Author: anuja

Paris is undoubtedly one of the most romantic cities of all times. It is beautiful, scenic, culturally advance and home to the art of world-famous artists like Picasso. But as seen in fairy tales, beauty and beast walk side by side. Similarly in this city, within the backdrop of beauty, there are also beasts lurking around. These beasts are none other than Rats.  Let’s have a look at the following article published in The Local-France’s news in English on 17^th April 2013.

 Rodent police launch war on Paris rats

Better weather and warmer air bring everyone back on to the streets of the French capital, including the city’s millions of scurrying rats. And that can mean only one thing – it’s rat extermination season for one dedicated Paris police squad.

It’s that time of year again. Spring is in the air, temperatures are climbing, and for one group of Paris residents, that means it’s time to emerge from their holes after a long winter underground, and venture out into the open air.

That’s right – the annual rat re-infestation of Paris is underway, which means its time for the Paris police to officially kick off their annual “deratization” campaign.

The UPNA – unité de prévention des nuisances animales (animal pollution prevention unit) – of the Paris prefecture of police, which was founded back in 2000, started its yearly war against rodent pests on Monday, and will fight on until June 14^th, according to the prefecture’s website.

It is estimated that there are millions of rats scurrying about in the dark underground passages of the City of Light, though it’s impossible to give an accurate number.

 “Legend has it there are two rats for every person living in Paris,” Jean-Michel Derrin, who heads the pest-control police unit, told French daily Le Parisien on Wednesday.

“But the truth is, we just don’t know,” he added.

Official statistics aside, rat infestation is a serious problem in this city of over 2 million (human) residents.

The animals leave excrement behind them, cause damage to infrastructure and furniture if they get access to a dwelling, and according to BFMTV, each year they infect hundreds of Parisians with leptospirosis – a serious disease with extremely unpleasant symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea and even liver failure.

“Rats are everywhere – I don’t even let my kids play outside anymore,” one resident of the city’s 18^th arrondissement told Le Parisien.

The designated rodent squad consists of six inspectors who will respond to calls about an infestation, ask property-owners to take certain measures – cleaning out basements or boarding up cellar windows, for example – and then call in an exterminator to ‘evict’ the rodents.

City authorities evidently take the rat problem seriously enough to issue verbal warnings and €450 fines to anyone who fails to comply with the unit’s instructions.

Anyone with a rat problem in the French capital can call UPNA on 01 40 27 16 00.

The measures taken by the rodent police do not assure full eviction of these creatures from the wonderful city of Paris.  The city has seen many historical moments and has also gone through Cultural Revolution known as Renaissance. But one thing has not changed in the city and that is the population of rats and their consequences on human health. The above article proves that this problem is far from over.

With the Seine, the subway and the numerous restaurants, Paris has become a Rat Paradise of sorts. With four times as many rats as humans in Paris, the frightening statistics show that the furry cosmopolitans are perhaps 8 million in total, according to the grim prognoses of experts.

There has to be some solutions which can act as a roadblock for the budding population of these rats in Paris. We, at C Tech Corporation have come up with the right solution for this. It is known asCombirepel™. Combirepel™ is a niche product which is a rodent aversive. The difference between this product and other rodenticides is that it is an extremely low toxicity and extremely low hazard and eco-friendly. It works on the mechanism of repellence and does not kill the target species but only repels them.

It is available in the form of masterbatches and can be incorporated into a large group of base polymers. Thus it can be used in cables, wires, pipes, films etc. It is also available in lacquer and liquid form and can, therefore, be used to coat nearly all application in and around our surroundings.

Using this eco-friendly product will definitely help reduce the rat menace in Paris and help this beautiful city to remain safe with greener solutions.

The product is compliant with ROHS, ROHS2, ISO, REACH, APVMA, NEA, EU-BPR, and FIFRA exempted.

Contact us at technical.marketing@ctechcorporation.com if you’re facing problems with rodents and get best remedies to combat the pest menace.

Also, visit our websites:

http://www.ctechcorporation.com/
http://www.rodrepel.com/
http://www.termirepel.com/
http://www.combirepel.com/

Follow our Facebook pages at:

1] https://www.facebook.com/Combirepel-411710912249274/
2] https://www.facebook.com/Termirepel-104225413091251/
3] https://www.facebook.com/Rodrepel-120734974768048/

Follow us on our Twitter pages at:

1] https://twitter.com/rodrepel
2] https://twitter.com/termirepel
3] https://twitter.com/combirepel

It is very important to know your enemies. Be it humans, four-legged animals or furry mammals and insects. When we think of enemies we generally relate to some part of our brain which has amounted to the feeling of hatred. The same hatred is felt by humans towards the furry animals called rodents. They scurry around in search of food, destroying everything in their way. These rodents are present all around the world. But in some parts of the world, their infestation is very high.

Lets see the top 10 most rodent-infested areas or cities in the world.

1. Deshnoke, India

In northwestern India, you’ll find the city of Deshnoke, home to a place of worship called the Karni Mata Temple. What’s interesting about this temple — and what makes it a fitting addition to the list — is that it’s positively packed with rats. Some 20,000, in fact. Not only are they welcomed, they’re worshipped.

2. Rat Island, the Aleutians

Rat Island, part of the Aleutian Islands, is just one example of an island habitat devastated by invasive rats. About 90 percent of the world’s islands have been overrun by rodent stowaways, which can spell disaster for native species especially seabirds.

Happily, however, the name “Rat Island” is now technically a misnomer. Although rats enjoyed the run of the place starting in the 1780s when a shipwreck dropped some ashore, they were officially eradicated in 2010 after years of dedicated conservation efforts. Now birds are starting to reclaim this previously rat-infested stomping ground and slowly grow in numbers

3.  Paris, France

Rats show no respect for famed romantic locales, either. In 2008, Paris officials estimated the city’s rat population had reached 8 million, and since only about 2 million people make their homes in Paris proper, that meant there were about four rats pounding the pavement for every Parisian.

Below given is the link to the article posted on April 17, 2013 in The Local, Frances news in English. It states the Rat menace which has infested Paris and is giving the Police nightmares.

http://www.thelocal.fr/20130417/paris-police-launch-yearly-rat-extermination-season

4.  London, England

Rats are also a big issue in London. Like the Seine in Paris, the River Thames has long been a major rat-magnet. But lately, rats have been thriving more than ever due to construction efforts for the 2012 Olympics and the aftereffects of the economic recession — more abandoned properties mean more places for rats to roost undisturbed.

London’s rats are also getting bigger than ever, at least partially thanks to increased littering — especially of the fast-food variety — by on-the-go Brits. Some big squeakers are reportedly growing up to double the usual size.

In the below giving article, dated 12^th November, 2013, a very unfortunate incident is highlighted. A 16 month old baby was attacked by a foot long rat in the area of North London.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/baby-mauled-by-rat-in-north-london-1439344

5. Mumbai, India

Black Death or Bubonic Plague, officially declared as wiped out nearly 30 years ago by the Indian government, still poses a real threat to the country and to Bombay (Mumbai) in particular.

The sprawling metropolis plays host to tens of millions of rats, which carry the disease via their fleas and hence pose a danger to the city’s population.

In this city thousands come from all over India in search of Jobs. It is said that there are more people in Mumbai alone than whole of U.K. There are huge infestations of rodents in many parts of this amazing city.

Below given is an article where the rats from Mumbai were found in an international flight to Doha unawares by the staff of the air plane.

http://www.mumbaimirror.com/mumbai/others/Indias-latest-export-to-Doha-Rats-from-Mumbai/articleshow/22150825.cms

6. Baltimore, Md.

Baltimore’s rat problem is bad enough that at one point, rats tunneled so intensely beneath a particular area of pavement that when garbage collectors drove over it, their truck sunk up to its axles. Rats in the vicinity took full advantage of the mishap and swarmed the truck, gorging on the garbage inside.

Baltimore also enjoys the dubious distinction of being a hotspot for rat-related research, beginning during World War II and continuing today, much of it carried out at Johns Hopkins University.

