NSW pest manager Jan Fisher explains why Talon rodenticide continues to be her team’s rodent bait of choice.
The challenges of rodent infestations for clients serviced by Haynes Pest Management (pictured above) at Tamworth, in the New England region of New South Wales, are normally solved with the use of a Talon rodenticide.
Haynes Pest Management Manager, Jan Fisher, said Talon XT Pro was used by the business as their major rodent product because of its effectiveness.
“Talon has always been our mainstay,” she said. “It is what we have kept using for many years. We are very happy with it.”
The business has been operating in the local area for more than eighteen years and services an area between 150 and 200 kilometres from Tamworth.
That area includes farms, grain storage facilities and other enterprises where issues with rats and mice are common.
Mrs Fisher said while the area hadn’t encountered a true mouse plague for a number of years, rodents were always about, and as winter approached, would often move into houses, sheds and other premises to escape the cold conditions.
“They are definitely on the increase at that time of year. They come in from the cold and into the roof voids. We then get phone calls from people reporting scuttling in the roof.”
Talon XT Pro blocks are used by Haynes Pest Management on the majority of rodent cases for commercial, industrial, rural and domestic clients.
Mrs Fisher said a key feature of the block is its durability, which meant it could be positioned in external as well as internal areas.
“It holds up extremely well to a variety of weather conditions. Some days it can get up to 45 degrees. I like the integrity of the block. It doesn’t break down or melt like some others.”
In areas where there is activity from humans, pets or livestock, Talon is placed in a lockable station that the rodents can access to enter and feed.
“It is very effective. I do like that they just need the single feed for the bait to be effective.”
She said the block was moulded with a centre hole that could be easily threaded with tie wire and then connected to beams and other objects along paths which mice and rats were known to travel.
This is a particularly good option in areas such as animal enclosures, shearing sheds, hay sheds and other rural structures.
In roof cavities the blocks are dispersed through the area to ensure the target pest could access the bait easily and be controlled quickly and effectively.
A key advantage of using Talon XT Pro was the ease of use and how quickly their technicians could lay the baits and move onto the next job.
Generally, the location is checked three weeks after the initial blocks are placed, although areas of high rodent activity will be checked again seven to ten days after baiting.
Most commercial and industrial areas are monitored for all pest types every six weeks to three months, with Talon used regularly to control any rats and mice that may enter the area.
Mrs Fisher said their clients liked the fact that it took just the one feed for Talon XT Pro to be effective.
She said this reduced the risk of third party poisoning with a smaller amount of poison actually being in the animal carcass and then transferred to a cat or dog that might choose to eat the rodent.
“We have a lot of confidence in the product. Third party poisoning is very rare.”
Talon XT Pro contains a human taste deterrent (bittering agent) and in the case of accidental ingestion, the antidote vitamin K1 is readily available. There is minimal risk to non-target animals and humans when placed in inaccessible areas.
While it is difficult to predict where the rodent population are coming from, the use of Talon XT Pro on the exterior of buildings has often helped to prevent pests from entering and damaging valuable assets.
She said the product was also quite economical to purchase. This was important for the profitability of their business, and the fact that it was so effective and robust meant they were not getting call backs from their clients.
It is also available in a square tub as opposed to a round container, which is easier for their technicians to fit into their vehicles.
Mrs Fisher said the business was focused on providing a good service to their clients and this included fielding a lot of advice calls from people who had issues with rodents.
She said they would often recommend Talon as an excellent option to homeowners wanting to treat the problem themselves.
“Our main focus is providing a good service.”