Rodenticides

Rodenticides

Related topics 

Control Commensally Rodents In Poultry Houses

Controlling Rat and Mouse Populations 
Diseases Rats and Mice Spread
Rodenticides

Rodenticides are efficient in destroying rats and mice. Full 

advantage should be taken of the particular characteristics) of each rodenticide to select those most likely to produce the desired results under existing conditions. Many chemicals used as rodenticides require that the applicator possess a certified applicator permit prior to purchasing the chemicals. Additional rodenticide information pertaining to brand names is available. 

1.Zinc Phosphide

Of the single-dose (quick kill) poisons, zinc phosphide may be the most satisfactory, readily available material. It has an offensive odor and is unattractive in color. Rats and mice seem to be attracted by the odor of zinc phosphide, and all species accept it.

Zinc phosphide is not absorbed through the skin while mixing, and only seldom are animals killed from eating the carcasses of rats or mice that have been killed with zinc phosphide. Zinc phosphide is, therefore, listed as mildly hazardous in its use as a rodenticide. Cause of death is heart failure

2. Vacor Vacor

                              A a single-dose, acute rodenticide; death normally occurs in 4 to 8 hours after ingestion. Little or no bait shyness develops, and it is recommended to be effective against most species of rats and mice. Vacor is most readily available in a formulated ready-to-use bait mixture but is also available to licensed professional applicators in the form of a tracking powder.

Strychnine Strychnine is a highly toxic single-dose poison that is effective for mouse control only. It has a bitter taste that causes many rodents, including rats, to avoid it. Therefore, it is not effective against rats. For best results, do not use strychnine more often than at six month intervals.

3. Strychnine

                             Usually mixed with canary seed, some cereal grain, or other bait that mice prefer. Cause of death is respiratory failure.

4.Arsenic

               Arsenic is a single-dose rodenticide. It is slow acting and toxic to all animals. It is classified as extremely hazardous. Mice will not accept it. Less hazardous and more effective poisons are available; therefore, arsenic is seldom used any more as a rodenticide.

5.Red Squill

               Red squill is another good quick-kill poison. There is even less hazard in using red squill than with zinc phosphide because it causes animals other than rats and mice to vomit and eliminate the poison. 

The drawbacks to red squill, compared to zinc phosphide, are that it is effective only against the Norway rat, is generally less acceptable by all rats, has poor reacceptance after sublethal intake, has less overall killing effectiveness, and is not readily available for purchase.

Mix red squill with baits at the rate of 10 percent red squill. Cause of death is respiratory failure.

6.Sodium Fluoroacetate (1080)

               This material, commonly known as 1080, is one of the most effective rodenticides known. It is virtually tasteless and odorless and kills in one to eight hours. No tolerance or bait shyness develops.

The drawbacks are that it is highly toxic to all animals, has no antidote, and has a high degree of secondary poisoning for animals eating rats or mice killed by 1080. As a result, 1080 is classified as extremely hazardous and is available for use only by licensed professional applicators. Cause of death is heart paralysis.

7.Phosphorus

            Phosphorus is used little today because better, safer rodenticides are available.

8.Norbormide

 Norbormide is not presently available as a rodenticide.

9.Antu

Antu is used to a limited extent to control Norway rats. It is not considered effective enough for house mice or roof rats 

Anticoagulants

      ""Brodifacoum, bromadiolone, chlorophacinone, diphacinone, fumarin, pival, PMP, warfarin, and prolin (warfarin plus a vitamin K inhibitor) are all anticoagulant-type poisons""

                                At recommended concentrations, repeated feedings are normally necessary to cause death. One dose is seldom lethal. Therefore, anticoagulant baits must be made available continuously for 5 to 14 days. Reasonable control of rats may not always occur within two weeks, and it may require as long as a month to control mice. The necessity for repeated doses is a built-in safety feature of the anticoagulants for most animals.

Anticoagulants are, in general, classified as a low-hazard method of rat and mouse poisoning because of the multiple feeding requirement. They are effective against both rats and mice and, when used at the recommended level, bait shyness is not developed. The drawbacks to anticoagulants are that bait placements have to be made for several days, there is danger to animals feeding on the carcasses of rodents killed by anticoagulants (cats and dogs are very susceptible to anticoagulants and may be killed by a single feeding of poisoned bait), and resistance to anticoagulants may develop in a population of rats or mice 

best to change anticoagulants periodically). Some rat and mouse populations have become resistant to warfarin.

You may use anticoagulants with any of the baits or bait mixtures rats and mice accept. However, since the anticoagulant poison bait must remain available for several days for rats and mice to feed on, anticoagulants are usually mixed with some type of cereal grain or dry-feed-type bait as opposed to baits like apples and prunes.

Anticoagulants and single-dose poisons are available in concentrate form for use in custom mixing and in commercially prepared poison and bait mixtures. You can get these mixtures in wax-impregnated-pelleted or block form, in small bags or boxes, or in oil-soaked bait form, all of which help protect the bait and poison from breakdown from the environment until rats or mice eat it.

Tracking Powders

There are no chlorinated hydrocarbons approved as a tracking powder. Antu is effective only for Norway rats. Rozol is an anticoagulant registered for rat and mouse control. Warfarin is registered for mouse control.

Vacor is classified as a quick-kill poison and is available to licensed professional applicators as a tracking powder. Tracking powders are not recommended where rodents can track the poison onto food destined for consumption by other animals. Therefore, be careful when using tracking powders in occupied poultry houses.

Fumigation
Fumigants such as methylbromide and others are fast and effective controls for rats and mice in burrows or tightly closed buildings. Be extremely careful; leave the application of

Control Commensally Rodents In Poultry Houses

Controlling Rat and Mouse Populations 
Diseases Rats and Mice Spread
Rodenticides