The following article posted in The Washigton Post speaks about the Rat menace in Baltimore.

http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2013-06-19/lifestyle/40115896_1_dead-rat-charm-city-rowhouses

7. New York City, USA

Incidents of unexpected rat appearances are frequently broadcast out of the Big Apple. Take the KFC/Taco Bell ratscapade of 2007. At a KFC/Taco Bell fast-food outlet located in Greenwich Village, a pack of rats drew big crowds and camera crews after they were discovered nonchalantly scurrying around the main eating area of the restaurant before it opened for the day. Word later got out that they regularly made themselves at home in the food prep area, too. Not pleasant information for frequent patrons, especially when news broke that the restaurant had several past rodent-related violations.

Like many densely populated areas, New York City has a prevalence of rats. Politicians and health authorities actively pursue policies and programs to manage the rat population. The exact number of rats is unknown, but it is estimated that there are at least as many rats as people. The city’s rat population is dominated by the Brown rat and Black rat.

Studies indicate that within the United States, this city is particularly well-suited for rats, taking into account such variables as (human) population patterns, public sanitation practices, climate, housing construction standards, etc. However, experts consider that the actual population varies, depending on climate, sanitation practices, efforts to control the population, and season.

Following article was posted in the CBS New York news Website.

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2013/07/31/neighbors-rats-have-ruined-park-in-woodside-queens/

Rats like to live where people live. They quickly adjust to the neighborhood. Rats can thrive on just an ounce of food and water daily, so when they enter a neighborhood and gain access to meat, fish, vegetables, and grains, they will stay. Rats prefer to feed in and around homes, restaurants, and businesses. But they will settle for scraps from trash bags and cans, private yards and what they find at the community refuse disposal and transfer station. Rats get the shelter they need from tall weeds and grass, fences and walls, rubbish piles and abandoned appliances.

Basically they are found everywhere where they can find food and shelter. To eradicate this problem we at C Tech Corporation have come up with a viable solution. We have come up with a product named Combirepel™.

Combirepel™ is an extremely low toxicity and extremely low hazard, and environmentally safe anti-rodent additive for master batches specially developed for a range of polymeric and coating applications including films, wires, and cables. It is also effective in case the target species is birds and other animals. It is compatible with nearly all polymeric bases such as PVC, LDPE, HDPE etc.

It is also available in lacquer and liquid form and can be easily coated onto an application to repel the rodents. The best part about this product is that it works on the mechanism of repellence and does not kill the target species. i.e. rodents, thus being in accordance with the need of the century, Sustainability and green chemistry.

Contact us at technical.marketing@ctechcorporation.com if you’re facing problems with rodents and get best remedies to combat the pest menace.

Also, visit our websites:

http://www.ctechcorporation.com/
http://www.rodrepel.com/
http://www.termirepel.com/
http://www.combirepel.com/

Follow our Facebook pages at:

1] https://www.facebook.com/Combirepel-411710912249274/
2] https://www.facebook.com/Termirepel-104225413091251/
3] https://www.facebook.com/Rodrepel-120734974768048/

Follow us on our Twitter pages at:

1] https://twitter.com/rodrepel
2] https://twitter.com/termirepel
3] https://twitter.com/combirepel

 

In the past century alone, more than 10 million people have died from rodent-borne diseases.  Although rodents are not major threats to our everyday health, it is justified to be concerned over the potential for rodents to transmit diseases. By their very nature and design, rodents make excellent “vehicles” for harboring and rapidly transporting diseases.

Pestis or plague is an infectious disease caused by a bacteria carried by rats and spread to humans by insects. Fortunately, at the end of the 19th century, 2 eminent disciples of Louis Pasteur, Alexander Yersin and Waldemar Haffkine, fixed the problem. It was in Hong Kong that Yersin isolated the microbe and developed a serum that successfully cured infected people. And it was in Bombay that Haffkine developed the first vaccine in a place still existing today and called the Haffkine Institute. During the 20th century, the development of antibiotics eventually put an end to plague epidemics.

But this is one of the diseases caused by such rodents; there are many other diseases which need to be looked at too. Let’s take a look at some prominent diseases caused by rodents:

Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne disease in the Northern Hemisphere. It is transmitted to humans by the bite of infected ticks belonging to a few species of the genus Ixodes (“hard ticks”). Early symptoms may include fever, headache, fatigue, depression, and a characteristic circular skin rash called erythema migrans (EM). Left untreated, later symptoms may involve the joints, heart, and central nervous system. In most cases, the infection and its symptoms are eliminated by antibiotics, especially if the illness is treated early. Delayed or inadequate treatment can lead to more serious symptoms, which can be disabling and difficult to treat. The carriers are generally all rodents; most commonly deer mice. The mode of transmission for this disease is rodent tick bites. This is a common and widespread tick borne disease in the U.S.

Salmonella (Food Poisoning): This causes intestinal disorders and food poisoning. It is carried by rats and mice. The mode of transportation for this disease is through the feces of these rodents. The World Health Organization estimates that 20% of food is destroyed or contaminated every year by rodents.

Rat-Bite Fever: Rat-bite fever is an acute, febrile human illness caused by bacteria transmitted by rodents, rats or mice in most cases, which is passed from rodent to human via the rodent’s urine or mucous secretions. Alternative names for rat bite fever include streptobacillary fever, streptobacillosis, spirillary fever, sodoku, and epidemic arthritic erythema. It is a rare disease spread by infected rodents and can be caused by two specific types of bacteria. Most cases occur in Japan, but specific strains of the disease are present in the United States, Europe, Australia, and Africa. The mode of transmission of this disease is by the bacteria in mouth and nose of rodent, transmitted via bite or scratch.

Hantavirus(HV) :  Hantaviruses are negative sense RNA viruses in the Bunyaviridae family. Humans may become infected with Hantaviruses through contact with rodent urine, saliva or feces. Some strains of hantaviruses cause potentially fatal diseases in humans, such as Hantavirus hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) and hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), while others have not been associated with known human disease.

Human infections of Hantaviruses have almost entirely been linked to human contact with rodent excrement, but recent human-to-human transmission has been reported with the Andes virus in South America. The name Hantavirus is derived from the Hantan River area in South Korea, for which Hantaan virus is named. HV outbreak in 1994 resulted in more than 50 death in 17 states.  At least 7 different strains of HV have been identified.

Typhus: This type of disease causes fever, headache, rash, respiratory attack. The carrier for this disease is rats, mice and is transmitted by rat flea bite. Port cities or riverine environments, often serve as havens for rats harboring fleas.

Pox (Rickettsial):

This disease is caused by a house mouse and transmitted via the mites who live on mice. The symptoms which are prominent are lesion followed by fever, headache, and rash. An outbreak of this disease occurred in 1946 in housing developments in New York City which were overrun with mite-infested mice.

The above mentioned are but a few diseases caused by rodents. Now what should be the next course of action? Even if these species are killed the mites etc present on them will eventually cause diseases. The only option is to keep them away from the surroundings. And that is where C Tech Corporation comes into picture.

We, at C Tech Corporation have come up with a unique product called Combirepel™.

Combirepel™ is a non-toxic, non-hazardous and environmentally safe anti-rodent additive for master batches specially developed for a range of polymeric and coating applications including films, pipes, wires and cables. It can be incorporated into nearly all base polymers like HDPE, LDPE, PVC, PE etc. It is also effective in case the target species is birds and other animals.

This product is also available in lacquer and liquid form and can therefore be used for coating application in and around the surroundings to keep the rodents away.

But the best quality of this product is that it works on the mechanism of repellence and not killing. It does not kill the target species i.e. rodents. It just repels them. This will help us in keeping these creatures at bay and at the same time these creatures will still be a part of our ecology. So, this product made on the principle of green chemistry will help us in killing two birds with one stone, well at least metaphorically.

Contact us at technical.marketing@ctechcorporation.com if you’re facing problems with rodents and get best remedies to combat the pest menace.

