The Farmers Mart Oct/Nov 2013 - Issue 30 | Page 14

ARABLE FRESH APPROACH TO FARM RAT CONTROL A fresh approach to tackling farm rats by more fully exploiting their natural behaviour is the key to keeping them firmly at bay while meeting growing environmental safety requirements this winter, believes a leading rodent control specialist. “Rat control is an increasing challenge on many farms,” pointed out BASF Pest Control Solutions rodenticide development manager, Sharon Hughes. “Infestation patterns are becoming as unpredictable as the climate. At the same time, far greater care is being demanded in rodenticide use to safeguard wildlife as well as meeting quality assurance requirements. In Sharon’d extensive experience the best and safest farm control comes from treatment programmes that take the greatest advantage of natural rodent behaviour to ensure a lethal dose of rodenticide is consumed by as many rats as possible as quickly as possible. “Essentially, we need to think like a rat,” she suggested. “We must plan and manage our treatment with the best possible understanding of how rats live and feed. “Because populations can build so rapidly, for instance, we need to start treatment at the first signs of infestation rather than only when rats become obvious. Because many infestations are broadly based, we need to treat wherever any signs of activity can be found not just in the immediate areas rats are seen. And, more than anything else, because they like variety in their diet we need to provide this with our bait.” Responding to this challenge, Sharon Hughes has used her understanding of rodent feeding behaviour to develop a difenacoum rodenticide four times more palatable to rats than a standard wheat bait with the same active by including within it foraging grains of a different size, colour, shape, texture, smell and taste to the treated grain base. Stringent head-to-head trials under challenging farm conditions show this nowpatented Fortec formulation results in faster and more consistent control. “We’ve recorded 60% of rats consuming a lethal dose of difenacoum on the first day of Neosorexa Gold’s availability and 100% by Day 2,” reported Sharon Hughes. “This lifts the performance of multi-feed difenacoum to the level of more potent and costly singlefeed actives. Gold Rush The UK’s No.1 rat and mouse bait with Fortec technology for increased bait consumption Multi-purpose, cut wheat bait for effective and consistent control Extremely palatable with Fortec technology for increased bait consumption A lethal dose consumed within just one day Proven superior performance to ordinary baits Enabling the most effective solutions to your pest problems. BASF Plc, Pest Control Solutions, PO Box 4, Earl Rd, Cheadle Hulme, Cheadle, Cheshire, SK8 6QG www.pestcontrol.basf.co.uk Tel: [phone] email: [email protected] Neosorexa® Gold contains difenacoum. Use biocides safely. Always read the label and product information before use. Neosorexa® is a registered trademark of BASF. DS097 - Neo gold Rush 180x121 advert.indd 1 14 Oct/Nov 2013 FarmersMart 21/10/2013 15:09:36 To read more, visit www.farmers-mart.co.uk