Rodent Control for Farms: Choosing the Right Solutions

Rodents are a major farm pest because they contaminate feed, spread disease and damage buildings. Farms are the perfect hunting grounds for rats and mice because they offer a readily available food source and plenty of cover. Good rodent control begins with prevention — and keeping feed in sealed containers, cleaning up spilled grain, maintaining a clean storage area and more can all help deter rodent activity.

When it comes to the optimal control approach to be utilized based on the scale of the problem. For small, enclosed spaces, such as feed rooms, snap traps and glue boards come in handy, and you might need bait stations or professional-grade rodenticides for more widespread infestations. It’s also necessary to choose products formulated for agricultural use and position them in the vicinity of barns, silos and storage buildings where rodent traffic is heavy.

I have to be safe! Where farms have animals and/or pets or children, rodenticide should be kept in tamper-proof bait stations so children and assist livestock don't actually eat the poison themselves. Inspections, monitoring, and a professional pest control operation are vital to succeed long term. With an ounce of prevention, the right equipment and careful handling, farmers can safeguard their operations—and their animals—from threats posed by rodents.