Also, visit our websites:

http://www.ctechcorporation.com/
http://www.rodrepel.com/
http://www.termirepel.com/
http://www.combirepel.com/

Follow our Facebook pages at:

1] https://www.facebook.com/Combirepel-411710912249274/
2] https://www.facebook.com/Termirepel-104225413091251/
3] https://www.facebook.com/Rodrepel-120734974768048/

Follow us on our Twitter pages at:

1] https://twitter.com/rodrepel
2] https://twitter.com/termirepel
3] https://twitter.com/combirepel

The  myth…

Widely used as a wood preservative and also in many polymeric applications for protection against insects and rodents. Copper naphthenate or more specifically copper naphthenate solution which consists of 20% copper naphthenate mixed with white spirits or mineral turps type solvents have been popularly reintroduced in the market as a formulation which is effective in its primary purpose of being a wood preservative and yet provide positive benefits with respect to safety of human health and environment. Thus a win-win solution to a problem with no minimal side effects is what has been propagated.

The facts…

…that it is carcinogenic!: 

While copper naphthenate is said to be comprising of copper naphthenate in combination with white spirits/ mineral turps type solvents, the truth is that it contains about 20% copper salts of naphthenic acids which comprise of an unknown mixture of certain petroleum by products and contaminants and about 80% secret unknown ingredients. These contaminants and by products haven’t been researched enough to conclude that they have no side effects: harmful or otherwise in the long or short run. Most petroleum based constituents are known acutely toxic, chronically toxic and carcinogenic compounds! Moreover they are volatile which means that at any point of time the air surrounding you could be laden with lethal carcinogens: not a very comforting thought especially since you are told that what you are using is non toxic!!!

…that there are disorders!:

Moreover copper naphthenate is an oil-based wood preservative. Most oil based preservatives are easily absorbed through the skin as also by inhalation. Chronic exposure to these preservatives can lead to anemia and it also increases the permeability of membranes which can accelerate the uptake of other toxic substances. Children in particular are more susceptible as they can easily ingest these chemicals within their systems! They are also neurotoxic and can affect nerve transmission and damage the central nervous system. Tests submitted to EPA have found that Copper Naphthenate induces DNA damage. Inhalation of copper dusts and fumes is reported to lead to nasal congestion as also congestion of the upper digestive and perforation of the nasal septum.

…the various reports:

A report by the Department of Medicine, Pharmacology and Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee correlates the widespread application of copper naphthenate and copper absorption in humans and animals. It studied a family of three individuals who lived in a home where copper naphthenate was sprayed on the inner foundation. In two of these individuals, serum copper levels were elevated when first measured months after copper naphthenate was sprayed in the home! This report suggests the need for further study of the absorption and relative toxicity of copper naphthenate. Now isn’t that a direct contradiction to the so called consolidated facts that copper naphthenate is non toxic??

Another report by the Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Patho-biology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University studied the effects of copper naphthenate toxicosis in cattle. The results were quite alarming as fourteen cattle on a Kansas pasture died from ingestion of a wood preservative compound containing copper naphthenate. Clinical signs included depression, anorexia, ataxia, diarrhea, and recumbency. Grossly visible lesions included perirenaledema, pale kidneys, and stomach ulceration. All the cows that had postmortem evaluations had extensive renal cortical tubular necrosis. The findings indicated that the copper naphthenate may have contributed to abomasal ulceration.

…heavy metal poisoning:

Being a heavy metal based compound there are many risks with handling copper which also need to be taken into account: Metal fume fever, wheezing and rales have been reported in workers exposed to fine copper dust. Dyspnea has developed after oral copper exposure. Pulmonary edema and alveolar inflammation have been noted in animals. Skin exposure could result in severe irritation, itching, erythema, dermatitis and eczema. Moreover ingestion of copper salts can even lead to gastroenteritis with severe vomiting. Menke’s disease which is an anemia disorder was recognized as a copper absorption disorder according to a report prepared by Rutgers the State University of New Jersey. The report also relates several other diseases with accumulation of toxic levels of copper in the liver and other tissues without excessive intake of the same. Mucosal erosions and burning epigastric sensations with diarrhea have been reported. Vapors of copper salts may form explosive mixtures with air which can travel to the source of ignition and flash back. Most vapors are heavier than air which spread along the ground and collect in low or confined areas (sewers, basements, tanks). Vapor explosion and poison hazard indoors, outdoors or in sewers

…extrusion problems: stink, hazards et al:

Moreover application of copper naphthenate for protection of polymeric applications such as wires and cables would entail the extrusion of copper naphthenate master batches along with the polymer. This process itself is quite replete with inconveniences like the extremely offensive smell of the master batch which the workers are often subjected to over a significant stretch of time as also various hazards related to the process itself. Copper naphthenate can pose as a fire hazard at higher temperatures which is generally the case with extrusion processes. Moreover it forms explosive mixtures with oxygen which can be fatal to workers who might be handling the extrusion process.

Beyond the myth…!

Probably the reason why copper naphthenate has been classified as non toxic and relatively harmless is because of lack of extensive research undertaken to explore its various problems and side effects. But the above reported results show how it has been found to be toxic and therefore extensive study of the same is the need of the hour which would then probably reveal in alarming proportions whatever has been found so far to have affected humans and animals alike! What however we can do is stop or reduce the use of such compounds as ultimately it is us the end users who suffer the consequences and not the ones who supply it or market it claiming that it is non toxic because as Mark Twain famously quoted that ‘what appears to be may not always be the case!’ And it certainly isn’t the case with copper naphthenate!

References:

http://www.beyondpesticides.org/wood/pubs/poisonpoles/chemicals.html

http://informahealthcare.com/doi/abs/10.3109/15563659208994449?journalCode=ctx

http://jvdi.org/cgi/content/full/19/3/305

http://digitalfire.com/4sight/hazards/ceramic_hazard_copper_compounds_329.html

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:http://www.epa.gov/oppsrrd1/REDs/naphthenate-salts-red.pdf

http://www.chemicalbook.com/ProductMSDSDetailCB3205514_EN.htm

http://69.59.152.188/Detail_Chemical.jsp?Rec_Id=PC39772

http://pestreg.cdpr.ca.gov/docs/whs/memo/hsm94009

http://www.cdpr.ca.gov/docs/county/cacltrs/penfltrs/penf2002/2002atch/attch44.pdf

http://www.ccl.rutgers.edu/reports/ICA/ICA2002_copper1.pdf

Building Materials: Dangerous properties of materials in MasterFormat Divisions, by Leslie H Simmons and Richard J Lewis, Sr.

Wiley guide to Chemical incompatibilities, by Richard P Pohanish and Stanley A Greene.

To eradicate this problem we at C Tech Corporation have come up with a viable solution. We have come up with a product named Combirepel™.

Combirepel™ is an extremely low toxicity and extremely low hazard, and environmentally safe anti-rodent additive for master batches specially developed for a range of polymeric and coating applications including films, wires, and cables. It is also effective in case the target species is birds and other animals. It is compatible with nearly all polymeric bases such as PVC, LDPE, HDPE etc.

It is also available in lacquer and liquid form and can be easily coated onto an application to repel the rodents. The best part about this product is that it works on the mechanism of repellence and does not kill the target species. i.e. rodents, thus being in accordance with the need of the century, Sustainability and green chemistry.

Contact us at technical.marketing@ctechcorporation.com if you’re facing problems with rodents and get best remedies to combat the pest menace.

Also, visit our websites:

http://www.ctechcorporation.com/
http://www.rodrepel.com/
http://www.termirepel.com/
http://www.combirepel.com/

Follow our Facebook pages at:

1] https://www.facebook.com/Combirepel-411710912249274/
2] https://www.facebook.com/Termirepel-104225413091251/
3] https://www.facebook.com/Rodrepel-120734974768048/

Follow us on our Twitter pages at:

1] https://twitter.com/rodrepel
2] https://twitter.com/termirepel
3] https://twitter.com/combirepel

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As if wild boars and other animals were not enough, now we have to protect ourselves and our young ones from newfound threats like rats!

Rats primarily viewed as annoying little furry animals have fast turned themselves into a force to reckon with to the extent of being life-threatening.

In the recent past, there has been a slew of cases where encounters with rodents have culminated into life-threatening situations.

Below are two such incidents reported in newspapers worldwide which brought to our attention the extent of damage a measly rodent could do.

