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Crop loss resulting from rodent damage is a big issue for the macadamia industry. In high pressure years, losses of up to 30 per cent of the crop, caused mainly by rats, have been recorded in Australian orchards. Research has shown that the rat (Rattus rattus) is responsible for more than 95 per cent of all rodent damage in orchards and that there is a complex interaction between rats and the orchard system. Controlling this pest means taking a strategic approach, as described in the article.