Springtime is a good opportunity to revisit your rodent management setup before the busy pest season kicks off.
Rodents are generally considered a winter pest in Australia, as the colder weather compels rats and mice to seek warmer harbourages in and around buildings. The comparative scarcity of naturally occurring food sources drives them to the often more abundant resources found in the urban environment.
As we enter the warmer months, traditionally the busiest time of year, pest managers can be forgiven for allowing rodent control to slip down their list of priorities, and to focus instead on the booming insect season. However, it is wise to think of rodents as a year-round pest, and to consider the effect of the changing seasons on rodent behaviour, their impact on your customers, and your approach to rodent management.
At commercial accounts, you may notice a reduction in rodent activity throughout the spring and summer. It’s vital that you don’t drop your guard whilst the pressure is low, and instead think proactively about managing future incursions.
Now is a great time to refresh the setup. Any bait stations that aren’t in the optimal location, such as those that are regularly flooded, should be repositioned whilst the pressure is low rather than waiting until activity occurs, to pre-emptively overcome the natural neophobia displayed by rats. A similar approach should be applied to any damaged bait stations, or those that are due to be upgraded.
It’s also wise to consider the impact of the season on bait choice. Most of the country is expected to experience higher than median rainfall through the spring, so mouldy rodent baits are likely to be commonplace. The higher temperatures also increase the likelihood of baits melting inside the stations. It’s quite likely that routine service visits will be scheduled at longer intervals during the warmer months, so it’s essential to select a bait that can be relied upon to perform in between visits.
Contrac Soft Bait from Bell Labs does not melt, and will not go mouldy, even if completely submerged in water. These properties, along with its palatability and the proven performance of its active ingredient bromadiolone, make it an ideal choice for spring rodent management programs.