Giant rats eat two babies in South Africa townships in separate attacks

UPDATED: 10:46 GMT, 3 June 2011

• ‘I can’t forget how ugly my child looked after her eyes were ripped out’ says dead baby’s mother
• The rats can grow up to three-foot long

 

Giant rats as big as cats have killed and eaten two babies in separate attacks in South Africa’s squalid townships this week.

 Lunathi Dwadwa, three, was killed as she slept in her parent’s shack in the Khayelitsha slum outside Cape Town and another girl was killed in Soweto township near Johannesburg the same day.

 Little Lunathi was sleeping on a makeshift bed on the floor of her family’s breeze block and corrugated iron home on Sunday night when she died. Her puzzled parents didn’t even hear her scream.

 When her mother discovered her lifeless body, she saw that her daughter’s eyes had been gouged out.

Bukiswa Dwadwa, 27, said: ‘I can’t forget how ugly my child looked after her eyes were ripped out.

 ‘She was eaten from her eyebrows to her cheeks, her other eye was hanging by a piece of flesh.’

Her father Mncedisi Mokoena said police told him: ‘Nothing could have done that but rats’

 And today police revealed that a baby girl died in the Soweto township when she was attacked by rats while her teenage mother was out with friends.

 ‘We were called to the scene of the death of an infant due to a rat attack on Monday morning at around 9am,’ said police officer Bongani Mhlongo.

 ‘The mother of the child was arrested on charges of culpable homicide and negligence.’

 The deaths appear to be part of a spate of deadly rat attacks in the country.

 Last month, 77-year-old grandmother Nomathemba Joyi died after giant rats chewed off the right side of her face.

 Residents of South Africa’s impoverished townships say the giant rats grow up to three-foot long, including their tails, and have front teeth over an inch long.

 The suspects in the baby attacks are believed to be African Giant Pouched Rats, a species only distantly related to UK rats, but native to sub-Saharan Africa – and the biggest in the world.

 They are nocturnal, omnivorous and can produce up to 50 young a year. Some tribal people breed them for food.

 They thrive in the townships’ filthy conditions and feast on residents’ uncollected rubbish.

These clueless parents have lost their children to a low life like a rodent! To die in such young age and in this manner is a death that one would wish for even for an enemy.

In yet another horrifying incident a young mother recounts how her 16-month old beautiful daughter was savaged by a giant rat as the youngster slept in her cot.

 

Giant rat attack horror: Baby savaged by foot-long rodent as she slept in cot

16 Nov 2012 19:10

Her panic-stricken mum rushed into the 16-month-old’s room after hearing screams and found her covered in blood with deep bite marks

 Ordeal: Mum Lindsey found baby Lolly covered in blood and a rat scurrying around the flat

A horrified mum told today how her toddler daughter was savaged by a giant rat as the youngster slept in her cot.

Panic-stricken Lindsey Molyneux rushed into 16-month-old Lolly’s room after hearing her screams and found her covered in blood with deep bite marks to her hand.

Husband Michael later photographed the foot-long rodent scurrying around the family’s one-bedroom flat.

Mum-of-two Lindsey said the beast, which they nicknamed Ratzilla, had also gnawed through terrified Lolly’s pyjama bottoms.

The 30-year-old said she had just settled down to watch I’m a Celebrity after putting Lolly and her twin sister Lily to bed when she heard her crying on the baby monitor.

Lindsey added: “I went in because I didn’t want her to wake Lily.

“She was shaking and I thought maybe she was just having one of her nightmares.

“She threw up on my shoulder so I walked her out of the bedroom, holding her over my left shoulder, sat her down on the floor on the kitchen and as I started to strip her I saw all the blood because I hadn’t seen it in the bedroom as it was dark.

“I just started screaming, I tried not to swear but every swear word was coming out.

“I screamed, ‘She’s bleeding, she’s bleeding.’ I couldn’t see where she was bleeding from then I suddenly saw her hand, you could just see that the blood was gushing out from there.

“The only way I could describe it is we were just befuddled, we just could not figure out what had happened.

“We’ve got no pets and there’s nothing around her bed that could do that.”

After managing to stop the bleeding, Lindsey called NHS Direct to see if they had any ideas.

Just then the huge rat raced past her, giving her the shock of her life.

She said: “I was on the phone to the nurse. I saw it at the door and it was about a foot long.

 “I went around the patio door, opened up the front door and as soon as I opened it up its legged it. You could clearly see it was a rat, the size of it was massive.”

A&E doctors confirmed it was a rat bite. Lindsey said her GP did not believe her story until she showed him the footage of the rodent.

Little Lolly received treatment for the bite and is recovering well.

The couple has since disinfected and cleaned their entire house in Camden, North London.

Council pest control experts have laid traps and checked nearby sewers.

Lindsey said the front door had been left open for half an hour earlier in the night of the attack to ventilate the house while ­engineer Michael cooked dinner.

But pest controllers were still unsure how the rat got in.

Lindsey added: “It’s not even the thought that it bit her, that’s bad enough, it’s just the thought that it was crawling on her.

“It’s got in once and I’m still afraid it can get in again.”

So why do these rodents enter our homes?

Rats/rodents enter our houses basically in the search for food as well as a warm place to live in. They roam around freely in homes in search for food and something to chew on to keep their incisors trimmed. One would wonder if they are conscious of their dental hygiene!

But the truth is rats have a pair of continuously growing incisors that need to be trimmed regularly. In order to do that rats chew on anything in their vicinity including cables, wires, plastics; literally anything they can lay their filthy paws on.

Rats not only invade your home and your privacy but they can also turn out to be life-threatening. There is no place on the earth that they can’t inhabit. You can’t escape them; you have to deal with them.

The right way of doing that is not by killing them as it offers a short-term solution to the problem. The right and only effective way of combating the rat menace is to find a way to keep them out of our homes and away from our loved ones.

We at C Tech Corporation understand this and after years of research have formulated a product that can address all our ratgrievances.Combirepel™ can best be described as a  extremely low toxicity and extremely low hazard and eco-friendly anti-rodent additive. It is available in lacquer form that can be applied on wooden articles and household furniture to keep rodents at bay. Combirepel™  works on a mechanism that can effectively repel rodents and keep them out of our houses for good.

“By gnawing through a dike, even a rat may drown a nation” aptly quoted by Hon. Edmund Burke. This is the power of rats and their family of rodents. With rodent population growing 10X faster than humans, the riot caused by them is also escalating at an equal pace. Rodents predominantly affect rural families in three main ways: they damage the irrigation tubing in the field as well they eat, spoil and contaminate stored food; they are liable to disrupt basic gas/ water/ power supply by disrupting haulage tubes and cables; and they carry diseases of humans and their livestock. Asia Pacific region contains two-thirds of the World’s poor—approximately 800 million people in 2001— and the majority of these people live in rural areas. Management of rodent pests in agricultural regions is therefore a high priority for reducing poverty. Polymer products are particularly affected since they cannot endure the attack by rodents. A sneak peek into the rodent invasion at varied levels in myriad applications is illustrated. Conventionally available and popularly used rodenticides cause chronic diseases that may be more severe than the malady caused by rodents’ invasion. The article aims to demonstrate the necessity of increased awareness so as to minimize the rodent incurred economic losses and to emphasize the need to switch to safer and eco- friendlier alternatives.

Rodent menace:

The number may be intriguing but true; forty percent of mammal species found on earth are rodents. Scores of rodents are found on all continents other than Antarctica. Common rodents include mice, rats, squirrels, porcupines, beavers, guinea pigs and voles. Rodentia is an order of mammals also known as rodents, which is characterized by two continuously growing incisors in the upper and lower jaws which must be kept short by gnawing. Gnawing is defined as the act of biting, chewing on, or eroding with the teeth.

Indeed, in almost all regions, the rodent species found around houses and in fields are viewed as ‘pests’ or even as ‘vermin’. And often with just cause—the rodents consume and spoil crops in the field and in storage bins, they damage household possessions and even buildings and roads, and they play an often overlooked but highly significant role in the transmission of various diseases.

