When are fumigants appropriate for controlling rodent populations?

Fumigants are appropriate for use in controlling rodent populations when dealing with rodents in their burrows, as well as in enclosed spaces such as railcars and ships. This is primarily because fumigants are designed to penetrate and disperse within confined areas, effectively targeting pests that are not readily accessible through other means, such as traps or poison baits.

Burrowing rodents can be particularly challenging to manage due to their underground habitats, making direct application of conventional control methods less effective. Fumigants can be deployed in a manner that allows the toxic gas to infiltrate these burrows, ensuring that the control agent reaches the rodents where they reside. Additionally, when applied in enclosed spaces like railcars and ships, fumigants can accumulate to lethal concentrations, ensuring effective eradication of the pests within those environments.

In contrast, the other contexts mentioned, such as open fields, urban residential areas, and surface gardens, present challenges for fumigant usage. For instance, in urban areas and open fields, there may be safety concerns related to nearby humans and non-target animals. Furthermore, surface-dwelling rodents in gardens are more easily managed with traps or bait rather than fumigants, which are less suited for situations where the ability