for diagnosis of leptospirosis in humans and animals in Africa: Common leptospira isolates and reservoir hosts. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 9(12): e0004251.
Beaucournu, J. C., Randrenjarison Andriniaina, H. R. & Goodman, S. M. 2015. Puces (Insecta: Siphonaptera) d’Ambohitantely, Madagascar: Spécificité et phénologie. Malagasy Nature, 9: 39-48.
Goodman, S.M., Andriniaina, H.R.R., Soarimalala, V. and Beaucournu, J.C. (2015) The fleas of endemic and introduced small mammals in central highland forests of Madagascar: Faunistics, species diversity, and absence of host specificity. Journal of Medical Entomology. online first.
Mulungu, L.S., Borremans, B., Ngowo, V., Mdangi, M.E., Katakweba, A.S., Tesha, P., Mrosso, F.P., Mchomvu, M. and Kilonzo, B.S. (2015) Comparative study of movement patterns of Mastomys natalensis in irrigated rice and fallow fields in eastern Tanzania. African Journal of Ecology. online first.
Makundi, R. H., Massawe, A. W., Borremans, B., Laudisoit, A., and Katakweba, A. S. (2015). We are connected: flea – host association networks in the plague outbreak focus in the Rift Valley, northern Tanzania. Wildlife Research 42, 196–206.
Mulungu, L.S., Ngowo, V., Mdangi, M.E., Katakweba, A.S., Tesha, P., Mrosso, F.P., Mchomvu, M., Massawe, A.W., Monadjem, A., Kilonzo, B. and Belmain, S.R. (2015) Survival and recruitment of the multimammate mouse, Mastomys natalensis (Smith 1834), in a rice agro-ecosystem. Mammalia. online first
Mulungu, L.S, Lagwen, P.P., Mdangi, M.E., Kilonzo, B.S. and Belmain, S.R. (2014). Impact of spatio-temporal simulations of rat damage on yield of rice (Oryza sativa L.) and implications for rodent pest management. International Journal of Pest Management. 60(4): 269-274.
Mulungu, L.S., Sixbert, V., Ngowo, V, Mdangi, M, Katakweba, A.S., Tesha, P., Mrosso, F.P. Mchomvu, M., Kilonzo B.S. and Belmain S.R. (2014) Spatio-temporal patterns in the distribution of the multi-mammate mouse. Mammalia. online first.
Mulungu, L.S., Mlyashimbi, E.C.M, Ngowo, V., Mdangi, M., Katakweba, A.S., Tesha, P., Mrosso, F.P. Mchomvu, M., Kilonzo B.S. and Belmain S.R. (2014) Food preferences of the multi-mammate mouse, Mastomys natalensis, in irrigated rice habitats in Tanzania. International Journal of Pest Management. 60(1): 1-8.
Lamb, J., Downs, S., Eiseb, S., and John Taylor, P. (2014). Increased geographic sampling reveals considerable new genetic diversity in the morphologically conservative African Pygmy Mice (Genus Mus; Subgenus Nannomys) Mammalian Biology 79, 24–35.
Popular press articles by the StopRats team
Videos on How to Control Rodents can be viewed here.
The below are links to the video on YouTube at a much higher quality resolution.
How to control rodents - in English
Comment contrôler les rongeurs - en français
Jinsi ya kudhibiti panya - katika Kiswahili
Scientific paper Domestic Cats and Dogs Create a Landscape of Fear for Pest Rodents around Rural Homesteads was the topic of a radio interview. The lead author of the paper, Themb’alilahlwa A. M. Mahlaba from the University of Swaziland, was interviewed on South African radio station 702 about the outcomes of the paper. The interview can be listened to here.
StopRats produced four policy discussion papers covering some of the major challenges in controlling rodent pests in Africa and elsewhere.
StopRats rodent population outbreak discussion paper
StopRats stakeholder network discussion paper
StopRats biological control discussion paper
StopRats how to control rodents discussion paper
Maltitz, von E. (2016) Gerbils thrive in harvest bounty. Spilpunt. 5:42-44. (in Afrikaans)
Maltitz, von E., Kirsten, F. and Malebana P. (2016) StopRats bag Stinkwater. Plant Protection News. 107:5-6.
Labuschagne, L. (2015) The Barn Owl: Secret weapon in the fight against rodents.Farmers' Weekly. 16 October 2015, 26-28.