Rodent menace can cause severe economic losses. Rodents chew on plastic doors, sidings, benches, molded plastic parts, cables, wires, railway components practically anything. In the wild too, they chew on products made of plastics such as trash bins, containers, cables etc. The rodent menace to polymer products in various industrial sectors is illustrated in Fig. 1:

Fig. 1: Rodent menace in different industrial sectors.

Rodents are particularly fascinated to plastic pipes and tubing which are laid either on surface or underground. The color and odor of plastic pipes attract rodents, which in search of water and their fetish for gnawing action attack these pipes; that may or may not be hauling water.

Wires and Cables: Rodents gnawing through wires could result in short circuits leading to fire hazards; whereas damage to optical fiber cables could disrupt transmission of sensitive communication. Rodents often disturb underground train services and metro rail services. Sterlite Optical Technologies Ltd. has published several papers on rodent damage to wires and cables; vividly troubled by this issue. They claim that rodent attacks have been a chief cause for heavy maintenance cost of duct & direct-buried cable networks and is a threat to service operators in almost all geographic locations of the world.

Agriculture: Rodents have two major impacts. The first is the substantial pre- and postharvest losses they cause to agriculture. The second is as carriers of debilitating human diseases.

Drip irrigation & Pipelines (pre- harvest losses): Drip irrigation, also known micro- irrigation, is an irrigation method which saves water and fertilizer by allowing water to drip slowly to the roots of plants, through a network of valves, pipes, tubing, and emitters. However, the whole purpose of conservation of water using such systems turns futile if these tubes get vulnerable to rodent attacks. Some farmers despondently state that “for every eight rows of rice they sow for their families, they sow two rows for the rats.” Pioneers in drip irrigation systems, Jain Group, has now included rodent deterrent type of hoses/ tubes in their product catalogue.

Storage containers and bags (post- harvest losses): Rodents have an enormous economic impact on stored grain in developing countries. In one year, 25 adult rats would eat and damage about half a ton of grain and produce about 375,000 droppings! Good data on postharvest losses caused by rodents are sparse; however, reports of up to 20% postharvest losses of rice are not unusual. Under traditional rice farming systems, rodents generally cause chronic losses to production in the order of 5–10% per annum. In Asia, a loss of 5% of rice production amounts to approximately 30 million tonnes; enough rice to feed 180 million people for 12 months.

Gas hauling devices: Sensitive applications such as gas transfer are also disturbed by chewing of rubber gas tubing and pipelines. This has now compelled the pipeline and rubber tubing manufacturers to fabricate products, with anti- rodent properties, complying with government specifications. Timesonline, UK News, had reported a disastrous death of old lady due to gas explosion. Gnawing rodents were to blame for the death of an 80-year-old woman in a massive explosion that flattened her home. They had gnawed through her kitchen rubber pipes, causing a build-up of gas in the room.

Aircraft arrester systems: According to study by the Defense Research and Development Establishment, Gwalior, India; the aircraft arrester system remains in open ground all the time, since it is used on runways. It is damaged by rodents who by nature chew and cut materials and hence nylon tapes in open fields are susceptible to these rodent attacks. Fig. 2 shows a snapshot of the damage to the conveyor belts with and without rodent repellent properties published by the researchers in an article. The rodents consume more than 50% of the nylon belt without any rodent repellent additive.

Fig. 2: Degree of damage in tapes with and without rodent repellent property (Pigment & Resin Technology, 34/5, 2005, 270–274)

Automobile: Many of us have had trouble starting our cars in the morning as a rat or a vole had eaten through the cable. Complaints of car shut-downs and engine damage are extensive and prevalent globally. And to add to the dilemma, rodent damage is not covered under most auto insurance schemes.

Domestic appliances: LG, one of the leading home appliance manufacturers, has been trying to come up with new methods to prevent the cable and wiring of refrigerators from rodent attack. They have developed anti- rodent sleeves using ROHS compliant polymer additives for such measures.

Current methods and their drawbacks for rodent control:

Traditional chemicals used as rodenticides include organochlorine pesticides like Lindane and heavy metal based compounds such as Copper Naphthenate and Lead Naphthenate. These are used as additives in polymer industry during extrusion. However, these chemicals are not meant for use in polymer products due to following concerns:

• Human Health Hazard: These harmful rodenticide additives volatilize at polymer processing temperatures and release extremely fumes. Not only does this lead to an extensive loss of chemical during processing; but also poses fatal hazards to workers handling such products at the shop floor. A short term or an acute exposure to such toxins can cause brain damage, kidney damage and gastrointestinal distress while a long term or chronic exposure would mean adverse effects on kidney, blood pressure and central venous system of humans. Carcinogenic and mutagenic disorders have also been reported.
• Environmental issue: The use of such pesticides is also a serious environmental concern as they leach out from the polymer to enter the atmosphere and are later deposited by rain. They get carried into surface waters as well as ground water. Being fat-soluble such chemicals tend to accumulate through food chains, as is common with organochlorine pesticides.
• Regulatory norms: Most countries like Finland, Indonesia, Korea, Netherlands, New Zealand, Saint Lucia, Sweden, Australia, Austria, Cyprus, Norway and Sri Lanka have either banned or restricted the use of Lindane and other such poisonous pesticides. In India too, eminent government bodies like TEC, RDSO, etc have defined the antirodent test methodology to account for the non toxic nature of the additives, and to curb the use of hazardous chemicals by the polymer industry.

Thus, control over rodents in a safer, better and eco-friendlier manner is the need of the hour; in India and other parts of the world.

Non toxic and more efficient alternative:

Employing innovative masterbatch formulation techniques and focusing on environmental issues and safety norms that are the call for the day, polymer-specific masterbatch for effective rodent repellence is now possible. Combirepel™, a patented product by C-Tech Corporation, has been successful in keeping the rodents away from plastic articles in non hazardous manner. These are compatible with almost all polymers used for cable/ tubing/ sheets/ pipes applications. The product is made from natural oils and is free of any chemical toxins or heavy metals.

Combirepel™ does not kill but only repels the animal by making use of the sensory mechanisms. The product functions from a distance due to the foul smell which generates a typical fear response in the animal. Ferocious species are further deterred from biting by advanced mechanisms like dermal irritation, extremely bitter taste, sensory stimuli modification and henceforth conditioning of their response towards the Combirepel™ containing products. Thus, Combirepel™ actually helps in modifying animal behavior. Rodents being social animals also communicate the bad experience to their population in vicinity.

It is also available in lacquer and liquid form and can be easily coated onto an application to repel the rodents. The best part about this product is that it works on the mechanism of repellence and does not kill the target species. i.e. rodents, thus being in accordance with the need of the century, Sustainability and green chemistry.

Contact us at technical.marketing@ctechcorporation.com if you’re facing problems with rodents and get best remedies to combat the pest menace.

Also, visit our websites:

http://www.ctechcorporation.com/
http://www.rodrepel.com/
http://www.termirepel.com/
http://www.combirepel.com/

Follow our Facebook pages at:

1] https://www.facebook.com/Combirepel-411710912249274/
2] https://www.facebook.com/Termirepel-104225413091251/
3] https://www.facebook.com/Rodrepel-120734974768048/

Follow us on our Twitter pages at:

1] https://twitter.com/rodrepel
2] https://twitter.com/termirepel
3] https://twitter.com/combirepel

 

Aptly defined as the pain producing component, Nonivamide is a synthetic capsaicin belonging to the genus Capsicum.¹

Nonivamide is also called pelargonic acid vanillylamide or PAVA and is a capsaicinoid. It is present in chili peppers, but is commonly manufactured synthetically. The reddish brown, oily liquid obtained by extracting dried, ripe fruit of chili peppers is known as Oleoresin capsicum. More than 100 compounds have been identified in oleoresin capsicum, but capsaicin is the most pungent and particularly irritant component in many peppers comprising of 0.007% to 0.7% of dried mass. ²

2 most unfortunate myths associated with this synthetic capsaicin are discussed in this article.

MYTH #1:

“Nonivamide can be used to deter pests”

Capsaicin compound is sold popularly as mammalian pests, bird and insect deterrents. A common example is the use of ground-up or crushed dried chili pods in birdseed to deter squirrels, since birds are unaffected by capsaicin. However, these solutions may be a realistic option for commercial applications.

