Rodent Control Record Book ON FARM REPORT MANUAL Farm Name: Date: Produced in partnership with FarmTrain Enabling the most effective solutions to your pest problems.
Developing an Integrated Rodent Strategy This book has been designed to help you plan and organise your rodent control procedures whilst keeping a record of your activities. Good record-keeping is important if you are to: Comply with food and farm quality assurance schemes. Apply the appropriate treatment to the given situation. Ensure the most effective bait point siting. Maintain consistent bait replenishment. Monitor the success of treatments. Demonstrate sufficient wildlife responsibility. Any good rodent control plan should constantly go through 3 stages: Preventative, Non Chemical solutions and Baiting. By eliminating key rat and mouse necessities such as food and harbourage and constantly searching for rodent activity your control strategy becomes easier to manage and makes infestations more preventable. Monitoring and Recording Preventative Non-Chemical Baiting Monitoring and Recording Habitat Management Eliminate and Reduce Opportunity Food Harbourage Aim to PREVENT activity in the first place. Frequently Monitor Look for signs of activity: Sightings Droppings Damage Tracks This useful cycle of eliminating opportunities and frequent monitoring will reduce the potential impact of a rodent infestation on your farm. Being vigilant to the signs that rodents are present, as well as minimising the chances they have to access food and shelter, will help prevent rodents from settling in to the habitat. If during monitoring you do spot signs of rodent activity, analyse the location and decide on the best course of treatment for an eradication campaign. Be sure not to significantly modify the site before your treatment begins, for example removing rodent harbourage, as this will disturb the infestation making control more difficult to achieve. 2
ERADICATION CAMPAIGN If an infestation has been identified, consider and eliminate the different control options available, taking care not to adversely affect the surrounding environment and non-target species. PREVENTATIVE Hygiene Issues - Minimise rodent access to alternative food sources Store grain and feed in secure areas behind closed doors. Block up any obvious rodent access points. Fit metal strips to the base of gnawed wooden doors. Clear-up all spilled grain and feed. Readily-available alternative food access can seriously restrict bait uptake. NON-CHEMICAL Traps are an important part of an Integrated Rodent Strategy and they come in different shapes, sizes, and types. They can also be used to help to identify the pest problem and for quick knock down of populations or problem rats and mice. Please always refer to user guidelines for the use and checking of traps. Non Toxic monitoring baits - for use to identify hotspots, re-invasion and presence of rats or mice without using chemical baits. Non toxic baits can be used in everyday baiting to immediately identify activity so they can then be substituted with a chemical bait for your eradication campaign. BAITING 1st Generation baits (for rats) Acutes (for mice) Gassing (for rats) away from buildings Second Generation Anticoagulants (SGARs) - (for rats and mice) in and around buildings Place baiting points whenever you spot signs of rodent activity Along rat runs beside walls between living and feeding areas. Where tell-tale droppings, gnawing, footprints, smears are evident. In holes and burrows. Extending beyond obvious hot spots to ensure full farmstead control. The more the better, especially with mouse infestations. To overcome rat neophobia site baiting points several days before putting out the bait. Replenish Neosorexa and Sorexa baits regularly Inspect bait points every day for the first 3 or 4 days. Then check every 3-4 days. Replenish all eaten bait on every occasion. Where bait remains untouched after a week re-site the point. Maintain baiting until all signs of consumption and activity have ceased. Clear-up and dispose of all uneaten bait and any dead rodents after treatment. Campaigns should last no longer than 35 days. Because rodents may need several feeds to acquire a lethal dose of difenacoum, baits need to be continuously available in sufficient quantity. See product labels for details. Provide Storm flocoumafen baits in strict weekly pulses Only use indoors. Inspect bait points 3, 7 and 14 days after initial treatment. Replenish all eaten bait on each occasion. Where bait remains untouched resite the point. Clear-up all uneaten bait and any dead rodents after 21 days. Because rodents will consume a lethal dose of flocoumafen in a single feed, pulse baiting allows significant savings in both bait use and treatment time. See product labels for details. Eradicate activity quickly and efficiently. Remove all baits at the end of a campaign and search for bodies. 3
