Pest Control & Mice -
Protecting the Poultry Flock by
Katie Thear
Pest Control Services
A householder can contact the local authority to obtain the free
services of the pest control officer. He will visit and examine the
site and then put down poison in protected areas. This is followed
by another visit to determine the success of the treatment, and to
see if further applications are required. Where the site is a commercial
one, the owner is responsible for dealing with the problem. He can
either do it himself or call in a contractor to do so. There is a
statutory obligation to keep a site free of rats, whether this is
reporting their presence to the local authority or dealing with them
yourself.
Trapping Rats - Humane Traps
There are Fenn traps available for killing rats, but placing them
is a skilled job, ensuring that they are in the runs, placed in tunnels
and not accessible to anything else. As they are spring traps, they
must be inspected regularly. Specialist suppliers stock them. There
are also humane traps for catching rats, but there is then the problem
of disposal.
Poisoning Rats & Mice
This is the most common option. The bait needs to be placed carefully
so that poison is available to rats but not birds, domestic pets
and, of course, children! Placing it in a section of covered pipe,
for example, is effective. The main rodenticide used is an anti-coagulant
such as that produced by Sorex. The baits are based on cereals and
are available loose, in sachets or in blocks. The general rule, as
far as dosage is concerned, is that if all the bait is taken on the
first setting, double the amount is placed the second time, and so
on. This ensures that all the rats are being dealt with.
If you use poison to kill rats or mice, ensure
that cats are kept inside until the poison has done its work. This
is in case they catch and eat a poisoned rodent before it dies, for
the poison can affect them.
Other methods
Having cats and a dog may help to deter rats from a site, but once
established nearby, their presence will not control them to any measurable
degree. The obvious exception is with a breed such as the Jack Russell
that was bred as a ratter. Even so, it is usually necessary to dig
out the lair in order to drive out the rats before Jack Russells
can get to work.
Ferrets can be effective in going into a lair to kill and drive
out rats, but they need to be ones that are trained for this kind
of work. Many, these days, are kept purely as pets.
Mice
House mice do not carry as many diseases as rats but they can be
a nuisance. If there is an infestation in a dwelling, their gnawing
actions can be a fire hazard if they attack cables. Their activities
are also associated with getting into and despoiling feed stores.
For mice, the poisons are similar to those used for rats. Traps can
also be used. These are normally available in one of two forms; the
snap bar type that kills the animal on entry or the humane one which
catches them alive.
Cats, particularly those with Siamese in their family tree, make
good mousers. Females, which have less of a tendency to wander than
males, are often the best choice because they are on the spot rather
than wandering further afield. If you use poison to kill rats or
mice, ensure that cats are kept inside until the poison has done
its work. This is in case they catch and eat a poisoned rodent before
it dies, for the poison can affect them.
Protecting The Poultry Flock - by Katie Thear
See Also
Article Copyright © Katie Thear 2006 |
