Researchers from the Institute of Pest management at SUA have held a meeting to introduce a project on biological control of Rodent in Pangawe village, located in the rural district of Morogoro, in the Morogoro region.
This project of using owls to control rats has come to solve the challenges faced by farmers due to the destruction of seeds and crops in the fields by destructive rats. Rats have been a major problem for farmers in the fields because of the damage they cause to plants and crops.
The main goal of this project is to educate farmers/farming communities on alternative methods to control the problem of rats destroying crops in the fields and to prevent the use of chemicals and poisons
This meeting was attended by the guest of honor Mrs. Florence Mwambene, the councilor of Pangawe ward, Hon. Charles Mboma, The Director of the Institute of Pest Management Prof Allen Malisa , and researchers from the Institute of Pest management.
When introducing the project to the villagers, and community leaders, the project leader, Dr. Martin John, said, “This project has come at the perfect time given the history of Pangawe village, which has been plagued by rat infestations. These rats have caused significant losses for farmers by destroying seeds in the fields.”
He added, “By using owls, we can reduce and completely prevent the problem of rats destroying crops in the fields. The main diet of owls consists of rats and other small pests such as grasshoppers, snakes, lizards, etc. If we create a friendly environment to attract owls to our farms, we will be able to eliminate the problem of rat damage completely”.