Responsible Farm Rodent Planning - Outside 1 Remove rubbish and clean-up site, to prevent areas for rats to live in and move around under. 2 Prevent rodent ingress under doors. Fix kicker plates, re-hang door or change the floor just keep them out!! 3 Cut back vegetation close to a building to remove cover for rodents to migrate from one place to another and around buildings. 4 All spilt food should be cleaned up immediately it occurs. This is an alternative food source to your rodenticides and will effect how quickly you get bait take and therefore control. 5 Burrow bait where obvious active rat burrows appear. Use Neosorexa Gold or Neosorexa Bait Blocks directly into hole and then heal in soil to cover bait. Check bait daily. 6 Where evidence of rat activity is found use either Neosorexa Gold or a secureable product such as Neosorexa Pasta or Bait blocks. Always cover bait and protect from non target species. You may use suitable materials on site or the Roguard bait station or Wide Piper offer more secured bait points where necessary. 4
Responsible Farm Rodent Planning - Inside 1 Ensure all food rubbish is removed from site (for example: discarded boxes and containers, over spill from rubbish bins, discarded animal feed bags etc). 2 Spilt food and nesting material must be frequently removed to reduce possible activity becoming established. 3 For quick results start mouse control using snap traps. For 100% control the use of rodenticides may be required. 4 Signs such as heavy smear marks over the containers and bags, along with packaging damage on the cardboard boxes clearly show high mouse activity in the area. 5 Mouse droppings found on stored items should be cleared away to allow ongoing monitoring. 6 Where evidence of mouse activity is found place Sorexa D, Sorexa Gel or Storm baits in a secure baiting station and inspect in accordance with the product label. 5
Record Keeping And Due Diligence Bitte benutzen Sie für Ihre Skizze die folgenden Symbole: Gebäude Tür // Tor Tierhaltung Futterlager Wasser Area Key Bitte Bitte benutzen Building benutzen Sie Sie für Sie für Ihre für Door/Gate Ihre Skizze Skizze die die folgenden die folgenden Livestock Symbole: Symbole: Feed Gebäude Gebäude Tür Tür / Tür Tor / Tor / Tor Tierhaltung Tierhaltung Futterlager Futterlager storage Water Wetland Path Stack Wasser Wasser Feuchtgebiet Kanal ( straw / hay ) Stapel (Stroh // Heu) Rattenbau Köderstation tte benutzen Sie für Ihre Skizze die folgenden Symbole: Gebäude Tür / Tor Tierhaltung Futterlager Wasser Feuchtgebiet Feuchtgebiet Kanal Kanal Stapel Stapel (Stroh (Stroh / Heu) / / Heu) Rattenbau Rattenbau Köderstation Köderstation Rodent Key Rodent burrow uchtgebiet Kanal Stapel (Stroh / Heu) Rattenbau Bait station Köderstation Rat activity Mouse activity Rodent entry point Non-target activity Gebäude Gebäude Your Outdoor Farm Plan Bitte benutzen Bitte benutzen Sie für Sie Ihre für Skizze Ihre Skizze die folgenden die folgenden Symbole: Symbole: Tür / TorTür / Tor Tierhaltung Tierhaltung Futterlager Futterlager Wasser Wasser Feuchtgebiet Feuchtgebiet Kanal Kanal Stapel (Stroh Stapel /(Stroh Heu) / Heu) Rattenbau Rattenbau Köderstation Köderstation 6
Draw on here your outdoor and indoor areas for rodent control. Highlight key areas of activity and where you plan to use bait stations for your eradication campaign. Number your bait stations/traps on the diagram for the table overleaf. Also mark where any specific non-target species activity is seen and special care is needed. Your Indoor Plan 7
Rodent Eradication Campaign Name of responsible person(s): Campaign 1 Start Date: DD/MM/YYYY No. Location Product Pest Start Date Second Third Final 1 Barn Door Neosorexa Gold Rats 10/5/15 200g 15/10/15 100g 20/10/15 100g 25/10/15 0g Quantity
Campaign 2 Start Date: DD/MM/YYYY Name of responsible person(s): No. Location Product Pest Start Date Second Third Final Quantity 1 Barn Door Neosorexa Gold Rats 10/5/15 200g 15/10/15 100g 20/10/15 100g 25/10/15 0g
Campaign 3 Start Date: DD/MM/YYYY Name of responsible person(s): No. Location Product Pest Start Date Second Third Final Quantity 1 Barn Door Neosorexa Gold Rats 10/5/15 200g 15/10/15 100g 20/10/15 100g 25/10/15 0g
Campaign 4 Start Date: DD/MM/YYYY Name of responsible person(s): No. Location Product Pest Start Date Second Third Final Quantity 1 Barn Door Neosorexa Gold Rats 10/5/15 200g 15/10/15 100g 20/10/15 100g 25/10/15 0g
Campaign 5 Start Date: DD/MM/YYYY Name of responsible person(s): No. Location Product Pest Start Date Second Third Final Quantity 1 Barn Door Neosorexa Gold Rats 10/5/15 200g 15/10/15 100g 20/10/15 100g 25/10/15 0g
Campaign 6 Start Date: DD/MM/YYYY Name of responsible person(s): No. Location Product Pest Start Date Second Third Final Quantity 1 Barn Door Neosorexa Gold Rats 10/5/15 200g 15/10/15 100g 20/10/15 100g 25/10/15 0g
