By Shadi Indary, Farah Kamaleddine and Luwieke Bosma
A recap: LOCAL-STEP in the field
Sustainable agriculture is advancing in the Shouf district in Lebanon. Through the LOCAL-STEP project, farmers and local communities are exploring Ecologically Based Rodent Management (EBRM) as a collective approach to reducing crop damage driven by rodents.
The unexpected catch: meet the shrew
Three Communities of Practice (CoP) are now practicing a toolkit of EBRM methods under the LOCAL-STEP project, namely in Barouk, Bater and Wadi Bnahleh villages. For the two latest villages, this is their second year of practicing EBRM, with trapping emerging as one of the most effective non-chemical control methods. Deploying live traps has made farmers more familiar with the local rodent species, which they are now able to distinguish well. However, there is an appearance that is new to farmers: the shrew. A non-target species, belonging to the Sorex and Crocidura genera (Soricidea Family; Order: Eulipotyphla), and therefore taxonomically different from rodents, which are classified under the order Rodentia.
Although shrews resemble rodents at first glance, they possess distinct physical features: extremely small eyes, a long, pointed, highly mobile muzzle, and small ears nearly hidden within their fur. Shrews are voracious carnivores and insectivores that feed primarily on beetles, caterpillars, insect larvae, ants, crickets, and grasshoppers. They are thus an important species for ecosystem and orchard equilibrium, with the potential to keep other potential ‘pest species’ in check in farmlands. No species of shrews were documented causing damage to vegetables or fruits; on the contrary, they are victims of chemical residues used in farming as they bioaccumulate chemicals through their insectivorous diet within farmlands. Due to their exceptionally high metabolic rates, shrews must consume roughly 80% to over 200% of their body weight every single day. While generally solitary and aggressive, mothers of certain species can be seen moving with their offspring in a characteristic “caravan” formation. Litters can reach up to 10 in some species. Although capable of digging in loose soil, shrews frequently utilize existing rodent tunnel networks and navigate in the dark using rudimentary echolocation.
Understanding EBRM Rightfully
Because shrews remain largely unknown to farmers and the wider community, they are often mistakenly killed as pest rodents. Furthermore, shrews are attracted to chemical rodenticide baits, and when caught in live box traps, their hyperactive metabolism causes rapid stress and starvation, often leading to death within just a few hours.
Contrary to the chemical rodenticide use, EBRM is a deliberate, knowledge-based approach that combines understanding of the local ecosystem, identification of target species, monitoring, appropriate trapping methods and farmer involvement. Unlike the use of chemicals, the trapping approach used in EBRM can be selective, enabling non-target species to thrive in their ecosystems.
From “pest” to “helper”: what changed for farmers?
Fortunately, dedicated farmers in the EBRM Communities of Practice in Lebanon are learning to distinguish these beneficial insectivores from rodents and are releasing live-trapped individuals back into their fields. One notable farmer, Mr. Loqman Ghaith from the village of Bater (Shouf, Mount Lebanon), observed that after successfully controlling the rat population in his orchard, shrews became noticeably more abundant, a species he had never encountered on his land prior to rodent control efforts, or at least did not use to distinguish it previously.
Mr. Ghaith’s meticulous observation aligns perfectly with established ecological principles. Rats (Rattus spp.) are significantly larger and heavier than shrew species (Sorex or Crocidura spp.). When rats establish nesting and foraging territories, they display strong interference competition, actively excluding, chasing off, or killing smaller intruders like mice and shrews to secure burrows, space, and food resources. The removal of dominant rats triggers a “competitive release,” allowing the suppressed shrew population to expand and thrive in the newly available habitat.
Mr. Ghaith understood this very well from his own experience and field observations. He turned out to be a local champion in his village, actively communicating his knowledge and experience with other farmers in his village and the other two villages as well.
What the shrew teaches us
Without ever identifying the shrews through trapping, farmers would have never known of their existence and their valuable function in their ecosystems. It is through the shrews’ encounter that the farmers in Lebanon properly understood the EBRM approach. They understood that good pest management requires knowing your target and that keeping a good ecological balance is critical for the sustainability of their farms.
Watch farmers from Lebanon release the shrews back to their habitat in the video below.
