Pest control chemical manufacturer Lodi UK has urged farmers to be aware of the damage rodents can cause to farm machinery.
Every farm’s post-harvest rodent control strategy should be to protect storage and machines from rodents, the company said.
Pest control specialist at the company, David Reece, said baiting both inside and outside storage with rodent control paste can control rodents in just seven days.
Farmers should seek to implement solutions like this, he said, before rodent damage to machinery becomes costly.
“Rodents will seek food, water and harbourage following harvest, often choosing sheds where machines are stored,” he said.
“An integrated pest management (IPM) strategy is essential to prevent rodents chewing through wires to access food or places to nest, and baiting where necessary should be carried out to prevent or tackle infestations.”
Reece warned that machinery stored with grain or grass still attached will attract rodents and should be cleaned thoroughly before being stored.
Cholecalciferol baits
Reece has recommended that farmers use cholecalciferol baits as rodents are becoming more and more resistant to the effect of bromadiolone and difenacoum.
Cholecalciferol baits, he said, can also be used both inside and outside which “enables farmers to bait in all areas of the farm and reduce the effect of rodenticides to non-target species such as wild birds or livestock”.
“Whilst a cholecalciferol bait is more expensive than multi-feed baits such as bromadiolone, it requires 50% less bait and, crucially for busy farms, far less time to achieve rodent control.
“There is also the issue of resistance to consider. There are significant areas of the UK affected by so called ‘super rats’ that have become resistant to the effect of bromadiolone and difenacoum.”
Therefore, Reese said using an alternative cholecalciferol bait will save the farmer both time and money whilst also helping control the spread of resistant rats.