The Best Bait Choices For Your Eradication Campaign Neosorexa Gold The UK s No 1 rat and mouse bait with Fortec technology for increased bait consumption. The UK s No1 Rodenticide Multi-purpose, cut wheat bait for effective and consistent control Extremely palatable with Fortec technology for increased bait consumption A lethal dose consumed within just one day Proven superior performance to ordinary baits Available as loose bait or 100g sachets Containing difenacoum, Neosorexa Gold is the first rodent bait to use the patented Fortec technology. A mixture of foraging grain pellets and cut wheat means greater palatability and faster control of rats and mice. What is Fortec? A major advancement in rodenticide technology to aid modern rodent control. Fortec introduces a new approach to rat management, offering more rapid and reliable control by exploiting rats natural feeding behaviour. Touch Taste Sight Smell 14
Neosorexa Blocks The most reliable multi feed block bait for rat and mouse control. Provides the best balance of palatability and durability in a highly efficacious block. Neosorexa Pasta Bait The most reliable multi feed pasta bait for difficultto-control rats and mice. Provides a moist, rich bait in a highly palatable and attractive formulation. Sorexa D The ultimate canary seed bait for mouse control. Provides maximum uptake by mice in any situation. Sorexa Gel The preferred mouse gel bait for hard to reach areas. Provides targeted application of a specialist mouse formulation in sensitive environments. Storm Secure The fastest single feed, fixable block bait for indoor rat and mouse control. The Best Bait Stations Secure bait stations are an important way of minimising the risk of rodenticides to children, pets and other nontarget species. Designed with a clear understanding of natural rodent behaviour, Roguard bait stations do this while also minimising the extent to which bait boxes restrict the uptake of rodenticides by rats in particular. Use the Roguard Xtra for the greatest versatility Twin feeding chambers equally suited to any bait type or a rat trap. Sufficient space to accommodate more than one rat at a time. Strong and robust with tamper-resistant locks and multiple anchorage points. Use the Roguard Wide Piper for grain baiting simplicity Heavy duty, gravity-fed dispenser in a pipe form familiar to rats. Designed for all grain baits. Clear bait hopper allows rapid visual consumption check. 15
Association members in 2010. around their farm. In and around maize silage clamps In and around hay or straw stacks Around muck or slurry vstores In feed passages and feeding areas In and around concentrate storage areas In and around mill and mix areas 13% The Key Control Challenge 55% 44% 38% 31% Source of figure: National maize silage study conducted with members of the Maize Growers Association the silage to drink. where infestations are maize silage-based. Use biocides safely. Always read the label and product information before use. Further information from: Far less predictable rodent problems brought on by much more variable seasons coupled with growing food safety and farm assurance requirements make it vital to keep on top of rats and mice in and around grain stores from as soon after harvest as possible. Repairs to gutters, doors and floors will, however, help restrict access. Equally, removing rubbish and scrub for about a metre around grain stores removes local rat harbourages and discourages their approach. Bait containers are best sited down the outsides of buildings where rats tend to concentrate their travel and should be installed well before putting down the bait to help overcome their natural wariness of new things. Secure bait points should also be placed strategically inside stores to intercept both rats and mice. Large amounts of stored grain in highly accessible barns are a magnet for rats and mice. As their external food sources are depleted and once the disturbance of harvest subsides, rats increasingly come in from the With such a ready source of food on hand, it is vital to use an especially fields to forage in and around grain stores. palatable bait to ensure sufficiently early and complete uptake for rapid In contrast to rats which live in external burrows and only visit grain and effective control. stores to feed, mice establish colonies within the buildings themselves Since single feed rodenticides can t be used outdoors in the UK, and may never venture outside. the best external rat baiting options is Neosorexa Gold with patented Although they are responsible for 25% of all farm fires, grain contamination Fortec TM technology based on difenacoum-treated cut and whole wheat is the main risk from rodent infestations. Each rat produces around 15,000 respectively. droppings and 6 litres of urine a year. And mice typically produce around Both these advanced foraging grain formulations are proven to 30,000 droppings and a litre of urine per head per year. overcome bait shyness and stimulate enhanced levels of immediate intake With