農業鼠害，專指野鼠透過啃食、踐踏與排泄等行為造成農業經濟損失的現象。而政府治理鼠害問題，需有相應的政治、經濟與社會條件支撐，故研究鼠害防治既是見證農業發展的縮影，亦是觀察國家治理的窗口。臺灣環境適宜野鼠生存，理應長期深受鼠害困擾，但在日治時期以前卻鮮少鼠害治理的紀錄，這顯示鼠害治理的開端，與近代以來農業環境的變遷密不可分。本文認為，對鼠害防治進行分析，不僅可探究其內部的知識、技術、經驗與制度更迭，更可作為考察不同時期臺灣政治、經濟與社會變遷的例證。 日治時期的農事改良措施，意外打破了自然環境對野鼠的族群調節，使鼠害成為不容忽視的農業災害。為此，總督府轄下的研究機構開始對野鼠展開調查，並透過與糖廠合作共同開發防治對策。然而，受臺灣產業結構與殖民地處境影響，當時的防治重心卻高度偏重於蔗園。直至太平洋戰爭爆發，日本政府為因應糧食增產壓力，才首度以官方力量將防治推展至一般農地，並透過保甲系統與獎懲制度動員農民防治鼠害，為臺灣早期的防治知識與動員經驗奠定基礎。 戰後初期，面對政治、經濟與社會層面的農業增產需求，政府結合了日治時期的經驗與美方的技術資源，打造出一套行之有效的防治體系。然而，這套應急性質的體系過度依賴殺鼠靈這項關鍵技術，且其動員制度與組織架構亦存在侷限。隨著1970年代的經濟重心轉移，以保護農業經濟為基礎的防治動機逐漸衰退，使防治體系的存續面臨挑戰。不過，防治的推動驅力悄然由國家需求轉向民意政治，為陷入困境的體系爭取了延續的契機。 1980-2010年代，在臺灣農業持續衰退的情況下，鼠害防治的效益開始受到挑戰。然而，在民意政治與公衛防疫需求的雙重壓力下，政府持續主導防治工作長達數十年之久。值得注意的是，為克服殺鼠靈的抗藥性，官方引入第二代抗凝血型殺鼠劑，卻因此造成黑鳶等猛禽與野生動物二次中毒而大量死亡。在生態保育倡議與科學實證的推動下，這項橫跨世紀的防治工程於2018年宣告終止。綜觀百年歷程，鼠害防治從研究偏向、體系建構、延續與終結，皆深刻反映了政治、經濟與社會情勢的形塑作用。;Agricultural rat damage refers to crop losses caused by rats inhabiting farming environments through gnawing， trampling， and contamination. Since the implementation of rat control relies on specific political， economic， and social conditions， studying this issue serves not only as a microcosm of agricultural development but also as a window into state governance. Taiwan′s environment is highly suitable for field rats， meaning it should have historically suffered from severe rat damage. However， records of rat control prior to the Japanese colonial period are rare， indicating that the emergence of this issue is closely tied to the transformation of modern agricultural environments. This paper argues that analyzing rat control reveals not only the internal evolution of knowledge， technology， experience， and institutions but also serves as a case study for examining Taiwan′s political， economic， and social transformations across different periods. Agricultural improvement measures during the Japanese colonial period inadvertently disrupted the natural environmental regulation of field rat populations， turning rat damage into an agricultural disaster that could no longer be ignored. In response， research institutions under the Governor-General′s Office began investigating field rats and collaborating with sugar factories to develop control strategies. However， shaped by Taiwan′s industrial structure and colonial status， early control efforts heavily favored sugarcane fields. It was not until the outbreak of the Pacific War， driven by the pressure to increase food production， that the Japanese colonial government officially expanded control efforts to general farmlands. By mobilizing farmers through the Baojia system and reward-and-punishment mechanisms， the government laid the foundation for Taiwan′s early control knowledge and mobilization experience. In the early postwar period， facing political， economic， and social demands for increased agricultural production， the government integrated Japanese colonial experience with American technical resources to establish an effective control system. However， this emergency-oriented system relied excessively on the raticide Warfarin as a key technology， and its mobilization institutions and organizational structures had inherent limitations. With the shift in economic focus in the 1970s， the original motivation to protect the agricultural economy gradually waned， challenging the survival of the control system. Nevertheless， the driving force behind these control efforts quietly shifted from state needs to public opinion， providing the struggling system with an opportunity to continue. From the 1980s to the 2010s， against the backdrop of Taiwan′s continuous agricultural decline， the cost-effectiveness of rat control began to be challenged. Yet， under the dual pressures of public opinion and public health needs， the government continued to lead control efforts for decades. Notably， to overcome the rats′ resistance to Warfarin， authorities introduced second-generation anticoagulant raticides. This， however， resulted in mass deaths of black kites， other raptors， and wild animals due to secondary poisoning. Propelled by ecological conservation advocacy and scientific evidence， this century-spanning control project was officially terminated in 2018. Looking back over the past century， every phase of rat control—from its research bias and system construction to its continuation and termination—profoundly reflects the shaping power of political， economic， and social circumstances.
