During which process do rodenticides penetrate the grooming behavior of rodents?

The correct response highlights a critical aspect of how rodenticides affect rodents through their natural behaviors. Rodents are known for their grooming behavior, which involves licking and cleaning their fur. During this grooming process, if rodenticides are present as dust or particles on their fur, the rodents inadvertently ingest these harmful substances.

Grooming leads to the ingestion of toxicants that may have settled on their fur from contaminated environments or surfaces, making this method particularly insidious. As they groom and clean themselves, they are directly consuming the rodenticides, which can lead to poisoning.

Other methods of potential exposure, such as inhaling dust or drinking contaminated water, do not directly involve the habitual behavior of grooming. While consuming poisoned bait can also lead to rodenticide ingestion, this is a more deliberate action by the rodents rather than a direct outcome of their grooming habits. Hence, the process through which rodenticides penetrate their system most effectively, in this case, is through their own grooming behavior.