“Once established, infestations are
difficult and potentially costly to eradicate, so
prevention makes good business sense.”
Risk and proofing
Dudley Industries’ Jim Kirk takes a look at the benefits of proofing properties against rodent ingress.
In June 2021, the Campaign for Responsible Rodenticide Use (CRRU) published its updated Code of Best Practice concerning pest management. It emphasises the value of adopting a ‘risk hierarchy’ when planning control measures, and states that ‘the least severe methods must always be used first’.
Partly, of course, this responds to growing concerns surrounding the unintended impacts on non-target wildlife. However, it also represents an approach that focuses on pragmatism and business efficiency. As CRRU remarks in its guidance: ‘the best way to deal with rodent infestations is not to have them in the first place’.
The argument that ‘prevention is better than cure’ is well understood, and it’s at the heart of the new risk-focused code. In the risk hierarchy, the process begins with an appropriate site survey. Passive protection measures – i.e., the proofing of buildings – are then regarded as the preferred first option.
Numerous proofing products are available to property owners but even before these are employed, risks can be mitigated through simple changes to on-site behaviour and housekeeping. For example, pallets stacked against a wall can provide shelter for rodents and a possible conduit to the interior. Moving them away from the building could therefore eliminate one significant risk with zero capital outlay.
Similar principles apply to discarded rubbish and other materials that could provide rodents with food or cover. Ultimately, better environmental management is the key to exerting long-term control over rodent populations.
Proofing and access
However, even the best-maintained sites can sometimes see a rodent problem, so proofing buildings is still essential. It’s a logical place to begin. In the CRRU hierarchy, the denial of entry is afforded a higher priority even than the denial of food, water or harbourage.
The question, of course, is how best to achieve that. Rats and mice are infamous for their ability to enter buildings through very small holes, so DIY solutions are seldom
44 | PEST CONTROL
effective. It’s generally better to protect points of ingress with purpose-designed materials that are robust, durable and effective. Here are three examples:
Mouse Grills: these are perforated metal plates that can be affixed over air-bricks. They permit airflow whilst providing a barrier to rodents getting through.
Pipe Protectors: these are small plates available in various sizes that fit snugly around pipework and are then affixed to a wall. They address a common problem – namely, that when a hole is drilled in a wall, its diameter is larger than the pipe itself and, in many hard substrates, its shape might be irregular. Any spaces between pipe and substrate can afford an entry point for rodents, but a pipe protector will close off any access.
Drain Protectors: featuring a one-way flap, these passive devices are located in main drains and allow for the outflow of waste while maintaining a reliable barrier to rats.
Integrated approaches
The use of these and other proofing products – such as metal kick plates on doors to prevent gnawing – is prioritised with good reason. Once established, infestations are difficult and potentially costly to eradicate, so prevention makes good business sense.
Passive proofing systems require no human involvement beyond periodic inspections (so labour costs are minimal) and, provided that the materials themselves are appropriate – stainless steel being an ideal choice – they should operate reliably for years.
Proofing may sometimes be the only solution that a property requires. However, when other measures are essential – for example, chemicals to address an infestation – these should always be backed up by a proofing solution in order to prevent future ingress and a recurrence of the problem.
Ultimately, delivering long term protection requires an integrated strategy that entails working with the environment. More information, including the new Code of Practice is available from CRRU’s
ThinkWildlife.org website.
www.dudleyindustries.com (
www.thinkwildlife.org)
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