Pest Management Professional, August 2011
rodent management series PART 5 OF 6 Do You Need a Better A Scott Robbins Contributor Mousetrap s a result of the EPAs Rodenticide Risk Mitigation Decision which took effect in June deploying sound rodent trapping techniques and equipment is more important than ever for rodent management professionals This article the fifth installment in a six part rodent management series focuses on the pros and cons of snap traps the age old mouse trap Snap traps come in three basic styles the woodbase break back plastic easy set break back and plastic jaw type suffocating trap The wood base break back trap with the wide professional plastic trigger is the first choice of many PMPs because its economical and reliable The plastic easy set break back trap is ideal for wet environments eliminating concern about a wooden base warping or wire spring rusting It also works well in areas where the trigger is more likely to be jostled or disturbed The plastic easyset break back trap can be cleaned and reused as opposed to the wooden base that cant be sanitized in hygiene sensitive environments brought to you by Technicians should be trained to rotate trap types especially near the end of an infestation when captures of immature mice increase All three trap styles have benefits in certain situations when trapping rodents travelling on overhead surfaces such as trusses pipes and conduits but no snap trap works for all situations When employing multiple snap trap sets at floor level using an enclosure can be beneficial There are various cardboard enclosures in different shapes and sizes for mouse and rat snap traps Additionally there are plastic enclosures that anchor inside traps in place Metal enclosures help keep the wayward broom from setting off traps and provide a level of discretion and sanitation from captures Another area to deploy enclosures is in drop ceilings One well known restaurant chain devised its own set of pest management standards two years ago requiring rodent trap placements inside its drop ceilings However these traps are checked only monthly when no activity is present Imagine the decomposition of a rodent captured in such a trap above a hot kitchen and what it might leave behind on a ceiling tile Replacing a cardboard 32 August 2011 Pest Management Professional mypmp net
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