Case Study: Protecting property and employee health at a logistics depot with Selontra®

James Tennent, a professional pest controller and owner of Suffolk-based firm, Eraserpest, was called to a logistics depot following reports of a well-established population of rats. Here, we uncover how James used the award-winning cholecalciferol rodenticide, Selontra^® to tackle the infestation and regain control rapidly.

• Over 100 rats at the site
• Multiple bait boxes containing more than 2kg of Selontra^®
• Complete control in three visits
• Ongoing use of Monitoring Paste to monitor for potential reinfestation. 

The Challenge

When James arrived on site, he noticed that a severe infestation had become established and was spreading further into the other buildings. Rats had gained access to the office area and had gnawed on wires for computers and CCTV systems, presenting the company with a fire risk, as well as costly repairs to fix the damage.

“When I first got to the depot, I noticed that the customer had already attempted to tackle the infestation themselves and had blocked some rodent entry points, causing the rats to chew through a nearby fire door, as well as damage to wiring in the office. The rodents had gnawed through the CCTV security system and computer wiring, presenting the customer with danger to the property as well as cost to fix the electrics. I knew that control needed to be gained as quickly as possible,” commented James.

James had been wanting to try Selontra^® for some time, and this infestation offered him the perfect opportunity to test out the cholecalciferol-based rodenticide, as no other actives had been used on site, therefore giving him a fair and clear view of the results.

“I have been waiting for the ideal site to use Selontra^® on, and this one ticked all the boxes! It was in desperate need of a quick reduction in the rat population due to the risks to health and property.”

The Result

Using 2kg of bait initially, and positioning bait boxes around the perimeter of the site, James gained control at the logistics depot in just ten days. He noticed bait uptake from the first visit which reduced as the rat population declined. He notes that the palatability of the product is evident, and he was pleasantly surprised at how quickly the rats took to the bait.

“Selontra^® proved to be a brilliant product, I was amazed at how quickly bait uptake occurred and how rapidly the infestation was brought to a halt. The customer was so impressed by the speed of control that they have signed up for ongoing contract after the initial treatment. Going forward I will be using Selontra^® as well as the Selontra-based Monitoring Paste to monitor the risk of reinfestation and enable me to detect early activity regain control quickly if it does occur.”

Monitoring Paste is a non-toxic soft block formulation that is based on the highly palatable, award-winning Selontra^®, with the active and dye removed. Using a monitoring product that has a sister toxic product, will ensure you get rapid control if an issue occurs. In all of BASF’s testing and field trials, there was instant uptake from rats and mice when Monitoring Paste was switched to Selontra^® as the rodents assumed it was the same food

“Selontra^® is well worth the money - the quick uptake meant that less visits were needed as opposed to other rodenticides I have used, meaning my time can be spent elsewhere or on another job. I will be continuing to use it on all my future jobs!”

Information: Use biocide products carefully. Always read the label and product information before use.