ANIMAL MANAGEMENT
Get on top of rodent control this autumn Rodents spoil food, spread disease and cause damage by fouling and gnawing. Although rodents become more visible and annoying in autumn when their numbers are high and they’re looking for new homes to escape the winter, sensible rodent control involves year-round preventative action to keep populations in check.
Rat Café, Pestoff Departure Lounge or
Rats and mice prefer fresh, high quality foods and will reject spoiled or unpalatable foods when given a choice, so bait selection is important. The Pestoff Rodent Block bait uses a cereal base with brodifacoum as the active ingredient. The chocolate lure is very effective – a single feed can become a lethal dose.
each station. Another new addition
For successful rodent control it is best practice to use either the Pestoff Dead
Pestoff Dirty Rat Motel to secure bait, protect non-target species from the
| The Dead Rat Café now features four hoops for securing double the number of rodent blocks.
bait and keep bait dry and fresh. The Pestoff Dead Rat Café can be used either indoors or outside, pegged/ nailed or screwed down and now has four wire hoops instead of two which means you can now double the amount of secured Pestoff Rodent Blocks in to the range is the Pestoff Dead End which is a clever non return trap system via ramp for mice. For further information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store. Article supplied by Bell Booth
Tips for successful control • Do not handle bait with bare hands as rodents are suspicious of human scent and may avoid baits that have been touched. • Ensure rodents do not have access to alternative foods such as stock feed, rubbish or human food scraps. • Maintain fresh baits by checking and replacing them every 2 to 3 days initially and later, every week or two. • Be particularly vigilant during autumn when the first cold and wet weather arrives as this usually drives rodents indoors to find shelter and food. • To protect non-target animals from secondary poisoning, collect any dead rodent bodies and burn or bury them. Spoiled or unwanted bait should be disposed of in a similar manner. • Where infestation is heavy and localised use up to five bait stations per 100 square metres (10m x 10m) and in areas where infestation is light and extensive use one Pestoff Dead Rat Cafe per 100 square metres. • Make sure bait stations are attached with screws or double-sided tape to the floor or wall. Remember rodents are creatures of habit. They follow well defined tracks or paths between their feeding, drinking and living areas.
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