rodents known to carry a wide range of human and animal that can make the multi-feed rodenticide deadly in a day. diseases including cryptosporidiosis, toxoplasmosis, leptospirosis, They also have the advantage of familiarity to rodents feeding on grain. brucellosis and salmonellosis preventing such contamination is a food Specialist pasta, canary seed or gel baits based on difenacoum are and feed safety as much as quality essential. also recommended for indoor mouse control given the rodenticide s Rat infestation patterns, in particular, becoming as increasingly particular potency against mice. And where populations prove particularly unpredictable as the climate. Sometimes there is little, if any, evidence challenging single-feed Storm Secure blocks based on flocoumafen of activity. Then suddenly rats seem to be all over the place, posing can be a useful last resort although legislation means these can major problems. only be used inside secure buildings. In addition to this clear, climate-linked change, of course, rat and mouse With all multi-feed rodenticides it is vital to check and top-up bait numbers continue to be all too easy to seriously under-estimate until containers every two or three days until all signs of rodent activity cease. they reach very high levels simply because they feed almost exclusively Failing to provide sufficient bait over a long enough period for even the at night. least dominant individuals in a large population to consume a lethal dose is, after all, one of the most common reasons for poor control. Under these circumstances and with tighter food quality assurance And breeding rates mean populations can completely re-establish needs the traditional fire-brigade approach to rat and mouse control themselves in little more than a month even with 80% control, leading needs to be replaced with simple but well-planned routine programmes to a rapid resurgence of problems. that both exclude and eliminate rodents from grain storage areas. Reason to take Rodents Seriously 88% Take Control The Best Control Planning maize silage. adequately proofing most outdoor silos. up to them and around upper clamp shoulders. alternatives on offer to ensure sufficient intake. whole wheat respectively. Early control, with a cycle of baiting soon after harvest, is vital to stop rat and mouse populations getting established in and around grain stores. This will restrict rodent activity from the start, doing much to prevent the sudden winter upsurges that increasingly seem to characterise modern infestations. With rats being able to get through a hole the size of a man s thumb and mice through even smaller openings, total exclusion isn t practical on most farms. Not least with so many other demands on staff time. re-treatment important. Neosorexa Gold contains difenacoum. Neosorexa, Storm and Fortec Use biocides safely. Always read the label and product information before use. Further information from: BASF Plc - Professional and Specialty Solutions, TM are registered trademarks of BASF. The Best Rodenticide Practice PO Box 4, Earl Road, Cheadle Hulme, Cheadle, Cheshire, SK8 6QG, United Kingdom Tel: 0161 485 6222 Fax: 0161 485 1137 e-mail: pestinfo@basf.com www.pestcontrol.basf.co.uk NOTE 2 02003 - Advice Notes A4 ver2 Lft.indd 1 02/12/2014 16:02:14 Campaign for Responsible Rodenticide Use Always have a planned approach. Always read the label. Always record quantity of bait used and where it is placed. Always use enough baiting points. Always collect and dispose of rodent bodies. Never leave bait exposed to non-target animals and birds. Never fail to inspect bait regularly. Never leave bait down at the end of the treatment. BASF Supports Further Information and Support Visit www.pestcontrol.basf.co.uk/go/diytips for simple pest control knowhow. Content includes: Advice Notes on Rodent Baiting in Grain Stores, Rodent Baiting in Maize Silage, Milking Cluster Disinfection and Controlling Mice in Intensive Livestock Units. Storm User Guide. Baiting Record Book. Sorgene 5 User Guide - Disinfectant for livestock and general farm use. Best Practice Dairy Calving Hygiene Smart Guide. Rodenticide Decider to help you choose the right rodenticide for your specific situation. Online technical support: Think Rat Resource - to help plan control programmes to take the greatest advantage of natural rodent behaviour. Interactive Video Guides - to help save treatment time through the best control practice in a range of real life situations. Controlling Rats in Maize Silage Maize silage presents particular rat control challenges on many livestock farms. Indeed, over 80% of maize growers across England & Wales reported greater rat problems associated with their maize clamps than elsewhere on the farm in a national study conducted with Maize Growers Controlling Rats and Mice Around Grain Stores Planning and managing rodenticide baiting to take maximum advantage of the way