Although hot chili pepper extract is commonly used as a component of household and garden insect repellent formulas, extensive studies show that it is not clear that the capsaicinoid elements of the extract are responsible for any repellency. Even if the effects are seen, they are only temporary. ³

Infact, the matter of fact is that- Unlike many fruits, which have evolved to seed dispersal with the zoochory, the seeds of Capsicum plants are predominantly dispersed by birds themselves, in which capsaicin has an analgesic rather than irritant property! Chili pepper seeds consumed by birds pass through the digestive tract unharmed, whereas those consumed by mammals do not germinate at all.

Most of the pests possess evolutionary advantages: Birds & mammals do not have the same sensitivity to capsaicin anymore, because it targets a specific pain receptor which is now immune to the hotness. Chili peppers are eaten by birds living in the chili peppers’ natural range. The seeds of the peppers are distributed by the birds that drop the seeds while eating the pods, and the seeds pass through the digestive tract unharmed. This relationship may have promoted the evolution of the protective capsaicin. In the picture above, you can see a grey squirrel inside a chili ring of fire, eating the bird food.⁹

MYTH #2:

“Nonivamide is non- toxic and safe to humans”

Since capsaicin is universally used as self- defense and riot- control agent in form of pepper sprays, tear gas, etc, the notes and documents from various statutory bodies world- wide have been sadly misunderstood. In the summary report on Nonivamide by The European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products (Veterinary Medicines Evaluation Unit), a conclusion that Nonivamide has low oral toxicity and recommendation for use in topical treatment is given. Similarly, a Committee on Toxicology of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products & the Environment has given a statement on the use of PAVA as an incapacitant spray. The report concludes that the available information, both from the toxicity data in experimental studies, and experience in use, indicates that the low exposures arising from the use of PAVA incapacitant spray would not be expected to be associated with any significant adverse health effects.

Capsaicin is almost non- toxic, as also highlighted by these reports. But the glitch here is that in food/ pharma applications the dosage of Nonivamide is not more than 1%. Most of the self defense or pepper sprays contains not more than 0.32% of capsaicin. In large quantities, capsaicin can cause death.⁵ Symptoms of overdose include difficulty breathing, blue skin, and convulsions. Eye exposure produces intense tearing, pain, conjunctivitis and blepharospasm.⁷

Acute toxicity values:

The lethal dose (LD50 in mice) of capsaicin is 47.2 mg/kg. According to WHO Recommended Classification of Pesticides by Hazard, this compound falls in Class 1b (5- 50 mg/kg rat) meaning a “highly hazardous substance”. (Refer WHO classification in table along). The label for such a substance is shown here.

R- and S-Phrases:

R-phrases (short for Risk Phrases) are defined in Annex III of European Union Directive 67/548/EEC: Nature of special risks attributed to dangerous substances and preparations. The list was consolidated and republished in Directive 2001/59/EC, where translations into other EU languages may be found. R-phrases for Capsaicin are:

R25 Toxic if swallowed;

R36 Irritating to eyes:

R37 Irrigating to respiratory system;

R38 Irritating to skin;

R41 Risk of serious damage to eyes;

R42/43 May cause sensitization by inhalation and skin contact.⁵

 

S-phrases are defined in Annex IV of European Union Directive 67/548/EEC: Safety advice concerning dangerous substances and preparations. The list was consolidated and republished in Directive 2001/59/EC, where translations into other EU languages may be found. S- phrases for Capsaicin are:

S22 Do not breathe dust;

S26 In case of contact with eyes, rinse immediately with plenty of water and seek medical advice.

S28- After contact with skin, wash immediately with plenty of water;

S36/37/39 Wear suitable protective clothing, gloves and eye/face protection.

S45 In case of accident or if you feel unwell; seek medical advice immediately (show the label where possible).

 

DOT Classification:

CLASS 6.1: Poisonous material

Identification: Toxic solid, organic, n.o.s. (capsaicin) UNNA: 2811 PG: III

Case Study:

Human Voluteer Studies were carried out by exposing volunteers to PAVA by inhalation to study the effects on the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. The aerosol was generated using a nebulizer to provide respiratory particles. Ten healthy subjects and ten mild asthmatic subjects were exposed to a range of concentrations. It was noted that under operational use with concentrations as low as 1.3%, the subjects would be likely to be experiencing a high level of stress, and this could lead to clinically significant bronchospasm.⁸ 

Non- toxic and non- hazardous options in lieu of Nonivamide:

Unlike conventional rodenticides or termiticides, Rodrepel™® and Termirepel™® respectively “repel” the pests; and have been prepared by molecules simulated by advanced research which are completely non toxic to humans as well as other animals. They are completely free of insecticides, heavy metals or products such as copper or lead napthenates, lindane etc or chemicals- natural/synthetic found dangerous or harmful to humans or animals. The products do not migrate or leach out from the polymer to contaminate ground water resources. The active life of these products is 15- 40 years depending upon application.

To eradicate this problem we at C Tech Corporation have come up with a viable solution. We have come up with a product named Combirepel™.

Combirepel™ is an extremely low toxicity and extremely low hazard, and environmentally safe anti-rodent additive for master batches specially developed for a range of polymeric and coating applications including films, wires, and cables. It is also effective in case the target species is birds and other animals. It is compatible with nearly all polymeric bases such as PVC, LDPE, HDPE etc.

It is also available in lacquer and liquid form and can be easily coated onto an application to repel the rodents. The best part about this product is that it works on the mechanism of repellence and does not kill the target species. i.e. rodents, thus being in accordance with the need of the century, Sustainability and green chemistry.

Contact us at technical.marketing@ctechcorporation.com if you’re facing problems with rodents and get best remedies to combat the pest menace.

Also, visit our websites:

http://www.ctechcorporation.com/
http://www.rodrepel.com/
http://www.termirepel.com/
http://www.combirepel.com/

Follow our Facebook pages at:

1] https://www.facebook.com/Combirepel-411710912249274/
2] https://www.facebook.com/Termirepel-104225413091251/
3] https://www.facebook.com/Rodrepel-120734974768048/

Follow us on our Twitter pages at:

1] https://twitter.com/rodrepel
2] https://twitter.com/termirepel
3] https://twitter.com/combirepel

 

Forty percent of mammalian species are rodents. There are about 2,277 species of rodents. They are one of the most abundant creatures on this planet. Rodents are found in vast numbers on all continents except Antarctica, mhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Specieost islands, and in all habitats except oceans.  Nearly all rodents share the characteristic of dentition highly specialized for gnawing. This specialization gives rodents their name from the Latin, rodere, to gnaw. During gnawing, the incisors grind against each other, wearing away the softer dentine, leaving the enamel edge as the blade of a chisel. This ‘self-sharpening’ system is very effective and is one of the keys to the enormous success of rodents. They can survive in the worst possible conditions too. Their success is probably due to their small size, short breeding cycle, and ability to gnaw and eat a wide variety of foods. Rodents are important in many ecosystems because they reproduce rapidly, and can function as food sources for predators, mechanisms for seed dispersal, and disease vectors. Humans use rodents as a source of fur, as pets, as model organisms in animal testing, for food, and even for detecting land mines as they have an acute sense of smell. Also their success rates in such operations are nearly 100%. Due to the wide diversity of their characteristics, some of which are considered uncommon or unique amongst mammals, rodents are used widely in research.

But these creatures spread havoc in all areas of life owing to their continuous gnawing. Recently the damage incurred due to this has increased manifold .The most horrifying incident that has come to light recently is that of a little girl attacked by rats in her very home the place where children think they are the safest. Becky Evans of Daily News U.K reported on 7^th March, 2013 the hair rising tale of seven year old Francesca Williams who was bitten by a foot long rat while in her merry sleep. The rat bit the girl on her face and arms before she could even realize what had happened. The unprecedented incident left the girl traumatized to the point where she couldn’t sleep in her own bed for almost a week.