Belmain, S.R. et al. (2015) African researchers adopt One Health to Stop Rats. One Health Initiative Newsletter. 8(2):2-5.
Belmain, S.R. (2015) StopRats a le 12ème Symposium International sur les Petits Mammifères Africains. TANA planète. 87:44-45.
Maltitz, von E., Kirsten, F. and Malebana P. (2015) ARC-PPRI hosts STOPRATS review workshop. Plant Protection News. 103:7-8.
Maltitz, von E., Kirsten, F. and Malebana P. (2014) Update on gerbil management in maize. SA Grain. 16(1): 106-107.
StopRats partner, Seth Eiseb talks about his PhD in a SciDevNet podcast
Steve Belmain talks to SciDevNet in a podcast about the new StopRats project and some of the good (detecting land mines) and bad (disease transmission) about rodents.
ACP S&T leaflet of StopRats project
StopRats project overview leaflet
Scientific publications about rodents and their management in Africa
Mdangi, M., Mulungu, L.S., Massawe, A.W., Eiseb, S., Tutjavi, V., Kirsten, F., Mahlaba, T., Malebane, P., Maltitz, E.V., Monadjem, A., Dlamini, N., Makundi, R.H. and S.R. Belmain (2013) Assessment of rodent damage to stored maize (Zea mays L.) on smallholder farms in Tanzania. International Journal of Pest Management. 59(1): 55-62.
Katakweba, A.A.S., Mulungu, L.S., Eiseb, S.J., Mahlaba, T.A., Makundi, R.H., Massawe, A.W., Borremans, B. and Steven R. Belmain (2012) Prevalence of haemoparasites, leptospires and cocobacilli with potential for human infection in the blood of rodents and shrews from selected localities in Tanzania, Namibia and Swaziland. African Zoology. 47(1): 119-127.
Taylor, P.J., Downs, S., Monadjem, A, Eiseb, S.J., Mulungu, L.S., Massawe, A.W., Mahlaba, T.A., Kirsten, F., Maltitz von, E., Malebane, P., Makundi, R.H., Lamb, J and Belmain, S.R. (2012) Experimental treatment-control studies of ecologically based rodent management in Africa: balancing conservation and pest management. Wildlife Research. 39(1): 51-61.
Massawe, A.W, Mulungu, L.S, Makundi, R.H, Dlamini, N., Eiseb. S., Kirsten, F., Mahlaba, T., Malebane, P., Maltitz, E. von, , Monadjem. A., Taylor, P., Tutjavi, V., and Steven R. Belmain. (2011) Spatial and temporal population dynamics of rodents in three geographically different regions: Implications for ecologically- based rodent management. African Zoology. 46(2): 393–405.
Mulungu, L.S., Massawe, A.W., Kennis, J., Crauwels, D., Eiseb, S., Mahlaba, T.A., Monadjem, A., Makundi, R.H., Katakweba, A.A.S., Leirs, H. and Belmain, S.R. (2011) Differences in diet between two rodent species of Mastomys natalensis and Gerbilliscus vicinus in fallow land habitats in central Tanzania. African Zoology. 46(2): 387–392.
Mulungu, L.S., Mahlaba, T., Massawe, A., Kennis, J., Crauwels, D., Eiseb, E., Monadjem, A., Makundi, R. Katakweba, A. Leirs, H. and Steven Belmain (2011) Dietary preferences of the multimammate mouse (Mastomys natalensis, Smith 1832) across different habitats and seasons in Tanzania and Swaziland. Wildlife Research. 38(7): 640–646.
Monadjem, A., Mahlaba, T.A., Dlamini, N., Eiseb. S.J., Belmain, S.R., Mulungu, L.S., Massawe, A.W., Makundi. R.H., Mohr, K., Taylor, P.J. (2011). Impact of crop cycle on movement patterns of pest rodent species between fields and houses in Africa. Wildlife Research. 38(7): 603-609.
Bastos, A.D.S., Nair,D., Taylor, P.J., Brettschneider, H., Kirsten, F., Mostert, E., Maltitz, von, E., Lamb, J.M., Hooft, van P., Belmain, S.R., Contrafatto, G., Downs, S. and Chimimba, C.T.. (2011) Genetic monitoring detects an overlooked cryptic species and reveals the diversity and distribution of three invasive Rattus congeners in South Africa. BMC Genetics. 12:26.