Protecting birds of prey while eradicating a colony of 200 rats with Selontra^®

Mark Wilton, a professional pest controller from Topline Pest Control Ltd, was called to a bird of prey breeding site following reports of a well-established population of rats. Here, we discover how Mark used the award-winning cholecalciferol rodenticide, Selontra^® to tackle the infestation.

• Estimated 200 rats at the site

• 20 bait stations using seven x 20g blocks

• Strategic baiting for optimal results

• Complete control in four visits

The Challenge

Mark was presented with signs of a severe and lengthy infestation when he came onto the bird of prey breeding site in Doncaster, with well-defined rat runs and burrows present - it was clear the rats had been active at the location for a prolonged period of time.

“After our initial inspection and speaking with staff, it became apparent that this infestation had been growing for around three years. There were well-defined, deep rat runs down the sides of the aviaries, and the staff also reported seeing rats around the buildings and car park during the day. It was clear that there was a big issue and we estimated around 200 or more rats were likely present, but due to the nature of the premises, caution was needed to protect the other animals on site,” commented Mark.

As well as breeding falcons, the premises also bred quails to feed the larger species, so access to attractive food sources were plentiful. This meant that getting the rodents to accept a bait instead of the quails and their food could be a challenge, so Mark knew that he needed a highly palatable formulation. With so many non-target species in the area, it was also vital that the rodenticide was not persistent in the environment nor bioaccumulative to reduce the risks of secondary poisoning.

The Result

Following his assessment, Mark positioned twenty bait stations, using seven x 20g of Selontra^® in each box, as per the label instructions, and spaced them five metres apart.

“We left the site for five days and on our return, all bait in the stations had been taken, with 14 of them completely empty. Each one was replenished and on our next return, seven days later we found a similar situation, but this time the bait station tray liners had been chewed to bits on the stations which had no bait left! We also recovered a significant number of rodent bodies, and it was clear that activity had decreased significantly.”

On the third visit, bait consumption had slowed drastically on all stations, so Mark introduced a monitoring paste at all boxes except the stations by the ditch side. These were replenished with Selontra^® as Marks suspected it was here that the rats were nesting.

“Our final visit showed next to no bait was taken, so all stations were put onto monitoring paste. Staff had also noticed no further rat activity and commented on how refreshed the site looked! We returned four weeks later for a routine visit and found no sign of rat activity which was fantastic.

“What attracted me to the product was the low risk of secondary poisoning. It also achieved control in newly placed bait stations in such a short space of time. The speed of control weighs up the cost of the product as we can offer a quick and efficient service for customers with visible results!”

Mark now uses Selontra^® on all sites and recommends it to his fellow pest controllers.

“This is a brilliant product that has been developed using long-standing ingredients, and now with Apodemus sylvaticus added to the product label it should tick all the boxes for pest control companies of all sizes, making this the best go-to product on the market today.”

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