rats are behaving is essential if effective control is to be achieved despite the unique challenge presented by Since the rats commonly live within the clamps themselves, the first essential has to be to intercept as many adults as possible before they take up residence and become far less accessible. At the same time, many more report encountering rats in and around their maize clamps than in other typical rodent hot spots This is particularly important given the near impossibility of In most seasons rats are already starting to move in from the fields in search of winter accommodation by the time maize silage is clamped in the late autumn. So sufficient baiting points should be incorporated in their immediate vicinity of the clamps and baited with rodenticides as soon as they are securely sheeted down. A generous number of baiting points need to be sited where rats commonly seek access along all silage faces, internal walls running Well-sited baiting points will, of course, also ensure the best winter long interception of rats as they leave the clamps in search of water which they are physiologically unable to obtain from feed alone. The particular appeal of maize silage as a foodstuff as well as accommodation makes it vital to employ the most arresting and attractive rodenticide bait. After all, if rats are only consuming small amounts of other feeds, baits need to be the most attractive Since single feed rodenticides can t be used outdoors in the UK, the The root of the challenge is made clear by the fact that two thirds best baiting options are Neosorexa Gold or Neokill Gold with their of those encountering rats in and around their maize silage actually patented Fortec technology based on difenacoum-treated cut and report them within the clamps. Here they find such a secure, relatively dry and energy rich environment that they often only need to leave Both these advanced foraging grain formulations are proven to overcome bait shyness and stimulate enhanced levels of immediate It is hardly surprising, therefore, that many livestock units can intake that make the multi-feed rodenticide deadly in a day. experience disappointing levels of control with rodenticide baits All maize clamp baiting points need to be well topped-up initially and whenever rats are seen around the farm. Unless refilled every two or Three quarters of those participating in the 2010 study, three days during treatment, bait levels can easily be depleted before indeed, pinpointed rats living inside the clamps as the main reason all the rats have had the chance to consume a lethal rodenticide for particular problems associated with maize silage, with two thirds dose. Equally, as a particularly attractive environment, maize silage finding that rats often prefer maize to their rodenticide baits. remains a magnet for re-infestation by other rat populations in the area once control has eliminated the competition, making regular Although suggested by a minority of growers in the study, rodenticide resistance is only likely to be an issue in the few distinct areas where it is already known to exist; especially so as the latest research shows Practical work with farmers across the country confirms that that Vitamin K levels far higher than those found in the richest of constant vigilance and the best possible rodenticide practice based known forage sources are required for any antidotal effect against the on a thorough understanding of rat behaviour is invariably more than most widely-used modern farm rodenticide, difenacoum. enough to keep even maize-based problems well under control. Where do you mainly encounter rat problems? BASF Plc - Professional and Specialty Solutions, The Best Rodenticide Practice PO Box 4, Earl Road, Cheadle Hulme, Cheadle, Cheshire, SK8 6QG, United Kingdom Tel: 0161 485 6222 Fax: 0161 485 1137 e-mail: pestinfo@basf.com www.pestcontrol.basf.co.uk ADVICE NOTE 1 02003 - Advice Notes A4 ver1 Lft.indd 1 02/12/2014 16:02:44 Storm Secure The fast single feed, fixable block bait for indoor rat and mouse control. The fast way to eliminate rodent infestations Delivers a lethal dose in a single feed Saves time and money in application Effective even against resistant strains Enabling the most effective solutions to your pest problems. USER GUIDE 02002 - BASF Storm User Guide UK A5 v2.indd 1 02/12/2014 15:50:11 ADVICE Advice Notes Storm Secure, Baiting Record Book and Sorgene 5 User Guide Produced in partnership with FarmTrain: www.farmtrain.co.uk info@farmtrain.co.uk 01453 300 300 Neosorexa, Sorexa, Storm, Fortec TM and Roguard are trademarks of BASF Neosorexa and Sorexa contain difenacoum. Storm contains flocoumafen. Use biocides safely. Always read the label and product information before use. Further information from: BASF Plc PO Box 4, Earl Road, Cheadle Hulme, Cheadle, Cheshire, SK8 6QG Tel: 0161 488 5355 Fax: 0161 485 1137 Email: pestinfo@basf.com www.pestcontrol.basf.co.uk