RODENT MANAGEMENT

Win the Race in the Rodent Control Space

By Dr. Stuart Mitchell

For busy pest management professionals (PMPs), keeping pace in the rodent control space can be a challenging task. PMPs can unmask the task by setting a new pace in the rodent control space.

Learn to discern rodent concerns. Dead or alive, there are reasons rodents fail to thrive.

Setting a new pace in the rodent control space requires observance of live, nocturnal (nighttime active) rodents within a diurnal (daytime active) space. 

PMPs discern rodent concerns
It’s a given that rodents are resource-driven. Where there are high population densities and insufficient food resources (whether by weight and/or nutritional quality), hierarchal, competitive diurnal rodent foraging will result. An increase in diurnal pioneering rodents results in an increase in observed live rodents.

It’s a given that rodents are habitat-driven. If environmental factors disturb, damage or destroy rodent habitats (whether structural or landscape oriented), then diurnal dispersal will result.

It’s a given that rodents are fitness-driven. If diseases infect and parasites infest, then rodents are unable to regulate essential body temperature, which affects behavior. Poor rodent health decreases nocturnal stealth.

It’s a given that rodents are behaviorally driven. For rodents, paranoia is actually a helpful trait. But, if pathology changes rodent psychology, then cognition, emotion and behavior are affected. Psychological stress factors impact the rodent immune system and general health. Rodents experiencing disorders, injury or chronic pain can demonstrate reclusive, elusive or aggressive behavior.

Wanted dead or alive
Rodents fail to thrive based on several factors, including:

• Environment: The increasing frequency of extreme weather events can result in heat waves, cold snaps, severe weather flooding and wind damage, all of which can be fatal to rodent populations.

• Predators: Biological predators include humans, feral cats and dogs, raccoons, foxes, coyotes, raptors and snakes. Manmade predators include machinery and devices, and chemical and biological control. Within the changing urban environment, predation can have a significant impact, as changes in one species can affect the population dynamics of another species.

• Disease: Disease pathogens include arenavirus (lymphocytic choriomeningitis), Hantavirus (Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome), leptospirosis, plague (Yersinia pestis), rat-bite fever (Streptobacillus moniliformis), Salmonella enterica, and tularemia (Francisella tularensis).

• New technologies: Smart sensor devices can track when and where rodents travel within trapping and baiting stations. A systematic indoor and outdoor deployment of novel smart sensor technology stations with long-life battery, reliable communication, and robust interior/exterior ingress protection (IP) will accurately report rodent activity.

It's a given that rodents are pestiferous and driven. Learn to discern rodent concerns. If more rodents are dead than alive, then they fail to thrive. Win the race in the rodent control space. Use smart sensor stations and eliminate rodent surprises while assuring rodent demises.