These rodents know no discrimination while selecting their targets. They can attack the common man as well as highly placed Govt. officials and politicians as was aptly proved in a recent attack. On 22^nd April, 2013 a news channel Soweton Live reported that at 100 Plein Street, one of the buildings in the parliamentary precinct, rats wreaked havoc as they chewed telephone wires and left even left droppings on an official’s desk. Neglecting up gradation of the building was believed to be the cause of the infection. Poison traps were promptly set up to counter the infestation. But the damage was already done.

Having said that rats are not the only rodents which are capable of causing damage. David Maccar on 12^th April, 2013   reported that an angler was killed by a Beaver a kind of rodent while on a fishing trip to Belarus. Beavers are the 2^nd largest rodents in the world. Beaver is basically a nocturnal semi-aquatic rodent having very powerful front teeth. Beavers have two distinct species the North American beaver (Castor Canadensis) (native to North America) and Eurasian beaver. The victim was bit by the rodent while trying to click its picture. The rodent bit him on the thigh severing an artery in the process which led to heavy blood loss and consequent death.

A new problem is emerging which needs our immediate attention. It is that of mutant rats. This has come to light as we see Iran struggling to treat its rat problem. The problem has reached epic proportions owing to mutant rats to the levels   that snipers are being deployed at night to kill the rats. Giant rats that have been flushed out of their nests by melting snow are the focus of a renewed extermination effort in the Iranian capital, according to several reports. Some of the rodents reportedly weigh as much as 11 pounds. The Iranian scientists postulate that a genetic mutation seems to have occurred in the rats owing to the chemicals and radiation that they have been exposed to earlier. Attempts to kill the earlier generations of these rats with toxic chemicals is believed to have triggered this mutation which would have normally taken millions of years to evolve and develop. The result has been catastrophic as these rats now weigh 5-6 kilos instead of the earlier 60gm thus making it more difficult to capture them by the conventional means. Although some scientists   express disbelief regarding the existence of these mutated   rats they all seem to agree on the fact that some rats species have become resistant to traditional poisons. In 2012, a researchers in Britain published findings that estimated 75 percent of rats in West England were resistant to rodenticide.

Thus   we have seen those rodents true to the title are perpetuators of misery and suffering worldwide. Also increasing number of species are becoming resistant to the traditional poisons. Thus the time has come to develop an out of the box approach and find new innovative ways of handling the rodent menace.

To eradicate this problem we at C Tech Corporation have come up with a viable solution. We have come up with a product named Combirepel™.

Combirepel™ is an extremely low toxicity and extremely low hazard, and environmentally safe anti-rodent additive for master batches specially developed for a range of polymeric and coating applications including films, wires, and cables. It is also effective in case the target species is birds and other animals. It is compatible with nearly all polymeric bases such as PVC, LDPE, HDPE etc.

It is also available in lacquer and liquid form and can be easily coated onto an application to repel the rodents. The best part about this product is that it works on the mechanism of repellence and does not kill the target species. i.e. rodents, thus being in accordance with the need of the century, Sustainability and green chemistry.

Contact us at technical.marketing@ctechcorporation.com if you’re facing problems with rodents and get best remedies to combat the pest menace.

Also, visit our websites:

http://www.ctechcorporation.com/
http://www.rodrepel.com/
http://www.termirepel.com/
http://www.combirepel.com/

Follow our Facebook pages at:

1] https://www.facebook.com/Combirepel-411710912249274/
2] https://www.facebook.com/Termirepel-104225413091251/
3] https://www.facebook.com/Rodrepel-120734974768048/

Follow us on our Twitter pages at:

1] https://twitter.com/rodrepel
2] https://twitter.com/termirepel
3] https://twitter.com/combirepel

 

The Issue:

No rosy introductions, no sneak previews, lets do straight talk!

Rodents adversely affect humans in three main ways:

1. They eat agricultural crops in the field;
2. They eat, spoil and contaminate stored food; and
3. They carry diseases of humans and their livestock.

In the Asia–Pacific region, rodents are one of the most peril constraints to agricultural production. This region contains two-thirds of the World’s poor—approximately­­ 800 million people in 2001 and the majority of these people live in rural areas. Management of rodent pests in agricultural regions is therefore a high priority for reducing poverty.

More than 90% of the world’s rice is produced and consumed in Asia, with rice producing 35–60% of the total food energy for the three billion people living in the region (Khush 1993). The pre-harvest impact of rodent pests on rice-based agricultural systems in 11 Asian countries: Bangladesh, Cambodia, People’s Republic of China, India, Indonesia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam causes chronic losses to production in the order of 5–10% per annum. Today, it is not unusual for small-holder rice farmers to report chronic yield losses of 20–30% per annum, rising to 50% or even total crop loss in certain seasons. In Asia, a loss of 5% of rice production amounts to approximately 30 million tonnes; enough rice to feed 180 million people for 12 months! Postharvest losses are probably of a similar magnitude to pre- harvest losses. (Gary Singleton)

In India, losses of grain to rodents are estimated to be 25-30% postharvest at a cost of at least US$5 billion annually in stored food and seed grain (FAO 1999). Another author claims that this could be a conservative figure, based on estimates that there are in excess of 2.5 billion rats in India and each one potentially could cause US$10–15 billion in damages each year (Hart 2001). Postharvest damage by rodents includes direct consumption of stored grain and contamination by rodent excrements, parasites, and corpses and damage to containers (e.g., jute bags in India particularly). Also, in Indonesia, Suharno (1987) reported that rodent gnawing was the cause of treatment failures for insect pests, and increased treatment costs in bag stacks sealed under plastic enclosures after disinfestations with carbon dioxide.

There are 60+ rodent-borne diseases reported to affect humans (Gratz 1996). The foremost diseases for concern within the rice-growing agricultural zones

• Leptospirosis (6,000 cases in Thailand in year 2000 with 320 deaths; A. Payakaphanta, pers. commun.);
• The arena- and hantaviruses that cause haemorrhagic diseases (Mills 1999);
• The plague (Yersinia pestis); rat typhus (Rickettsia ); and
• Neuro-angiastrongyliasis (Prociv et al 2000).

The proposed solution:

The bad

Human ingenuity has come up with different ways of catching rodents. Many groups of people have developed specific traps and snares that either kill or capture any rodent that ventures too close. Four main kinds of traps are: single-capture live-traps, single-capture kill-traps and snares, multiple-capture live-traps & pitfall traps. With rodent population being as high as 10 per sq m. in some areas, this does not seem to be a feasible option. Additionally, the disposal of trapped rat in timely manner would be a humongous task.

The ugly

Poisoned baits and spray pesticides are used extensively in many parts of the world. It has been estimated that approximately 95% of all rodenticides used are anticoagulant baits. Not only are these baits easy to use and readily accessible over the counter, they are extremely effective in killing rodents and other pests. However, they also are lethal to non-target species, including human besides domestic dogs and cats of course! These are mainly based on inorganic compounds which are not metabolized but are directly absorbed, distributed and excreted. Most of them have adverse effects on mutagenicity, teratogenicity and reproduction of humans. The table following this article, compiled by Dr. Gary Singleton based on personal visits to rice fields will demonstrate the gravity of situation in various Asian countries. Currently only toxic rodenticides are used which should be curbed as early as possible.The

Conclusion:
Rodents cause tremendous economic hardship to Asian smallholder farmers, yet solutions for management can be simple and effective. Innovative non- toxic and eco- friendly options need to be encouraged to enter the fascinating secret world of rats and work closely with farmers to assist them in their struggle against the hardships caused by rodents.

