Getting Ready For Winter
By Duncan Bosomworth, NPTA Technical Manager
As I see the last load of feed beet being carted away from the fields around the village I live in it reminds me of the times I used to get ready for the expected increase in rat activity across the farms and other sites I looked after in recent years.
The leaves are almost gone from the trees, the weather is getting cold enough to produce a frost, so now is the time to think about making sure your customers sites are well protected against the last few rodents that are now forced to look for a winter food source and harbourage.
When carrying out pest control against rodents there is the requirement to use the least severe method to protect wildlife and the environment, I would consider giving extra protection to the most vulnerable sites first, bait uptake by rodents this time of year is prolific due to the fact that food sources are on the decline so you need to consider the risks when using AVKs on these sites.
So, whether it’s one last effort to remove potential harbourages, proof buildings or address any readily available sources of food now is the time to do it.
If you have a relatively low risk site then you might just consider using traps, if this is the case, make sure they are working correctly and baited with fresh attractants. If the site has seen activity in the past and you think there is a high potential of a repeat of last year’s activity, then you may decide to bait the site instead.
When doing this you want to consider using as little bait as possible to get the desired effect. You’re not dealing with an infestation so what ever you decide to put down it has to be cleared for “permanent baiting” so check the label before choosing your favourite rodenticide.
Target the most likely route onto each site and restrict your baits to these areas as this is the perfect way to reduce risks when using rodenticides by using less bait overall.
Another method I can recommend is to lower the amount you normally use in each individual station; lower levels of bait create a lower risk to wildlife and other factors in the environment.
Stick with multi-feed AVKs or Cholecalciferol baits where safe to do so as these offer a lower risk of death to non-target species through secondary poisoning.
If you are taking the Christmas period off, then a quick check on your traps and baits at your high-risk sites just before Christmas wouldn’t go amiss too, this also gives your customers a chance to offer a small reward for all the hard work you’ve done over the year too!
