BIOSECURITY ▶▶▶
Top tips for effective vermin control
BY ANDREA DERKX, COBB-VANTRESS T
he damage done by vermin can be categorised into two major groups: 1) direct damage to the environ- ment, feed, food, equipment or infrastructure; and 2) as disease carriers and disease multipliers. Profes-
sional pest control companies have experts who can readily evaluate your situation and help you develop a good pest management programme. Once your programme is estab- lished, good record keeping provides a valuable tool to iden- tify and mitigate vermin issues before they become an infestation problem.
Rodent control programme Rodent control is part of any biosecurity system. Rodents can be carried in boxes, feed, bedding and other materials that are brought onto the farm from suppliers. Therefore, it is not just poultry farms but also feed plants, hatcheries, storage fa- cilities and processing plants that need to have a rodent control programme in place.
The definition of vermin is not specific to certain species but rather the circumstances. In poultry production, rodents and insects, including rats, mice and beetles, are generally classified as vermin because they are believed to be most harmful and carry disease. Controlling these vermin is essential.
The most common mouse, Mus musculus, has a territorial range of less than 50 metres. The lifespan of the mouse is 9 to 12 months and it becomes sexually mature in six weeks. Each mouse has about 3 to 6 offspring per cycle with a maximum of 10 cycles per year. The Norway rat can produce up to 100 off- spring per year, while the roof rat can produce around 90 per year. Both have a territorial range of less than 100 metres. Mice and rats primarily cause environmental damage but can carry and transmit pathogens including Salmonella and Pasteurella multocida (fowl cholera). While mice are very curious, rats are very suspicious. This is something to bear in mind with control
Mice and rats primarily cause environmental damage but can carry and trans- mit pathogens including Sal- monella and Pasteurella multocida (fowl cholera).
▶ POULTRY WORLD | No. 2, 2021 31
PHOTO: ANP
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