Sodium selenite as a new rodenticide

Rodents are the most destructive group of small mammalian pests considering the\udoverall damage that they cause by feeding and other activities, or as vectors of many disease\udagents. In practice, chemical rodenticides have been the most widespread and most effective\udmethod of control of commensal (Mus musculus, Rattus norvegicus and R. rattus) and most\udharmful field rodent pests (Apodemus sylvaticus, A. agrarius and Microtus arvalis).\udAfter anticoagulant and vitamin D3 rodenticides, which were introduced worldwide\udin the 1980s, no other chemical compound has had a comparable role as a rodenticide in\udpractice. In the past decade, commercial baits containing 0.1% sodium selenite have also\udbeen registered in Serbia in various formulations both for controlling rodents indoors and\udin the field.\udData on sodium selenite as a rodenticide have been scarce. The present paper surveys\udresearch data reported so far, analyzing and drawing conclusions regarding the validity and\udfeasibility of sodium selenite as a method of rodent control with reference to the available\udecotoxicological data