 

Country	National Government priority	Farmer priority	Lead Government Agency	Current Control by Farmers (government recommendation)
Bangladesh	High	High	BRRI, BARI (and NGOs)	Reactive use of rodenticides; fumigation burrows; traps (rodenticides-no clear operational national policy)
Cambodia	Moderate	High in regions	CARDI, AEC	Community rat hunts; digging; reactive use of regions poison (ZnPh of variable quality) (reactive provision of bounties and ZnPh)
China PR	Moderate	??	Various	Reactive use of acute and chronic rodenticides (chronic rodenticides)
India	Very High in regions	High	AICRRP, funded by IRC, ICAR	Bunds–low growth; trapping; reactive use of rodenticides in mass-scale control programs (rodenticides: surveillance then pulse application; fumigation)
Indonesia	Very High	Very High	CRIFIC: RIR, DFCP	Reactive use of poisons; fumigation (sulfur); hunting; bunds – low growth (except main channels); CTBS; bounty (EBRM: CTBS; bunds–low growth; synchronous crops; etc.)
Lao PDR	High in Uplands	High in Uplands	NAFRI, Provincial Dept. Agric	Bounties; hunting; digging; reactive use of poison (ZnPh; unknown Chinese) (no government recommendations formulated)
Malaysia	Low	Patchy	MARDI, Dept. Agric	Reactive use of acute poison (ZnPh); anticoagulants (use anticoagulant weekly for 8 wk after planting crop; barn owls as predator)
Myanmar	High	High	MAS	Reactive use of poisons; hunting; digging
Philippines	Low	High	PhilRice, BPI, RCPC, NCPC	Reactive use of acute poison (ZnPh); seasonal NCPC rat drives (postharvest); digging; bunds–low growth (sustainable baiting using anticoagulant after planting crop)
Thailand	Moderate (High for health)	??	DOA- AZRG, DOAE- PPS	Reactive use of acute poison (ZnPh); digging; hunting (strategic use of chronic [or acute] poisons; pit traps)
Vietnam	Very High	Very High	MARD: IAS- South, NIP- North, MARD- PPD and sub- PPDs	Bounties; reactive use of poisons (ZnPh; unknown Chinese; BioRat; anticoagulant); plastic fences; CTBS (BioRat; cat as predator (developing CTBS/EBRM principles))

To eradicate this problem we at C Tech Corporation have come up with a viable solution. We have come up with a product named Combirepel™.

Combirepel™ is an extremely low toxicity and extremely low hazard, and environmentally safe anti-rodent additive for master batches specially developed for a range of polymeric and coating applications including films, wires, and cables. It is also effective in case the target species is birds and other animals. It is compatible with nearly all polymeric bases such as PVC, LDPE, HDPE etc.

It is also available in lacquer and liquid form and can be easily coated onto an application to repel the rodents. The best part about this product is that it works on the mechanism of repellence and does not kill the target species. i.e. rodents, thus being in accordance with the need of the century, Sustainability and green chemistry.

Contact us at technical.marketing@ctechcorporation.com if you’re facing problems with rodents and get best remedies to combat the pest menace.

Also, visit our websites:

http://www.ctechcorporation.com/
http://www.rodrepel.com/
http://www.termirepel.com/
http://www.combirepel.com/

Follow our Facebook pages at:

1] https://www.facebook.com/Combirepel-411710912249274/
2] https://www.facebook.com/Termirepel-104225413091251/
3] https://www.facebook.com/Rodrepel-120734974768048/

Follow us on our Twitter pages at:

1] https://twitter.com/rodrepel
2] https://twitter.com/termirepel
3] https://twitter.com/combirepel

 

Squirrels belong to a large family of small or medium-sized rodents called the Sciuridae. The family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels, chipmunks, marmots(including woodchucks), flying squirrels, and prairie dogs. Squirrels are indigenous to the Americas, Eurasia, and Africa, and have been introduced to Australia. They are generally small animals, ranging in size from the African pygmy squirrel at 7–10 cm (2.8–3.9 in) in length and just 10 g (0.35 oz) in weight, to the Alpine marmot which is 53–73 cm (21–29 in) long and weighs from 5 to 8 kg (11 to 18 lb). Squirrels live in almost every habitat from tropical rainforest to semi-arid desert, avoiding only the high Polar Regions and the driest of the deserts. Squirrels cannot digest cellulose and have to rely on foods containing proteins and fats. As their large eyes indicate, squirrels generally have an excellent sense of vision, which is especially important for tree-dwelling species. They also have very versatile and sturdy claws for grasping and climbing. Many also have a good sense of touch, with vibrissae on their heads and limbs. The teeth of squirrels follow the typical rodent pattern, with large gnawing incisors that grow throughout life, and grinding cheek teeth set back behind a wide gap. In one year’s time, a squirrel’s incisors can grow up to six inches. Ground-dwelling species are generally social animals, often living in well-developed colonies. The living squirrels are divided into five subfamilies, with about 58 genera and some 285 species. The Indian palm squirrel is the most common type of squirrel found in India. Squirrels are generally inquisitive and persistent animals.

As mentioned earlier they have the characteristic trait of rodents that is they have ever-growing incisors which compels them to chew on anything. Optical fibers have revolutionized modern day communication including cable T.V and internet. These optical fiber cables can be damaged seriously by gnawing rodents. In August 2011, The Atlantic reported the spokesperson of Level 3 communication, a fiber network company with 84,000 miles of cable to having incurred losses to the level of 17% due to damage done by squirrels. These rodents chew on the fiber optic cables thus damaging them. Another cable company Time Warner Cables recently reported that they suffer heavy damage to fiber optic cables owing to squirrels as they chew through the lines. When this occurs the fiber optic cable’s protection is lost and they become susceptible to rain and other natural elements.”Squirrel chews” had compelled them to replace 87 miles of cable during 2011 incurring losses in hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Squirrel’s knack of chewing into cables extends to coaxial cables too. There have been reports of sudden long cable outages owing to chewing by squirrels. Carra Higgins of The Inter-Mountain reported that there were sudden outages in the Rich Mountain area owing to squirrel gnawing in certain portions of the cable. The cable company spokesman was quoted as saying that squirrels climbed on telephone wires to access the cable lines. These coaxial cables were typically coated with aluminum which fell prey to the squirrels. These ubiquitous, furry buzz saws are most likely damaging aerial cable plant in worldwide settings, increasing maintenance expenses and reducing the productivity of technical operations groups. Service outages caused by squirrels can also adversely affect the image of service providers, possibly reducing revenue growth.

Various methods are being traditionally used to tackle this problem. One of the methods being used is the use of barriers which partially or completely surround the outside of the cable. Barriers outside the cable are typically designed to prevent a rodent’s jaws from opening wide enough for it to chew the barrier thus effectively protecting the cable inside. These barriers can be used in aerial applications. But they have a lot of constraints. The use of physical barriers increases the material cost as well as the cost of deploying the cables. The greater the size and weight of the cable the greater is the wind and ice loading. It is thus uneconomical to use them.

Another method being used to protect cables from squirrels is the use of Rodenticides which are by all means toxins. The use of these rodenticides is strongly discouraged due to their ramifications on the environment and the food chain. These rodenticides essentially contain toxic substances which have a high vapor pressure and they, therefore, enter the environment easily. Also as these rodenticides are designed to kill the toxins enter the food chain via any animal who feeds on the dead squirrel.

Better alternatives need to be found out to protect the cables from squirrels and other rodents alike. The salient features being not to kill but to generate a repellant response in the target species. Rodrepel fits the profile perfectly as it is non-toxic, non-hazardous, environmentally friendly rodent repellant.

We, at C Tech Corporation have come up with the right solution for this. It is known asCombirepel™.  Combirepel™ is a niche product which is a rodent aversive. The difference between this product and other rodenticides is that it is an extremely low toxicity and extremely low hazard and eco-friendly. It works on the mechanism of repellence and does not kill the target species but only repels them.

Using this eco-friendly product will definitely help reduce the rodent menace.

The product is compliant with ROHS, ROHS2, ISO, REACH, APVMA, NEA, EU-BPR, and FIFRA exempted.

Contact us at technical.marketing@ctechcorporation.com if you’re facing problems with rodents and get best remedies to combat the pest menace.

Also, visit our websites:

http://www.ctechcorporation.com/
http://www.rodrepel.com/
http://www.termirepel.com/
http://www.combirepel.com/

Follow our Facebook pages at:

1] https://www.facebook.com/Combirepel-411710912249274/
2] https://www.facebook.com/Termirepel-104225413091251/
3] https://www.facebook.com/Rodrepel-120734974768048/

Follow us on our Twitter pages at:

1] https://twitter.com/rodrepel
2] https://twitter.com/termirepel
3] https://twitter.com/combirepel