Case Study: Using Selontra^® to rid a renovation project of rodents

When pest control specialists, Amicus Environmental Services, received a call to attend a property with a long-term, severe rodent infestation, the team seized the opportunity to trial the recently released rodent bait Selontra^®, putting its claims of high palatability and fast results to the test. In just ten days, Selontra^® had effectively dealt with 100% of the rodents, in what the PCO’s on site described as the worst rodent infestation they had ever seen.

The Challenge

Upon arrival at the property, it quickly became apparent that the house in question had been left empty for a number of years and had recently been purchased by new owners. It wasn’t until they began renovation works that they discovered how severe the rodent infestation they were faced with was, with all construction work having to be suspended until the rat activity was brought under control.

John Tomes, Director at Amicus Environmental Services, commented: “After carrying out an initial site survey, the scale and extent of the infestation within the property became obvious. It was evident that the new homeowners couldn’t commence with renovating the house until we had dealt with the serious rat issue that they were faced with.

“Having been unoccupied for over three years, the rodents had plenty of time and opportunity to cause significant damage to all areas of the house. Essentially, the rats had moved into the property with complete free rein over the space. We had never seen such a severe infestation before, nor such high levels of rodent activity.”

Following a thorough inspection of the house, the team found extensive damage to all areas, including subfloor cavities, internal walls, and the loft space. The entire property was peppered with rat holes, gnawing, smear marks and a huge number of droppings, while rats openly moved in their dozens throughout the house during daylight hours.

The Result

Immediate action was required to bring the overwhelming rodent infestation under control. The team used Selontra^® to lay 30 control points throughout the house, each with seven blocks, as per the maximum allowable baiting quantity. Control points were open but secured with a wire noose and zip ties.

That afternoon, the team received a call from the homeowners that, within just 12 hours of laying the control points, the rats had consumed all of the bait laid earlier in the day.

All control points were then fully re-baited that evening, and the team revisited the following morning to again see that all bait was gone, having been consumed by the rats.

Over a nine-day period, little over 15kg of Selontra^® was laid throughout the house, and by day 10 no further rodent activity was observed.

John said: “It was amazing – on multiple occasions we saw rats consuming Selontra^® within five minutes of control points being set, while we were still laying bait throughout the house!

“We were able to achieve complete control within 10 days, proving all performance claims that Selontra^® is both highly palatable and highly effective. We were also able to ensure that there was no risk of secondary poisoning, while reducing environmental exposure throughout treatment.

“From a financial perspective, we have saved significantly. The speed with which we were able to complete the job allowed us to invoice the client swiftly, increase our quotations based on the high effectiveness of the product, and enable us to move on to the next site faster than we would have been able to previously. Going forward, based upon site assessment, Selontra^® rodent bait will be my first choice.”

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