Perceptions of rodent-associated problems: an experience in urban and rural areas of Yucatan, Mexico

PANTI-MAY, JESÚS ALONSO; SODÁ-TAMAYO, LORENZO; GAMBOA-TEC, NAIVY; CETINA-FRANCO, ROSY; CIGARROA-TOLEDO, NOHEMI; MACHAÍN-WILLIAMS, CARLOS; DEL ROSARIO ROBLES, MARÍA; HERNÁNDEZ-BETANCOURT, SILVIA F.

Urban Ecosystems

Springer New York LLC

Año: 2017 p. 1 - 6

1083-8155

Rodents are a threat to agriculture and homes, and are a public health risk. Local perceptions about rodents and the damage they cause are vital, as a first step, to the design and implementation of rodent control or educational programs. A total of 111 interviews were conducted in two urban neighborhoods and two rural villages in Yucatan, Mexico. More than 90% of the interviewed inhabitants perceived rodents as a problem. The fear of rodents (57%), damage to food and stocks (56%), and damage to clothes (34%), were the most cited problems. In the urban neighborhoods, the use of rodent control methods was more frequent (57%) than in the villages (33%) in this study. In addition, the percentage of damage to domestic appliances was lower in villages (10%) than in neighborhoods (33%). Our preliminary results suggest that rodent pests represent a threat to human health and to human food security in the studied sites.