Step 15: "Of mice and men"

According to CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation), "it is not uncommon for families or villages in South-East Asia to lose more than 50 per cent of their crop to rats." We experienced during our first trial of rice plantation problems with mice and rats in the nursery and in the rice field.

In the nursery, we lost young seedlings after their not friendly visits.

The use of chinese model trap was efficient but not enough to protect the basins of seedlings. The most efficient bait was slice of wheat loaf bread: 5 rats in 4 nights.

We had to isolate the basins with sheets of metal and these two counter measures solved the problem in the nursery.

In the rice field we observed very fast destruction of rice estimated to 20% of the production. We decided to harvest 2 to 3 days in advance to limit the increasing of the destruction.

We decided to start a low cost rat control in the rice field to avoid, if possible, so big destruction in the future. According to rat specialists, March and September are the best months to capture the rats but it is necessary to catch 70% of the population to begin to have an effect on the level of destruction. So, no time to waste!

Our tested low-cost technique, coming from India, needs a pail, a strong plain wire, some cobs of mais and peanut butter.

First step is to locate the rats house near the banks of the rice fields.

Then we dig a hole to install a pail, opening at the level of the soil. The pail is filled 1/3 with water.

A cob of mais is drilled and must turn freely on the wire. The wire is bent 90° each side and driven in the soil. The cob is covered with peanut butter to attract the rat. The rats are supposed to fall in the bucket.

Replant around to give a more natural aspect.

 After two days, we catched only frogs! Some corn ears are also eaten probably by wise rats. The hunter must be patient...

Step 14: About insecticides...

The use of chemical insecticides is prohibited to natural farmer. But what about organic insecticides? These two words together means "we will kill insects but with an organic product which will be destroyed rapidly in the nature and it will not be toxic for the humans." As with any insecticide the problem is the "S" at the end of the word "insects". This short picture story will illustrate that other solutions are possible than directly use insecticide.

 Organic insecticides should be used only when all other solutions are inefficient or unknown.

  We planted a few month ago some Sesbania as windbreak. 

 Very soon, we observed that the leaves of Sesbania was the favorite food of a caterpillar, probably a Pieris sp, same family we can find eating the cabbage.

This caterpillar is exactly the same color as the leave of Sesbania and when it takes a rest on a leave it is not so easy to see it. Our first counter measure was hand-picking. Not so efficient as we can see on the picture of the tree!

But one day, we discovered a sort of golden shield bug, sucking directly the caterpillar. And now our Sesbania are recovering and new leaves appear. The predator controls the pest and kills only the pest, not all the insectS.

 The lessons of this are:

- The nature can solve any problem and there is always "something" to regulate any excess (we have to think about that regarding the species Homo sapiens...)

- If I used an insecticide, even organic, I killed the caterpillar and the bug. I bet that a few weeks after the caterpillar reappears but not the bug, because predators are less numerous than preys.

- Different scenarios are now possible, for example:

   #1 The bugs feed on caterpillars and multiply so much that the caterpillars disappear but soon after the bugs will also disappear (or find another prey).

   #2 The bugs are not enough and the caterpillars continue to feed on the Sesbania.

   #3 The caterpillars eat too much the Sesbania and desappear because no more food. The bugs disappear just after.

 In fact, if we do nothing to interfere with the nature, 3 sinusoidal curves of populations, - one for each actor, the Sesbania, the caterpillar and the bug - will establish and act as feedback for the 2 others: The Sesbania is growing and when there is enough leaves, the caterpillars have food (in fact the butterfly lays its eggs), can thrive and continue there own life cycle. With a little delay the bugs appear and control the population of caterpillars. If they are too much guzzler, they kill themselves!

 Always work with the nature, not again!