{"id":1043,"date":"2018-04-01T13:46:19","date_gmt":"2018-04-01T03:46:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ppmmagazine.com.au\/?p=1043"},"modified":"2022-10-12T16:03:19","modified_gmt":"2022-10-12T06:03:19","slug":"optimising-the-placement-of-rodent-baits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/professionalpestmanager.com\/nz\/rodent-control\/optimising-the-placement-of-rodent-baits\/","title":{"rendered":"OPTIMISING THE PLACEMENT OF RODENT BAITS"},"content":{"rendered":"

With rodent season underway, now is the ideal time for pest managers to pause and recap the \u2018three lines of defence\u2019 approach to rodent control.<\/em><\/p>\n

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Regardless of which rodent bait is used, it is the placement of the bait that will determine the effectiveness of the treatment. When developing a baiting strategy, a professional pest manager should always think of the \u2018three lines of defence\u2019 against rodents: the fenceline, the external perimeter of the building, and the building interior.<\/p>\n

It is imperative that the bait is placed in areas of high activity, or at the very least, as close as possible to rodent runways. Research has shown that no matter how attractive a bait, it is unusual for a rodent to move more than a few feet from its normal pathway. The most effective control option is to stop rodents at the fenceline. However, second generation anticoagulants baits are not registered for fenceline use, so when considering the possibility of fenceline baiting, products such as Rampage<\/a> should be considered instead.<\/p>\n

However, for a variety of access and safety reasons, it is not always possible to secure the fenceline of a property. In such cases, the pest manager should focus on the second line of defence: the building perimeter. As one of the most common rodent entry points into a building is the doorway, it is important to place bait on both the inside and outside of doorways.<\/p>\n

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Protecta Shield<\/a> from Bell Laboratories<\/a> is ideal for perimeter baiting as it can be attached to a permanent structure or staked to the ground<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Both rats and mice can, and will, climb to gain access to a building. During an inspection, be sure to check for rodent markings in elevated locations. If signs of rodent activity are detected, be prepared to secure baits and\/or traps in those areas.<\/p>\n

Once inside a building, bait placement will depend on whether the treatment is for rats or mice. They exhibit different travel habits; mice do not move far from their harbourage whereas rats, particularly roof rats, may travel significant distances. Rats will also jump to reach an attractive food source. It has been reported that some auditors do not accept bait stations fixed off of the ground. A few inches will not affect the uptake of bait but it might keep bait clear from water in a wash-down area, for example in commercial accounts. Pest managers should be prepared to argue for what they know is right!<\/p>\n

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Protecta Evo Circuit<\/a> from Bell Laboratories features false \u2018connectors\u2019 making it look like an electrical box, perfect for when discretion is needed<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Whether treating rats or mice, baits should be placed in secured, lockable, and tamper-resistant bait stations. Bait stations protect the bait from the environment \u2013\u00a0rainfall, dust, and wind can all reduce bait effectiveness \u2013\u00a0and also serve to protect non-targeted species. Good bait stations should be child-proof and dog-proof as well as prohibiting access by larger animals.<\/p>\n

Stations with secured bait appeal to rodent behaviour, as they provide asylum for rodents to eat in peace and out of apparent danger. Secured bait offers traceability, as pest managers can measure the quantity of bait being consumed and determine what is eating it. It is impossible to track what happens to unsecured bait, whether it be dragged and\/or dropped, returned to the nest, taken by a non-target creature, or simply moved. Bait stations also look professional, and can be customised to fit a client\u2019s needs.<\/p>\n

When using rodenticides, pest managers must read and understand the implications of the label for each rodenticide selected. Bait placements will be stipulated by the manufacturer and will vary somewhat from product to product. If there is any uncertainty about the placement or use of a particular rodenticide, it\u2019s useful to remember that \u2018the label is the law\u2019.<\/p>\n

More information on rats and mice<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

With rodent season underway, now is the ideal time for pest managers to pause and recap the \u2018three lines of defence\u2019 approach to rodent control.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":1045,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"With rodent season underway, now is the ideal time for pest managers to pause and recap the \u2018three lines of defence\u2019 approach to rodent control.","_seopress_robots_index":"","_gspb_post_css":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[355],"tags":[],"company":[143],"pest":[159,153,152],"pesticide":[169],"product-service":[191],"class_list":["post-1043","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-rodent-control","company-bell","pest-mice","pest-rats","pest-rodents","pesticide-rodenticides","product-service-baits","wpbf-post"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/professionalpestmanager.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1043","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/professionalpestmanager.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/professionalpestmanager.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/professionalpestmanager.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/professionalpestmanager.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1043"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/professionalpestmanager.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1043\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/professionalpestmanager.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1045"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/professionalpestmanager.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1043"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/professionalpestmanager.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1043"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/professionalpestmanager.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1043"},{"taxonomy":"company","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/professionalpestmanager.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/company?post=1043"},{"taxonomy":"pest","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/professionalpestmanager.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pest?post=1043"},{"taxonomy":"pesticide","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/professionalpestmanager.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pesticide?post=1043"},{"taxonomy":"product-service","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/professionalpestmanager.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product-service?post=1043"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}