Pest Management Professional, September 2011

Ted Bruesch National Technical Support Manager Liphatech When a new rodenticide is introduced to the market you need to know how it compares to the products youre using It takes several days for anticoagulant rodenticides to kill a rodent During that time the rodent continues to feed on the rodenticide and travel throughout its territory As rodents travel they excrete undigested portions of the rodenticide Evidence from field testing various rodenticides shows a tendency for mice to prefer an excreted rodenticide in bait stations or on runways Rodents especially mice communicate a lot by scent When testing its important to note this factor to ensure objectivity by not using a previously deployed bait station for example Ideally a new product will be tested in an account that had no rodenticide usage previously However this isnt always practical To minimize the bias caused by the previously used product James Rodriguez Territory Manager J T Eaton Co Choosing the right rodent control equipment should be emphasized with new employees and veteran PMPs Using devices inappropriate for the environment could cost you in the long run With the additional challenge of the U S EPAs Risk Mitigation Decision you must continually re evaluate rodent control programs One device category commonly underrated in rodent control is the bait station Quite often a company selects a bait station used throughout the company on almost every account but a bait station should be selected based on the specific environment in which its placed to protect For example a plastic station that fails a kick test it opens after its front is kicked shouldnt be placed in high traffic areas or where dogs are present A metal station would be more appropriate for this environment If snakes snow or excessive moisture are present the common box type bait station isnt a good choice because it could hold water and is a perfect place for snakes to harbor A T style station would help keep out snakes and moisture elevated stations are designed for high moisture areas use new bait stations that dont have scent cues from other rodenticides compare the new product to another product not used previously at the test site or place bait stations in locations that didnt have bait stations before Additionally avoid introducing too many variables into a test by comparing the new product to a competitive product in a given bait station In heavily infested areas with minimal competing food you might have to check the bait in only a day or two otherwise the rodents might eat all of the tested products and you wont know which one they preferred and ate first Here are a few other tips check test sites at least weekly relocate stations with evident feeding and restock stations with significant feeding record the amount of each product eaten and keep track of other product traits such as melting mold crumbs and insect feeding Because now you cant bait beyond 50 feet of a structure in the U S be sure to select a trapping station appropriate for the type of rodent If mice are in the environment find a station that can hold as many traps as possible and glue or screw the traps inside the station so they dont misfire when a rodent is caught in an adjacent trap If rats are the problem find a station that can hold two or more traps and decrease station distances to catch as many rats as possible In higher risk areas consider mounting stations directly to the ground with a cable stake or flat plate anchor These devices will prevent the upward lift of anything installed and provide the added security needed to keep a station in place For anchors think about ease of servicing the likelihood of movement and the protection of nontargets As for bait selection most rodenticides work within two to seven days after ingestion Still this is an important factor because of the need for protection of nontargets and the control of long term costs If you need to bait in an environment where nontarget animals might be present an acute rodenticide such as bromethalin would be a good choice It might cost more but it has minimal secondary poisoning effects One last tip Calculate the total placement cost properly Basing it on the manufacturers recommended label rates before submitting a bid for the job is the hallmark of a true professional and will prevent unpleasant surprises Continued on page 86 mypmp net Pest Management Professional September 2011 85