Ensystex offers a range of rodent control solutions including a number of innovative blocks and baits.
When controlling rodents, professional pest managers need to employ a range of methods. As one of the leaders in innovative rodent control solutions, Ensystex have brought several unique products to the market in the past two years, with more in the pipeline.
Ensystex regional director Steve Broadbent advised that, “Ensystex have a dual active rodenticide undergoing registration with the APVMA. This represents the first new technology in rodent baits for many years. This product also employs Fluo NP Technology, which helps overcome bait aversion.”
With this distinct pedigree, Ensystex provide professionals with a complete range of innovative, highly effective products including soft bait and block bait rodenticides, a monitoring bait, a secure range of lockable rodent stations, snap traps, Rat Out Rodent Repellent and the ground-breaking Goodnature Automatic Humane Rat and Mouse Trap; all backed up by in-field pest manager support programs.
The key to securing rodent feeding on baits is to use premium quality, high protein bait with aromatic attractants to draw the rodents to the bait. There is no benefit from using cheap baits which simply don’t have the drawing power required for effective control programs.
Mr Broadbent explained that, “Rodents have an area above the palate known as the diasma. This is like an air pocket that connects to the nasal passage. It is used by rodents to assess the quality of the feed before they consume it. They nibble a new food source and then pass air through the diasma and over the food. Rodents are ‘choosy’ feeders since they cannot vomit. This is why they use the diasma, they need to ensure they are eating a high-quality feed that won’t make them sick.
“Rodents may nibble on poor quality feeds, but they won’t invest the time to consume them and take a lethal dose, unless they are sure of the quality. This is also why Ensystex chose to develop Rodenthor Soft Bait and Rodenthor Block Bait with the active constituent brodifacoum.”
Brodifacoum is one of only two actives that can be considered a true singe-feed toxicant against all species of commensal rodents at all times (the other is flocoumafen). This is important, as professionals need to ensure they kill rodents with as little bait as possible. The high potency of the Rodenthor Baits also means that Ensystex can provide the products as either a 15g extruded wax block or a 15g soft bait sachet, ensuring that the bait goes further and minimising risks of non-target poisoning.
“Because this is more than enough to kill a rat or mouse, it means that bait placement works out to be more economical than using other leading products whose blocks are often 20- 25g. So with Rodenthor you get many more bait placements per container. And of course brodifacoum has always been by far the best active for mice.”
The use of a soft bait is strongly recommended as the first choice in any rodent management program. Rodenthor Soft Bait contains a moist pasta food base (made in Italy) with added proteins and aromatic attractants. It is the moist presentation that really performs, since rodents, especially mice, can get most of their water requirements from the bait. Soft baits are presented in a sachet like a tea bag and can still be placed on bait rods in rodent stations.
“Our research had shown that the palates of Australian rats and mice are surprisingly different to their international counterparts, which is why the formulations we sell here are exclusive to Australia.”
With the international pressure that exists over the use of second generation anti-coagulant rodenticides, professionals might also consider the use of monitor blocks in premises that are routinely baited to determine if rodents are present, rather than using an actual rodenticide.
“In many situations, rodenticide is placed even though there are no active rodents known to be present. They are there for maintenance purposes, or ‘just in case’. Monitoring blocks offer a non-toxic alternative in such situations, allowing professionals to offer a lower risk policy and better protect rodenticides for when they are really needed.
“Only when you detect rodent activity do you replace the non-toxic monitors with the toxic bait. Made of the same highly attractive food sources used for Rodenthor Block Bait with brodifacoum, these Rodenthor Monitor Blocks allow feeding to commence before the toxic bait blocks are provided. They are ideal for monitoring rodent activity in sensitive areas, in food industries, schools, hospitals, and in any place where, according to HACCP and IPM the use of poisonous baits must be reduced or avoided.”
Mr Broadbent added, “Another interesting new technology for professionals to consider is the use of a repellent such as Rodenthor Rat Out. This naturally repels rodents, allowing exclusion jobs to be done on the spot, and trapping and baiting programs to be improved. Rat Out incorporates two food-grade, non-toxic actives, garlic and white pepper. Trapping and baiting programs can be improved by using Rat Out to ‘herd’ the rodents towards the traps or bait stations.
“It is used to effectively block holes, cracks and crevices; stop travel on beams, sprinkler pipes, trees and other routes. It also deters rodents from eating wires, cables, and conduit pipes.
In high pressure areas it may need to be applied a couple of times to secure maximum effectiveness.”
