How can rats, mice, and other mammals damage crops and stored food?

Rats, mice, and other rodents cause significant agricultural and economic damage through several destructive behaviors. Their impact on food supplies and infrastructure includes:

• Crop Destruction: Rodents often damage crops directly in the field before they are even harvested.1
• Contamination: Stored food supplies are frequently contaminated by rodent waste, rendering them unsafe or unfit for consumption.1
• Structural Damage: These animals cause damage to objects and structures through constant gnawing. Additionally, their burrowing habits can compromise the integrity of water-impounding structures, leading to leaks.1
• Storage Vulnerability: Inadequate storage facilities, such as inefficient silos or grain elevators, leave cereal stocks highly vulnerable to rodent attacks, which can result in substantial losses of the total crop.2

While many rodents are beneficial to ecosystems or serve as important test animals in research, the species most closely associated with human habitats—such as the house mouse and rat—are responsible for these significant agricultural and economic burdens.1