Plant extract–based bait with combined toxic and antifertility properties against male bandicoot rats

The lesser bandicoot rat (Bandicota bengalensis) is a major pest and a carrier of diseases in Punjab, India. Chemical rodenticides are the commonly used control method, but they are neither ecofriendly nor effective in the long term as rodent populations quickly rebound. To achieve both immediate and sustained management, a neem seed extract–andrographolide (NSA) based bait was developed, demonstrating toxic and antifertility effects in male black rats. In this study, neem seed extract used in NSA bait was analysed, and its efficacy was tested against male bandicoot rats. Consumption patterns were analyzed and showed that deaths occurred across a wide range of consumption; some rats survived despite having a higher intake than those that died, suggesting individual variation. Consumption below a threshold was linked to mortality, whereas intake at or above it induced significant non-lethal antifertility effects. Histological analysis showed sperm abnormalities, reduced sex hormone levels, and pregnancy failure, confirming NSA bait’s combined toxic and antifertility effects, indicating its potential as an ecofriendly alternative for the management of B. bengalensis.