Predators
       
  What other animals destroy insect pests?  
  Identify and describe other important animals that destroy rice insect pests.  
     
Numerous animals are useful to destroy pests
  

Besides insects and spiders, various animals destroy insect pests. Birds, bats, and frogs visit the rice field and eat insect pests. In some places, ducks are intentionally herded into rice fields to control hoppers, black bugs, and golden apple snails.

Ducks can control hoppers, black bugs, and golden apple snails.

 
Using ducks to control hoppers
   Ducks also show a great potential for controlling brown planthoppers.

Reduction in brown planthopper Nilaparvata lugens density by ducklings (50) and adult ducks (25) herded into 100 square meter plots of rice at 38-43 days after transplanting, and feeding for 4 hours.
Treatment
 Brown planthopper density (no./4 hills)
Reduction in density (%)
Before herding
After herding
Difference
Ducklings
534
54
480
90
Adult ducks
459
63
396
86
Control
335
319
16
-

 
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