Locate food source: Rodents’ sense of smell is about 10 times greater than a dog, so is important to locate, remove and control any rodent food sources. Involve your customer in this process to avoid future problems.

Harborage and entry points: Following air movement and heat is easier than looking for rub marks, droppings and nesting locations. Inspect areas where warm air escapes from vents, around pipes, roofs & under doorways.

• •Excess debris from trash, leaves and over-growth from groundcover provide protective cover and warmth for nesting areas.
• •Seam lines of buildings (along concrete or asphalt) hold heat from the sun and are great run paths for rats and mice. Follow those lines!
• •Heat-sensing cameras are useful, and give a good overview of potential entry points, especially in winter. Sealing and preventing heat from escaping a building helps prevent rodents.

Eradicate Rats and Mice: Rodents are very cautious, so using more than one type of device can increase your success.

Outdoors, rodent management devices like bait stations should be placed along property perimeter areas at spacing intervals of 50-100 feet depending on rodent activity levels. JT Eaton™ Rat Depot™ Tamper Resistant Bait Station (#99050006) has a Gold Key™ for security and removable bait rods and insert tray for easy baiting and cleaning. JT Eaton™ Top Loader™ Vertical Bait Station (#99050670) is also Tamper Resistant and is great for hiding around pipes or up in rafters, on fences or in trees. Both stations can be used with JT Eaton™ Nectus™ Soft Bait (#99050907) and JT Eaton™ Bait Block® Rodenticides (#99050098, #99050099, #99050908, #99050890) with the included bait rods.

Indoors, the inside of any exterior wall should also have multiple catch live traps at the rate of one every 20 feet for mice and every 40 feet or more for rats. Traps should also be added adjacent to doors, docks, and ramps, but may be placed adjacent to any exterior opening per company practices. JT Eaton™ Little Pete® Multiple Catch Mouse Traps (#99050891) catch up to 15 mice without the use of baits or poisons. They are great for indoor and outdoor mouse control. Check your traps regularly.

Always remember an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach with a combination of products will yield the best results in your rodent control program. Remember to check your traps often to release mice in a timely manner. Keep in mind that rodents must be disposed of in a sanitary method offsite.

A final note: Rodents and their droppings can carry diseases and contaminate surfaces. Use caution when approaching any live or dead rodent. Always be aware that rodent droppings pose some hazard, big or small. Removing rodent droppings requires understanding of decontamination procedures and using protective gear.

If you have any questions, our highly trained sales staff is available to help you select the right products to help you control the rodents on your farm. Give us a call at (800)-845-3374.