Outthinking Rodents
By: ElRay Roper, Senior Technical Representative, Syngenta
Unlike insect pests, rodents are mammals that quickly adapt to changes in their environments. Although rodent behavior is strongly influenced by instinct and imprinting from their parents, they may also change behaviors based on experience.
We’ve all heard the horror stories about that last rat or mouse that cannot be removed from an account. There is a popular anecdotal story about ‘Stumpy,’ a male rat that successfully escaped traps in the Pentagon and then eluded all control efforts used against him to end up dying of natural causes after living a long and comfortable life at military headquarters.
Experts refer to rodent control as both an art and a science because it requires the technician to “outthink” the rat or mouse. So, how do you outthink these small, furry pests?
Seven steps to outthinking rodents:
- Know your pest: Know if you are you dealing with house mice, Norway rats, Black (roof) rats or native rodents, such as deer mice, field mice or ground squirrels.
- Study the biology: Consider what the rodents eat, where they prefer to nest, and the size of their home range, in addition to other factors specific to the account.
- Inspect thoroughly: Conduct a comprehensive inspection of the account. Start by identifying heat and moisture sources. Many rodents nest in attics or drop ceilings so inspect both high and low. Then, consider food sources and work outwards from there to find the infestation source.
- Know the signs: Use the classic signs of rodent activity to help locate the problem. Look for droppings, rub marks, signs of gnawing, urine and odor.
- Use all your tools: Avoid falling into the habit of using the easiest tool in the box. If you rely only on baiting you’ll never get those bait-shy rats or mice. Employ a variety of traps and bait types to eliminate every rodent in the account.
- Change your routine: If you usually service the account in the mornings, try afternoons or, if necessary, try evening visits when the rodents are more active.
- Take time to think: In the service industry, time is money. We are all in a hurry to service many accounts. Take the time to stop and think about what the rodent is doing that is making your job so difficult. Sometimes the answer will be right in front of you, but you have to take the time to find it.
People often ask me what the best bait is for rat and mouse control. My answer? The best bait is the bait placed in the right area. Baits placed outside the home range of the rodent you are trying to control have little chance of being discovered and consumed.
If you believe you have placed the bait in the right location but still have little or no feeding, change the bait type. The rodents may not be interested in the particular formulation you have put out.
The same applies for baiting traps. For mice, try things like nesting materials, such as dryer lint, cotton balls, string or yarn. Place more than one trap together in a cluster and set only the middle trap(s). When trapping, a good rule of thumb is to use three to four traps per mouse or rat in the account.
When working to control rats and mice our critical thinking is the best tool we have. Don’t let your service habits keep you from ‘outthinking’ these furry pests.
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