Research for more humane rodent management

How we will assess evidence

A promising method needs more than a claim that it works. We want to understand what changes for rodents, other animals, and the people responsible for managing them. Our assessment will consider:

• Control and harm together. Evidence of reduced rodent populations or damage, alongside the severity and duration of suffering and effects on other animals and ecosystems.
• The conditions behind a result. Where a method was studied, the species and farming conditions involved, and the prevention, monitoring, and other measures used with it.
• The strength of the evidence. How outcomes were measured, what they were compared with, and whether the findings support the claims being made.
• Practical requirements. The skills, time, cost, and ongoing support needed to achieve and sustain those outcomes.

We plan to make sources, dates, limitations, and gaps visible. Farmers’ and practitioners’ observations can help identify useful questions and practical constraints. We will distinguish those observations from evidence that a particular intervention caused an outcome, and revise our conclusions when better evidence warrants it.

Research in development

We have no study findings to publish yet. As our work develops, this page will bring together findings, methods, and limitations so readers can assess what the evidence supports.

Farmer experience study

We are designing a survey for farms of all types and locations to understand current practices, reported outcomes, and gaps in support. The survey is not open yet. Its findings will help shape our priorities; they will not, on their own, establish how well a management method works.

Evidence for marketplace recommendations

We are developing an approach to assessing management options alongside local agricultural, ecological, and regulatory information. Recommendations will need to show both why an option may fit a setting and where the evidence remains uncertain.

Help strengthen the evidence

We welcome relevant studies, datasets, and experience that could inform this work, including findings that challenge an approach we are considering. Please share the source, the setting it concerns, and any limitations we should understand.