THE arrival of cooler weather means it’s time to monitor rodent activity closely and take action to keep populations under control, says David Reece, technical adviser at Lodi UK.

It is particularly important this year following April’s introduction of new “stewardship condition” labels covering the use by professionals (including farmers) of edible bait-type rodenticides containing first or second-generation anticoagulant active ingredients. The new regulations put the onus on users to prove that a rodent problem exists before taking action.

Mr Reece said the mild winter of 2015-16, combined with a warm, wet spring and summer, provided ideal breeding conditions for rats and mice, but are now moving to farm buildings, straw stacks and forage clamps in search of shelter, warmth and food.

Under the new legislation only a very limited time is available to deal with potential rodent issues. Mr Reece said that farmers have 42 days to clear up the problem, or prove that it still exists, and bait cannot be left out all the time.

The first step is to put down monitoring bait to confirm the presence of rodents. Mr Reece said Lodi UV monitoring blocks or pastes are non-toxic and contain a substance that makes rodent urine glow under ultra-violet light, allowing much easier detection. Act immediately if that yields positive results, and use one of the new-generation products, which are much more palatable and rodents want to consume.

For more details, call Lodi UK on 01384 404242 or go to lodi-uk.com.