[Rodent Control Issue] All Secure

Tamper-resistant bait stations for rodents have been around for several decades. The first plastic tamper-resistant bait station, the original Protecta bait station manufactured by Bell Laboratories, was first introduced to the marketplace in 1982. This station was created to meet the needs of an increasingly responsible pest management industry and laid the foundation for the wide variety of tamper-resistant stations available today.

The purpose of a tamper-resistant bait station is to keep bait away from non-target animals and children, to help maintain the freshness of bait by providing some protection from the elements, to allow pest management professionals to better track the bait being consumed and therefore better gauge the severity of infestations in particular areas and to provide a secluded, protective area for feeding in which rodents feel comfortable.

While the importance of using tamper-resistant bait stations is well understood, the importance of securing these stations also must be stressed. Maintaining the placement of the bait station is critical for several reasons.

First, bait or bait particles may become dislodged from the station if it is shaken or moved. This defeats the purpose of keeping bait away from non-targets. Second, pest management professionals carefully choose the location of the bait stations based on what they learn from the initial inspection. More stations are placed in areas of higher infestation and stations are placed in the direct path of rodents. If stations are moved, they are no longer going to be located in these prime locations intercepting the rodents in their path.

Third, PCOs map the location of bait stations in order to monitor the bait consumed at various locations and modify their service based on the information this provides. If the stations are moved, the PCOs are left to navigate their service without a map. Finally, tamper-resistant bait stations are valuable tools. Unsecured stations are clearly more likely to disappear. Securing the stations saves PCOs money by reducing the need for replacements.

It may be tempting to leave stations unanchored, especially in areas where there seems to be little chance of the station being disturbed. Unanchored stations, however, can and are easily moved despite their location. Non-target animals, such as raccoons, will move stations while trying to get at the bait. High winds and excessive rainfall during storms tend to move unanchored bait stations out of place, especially in tropical climates such as Florida and the Caribbean. Lawn care companies and their equipment frequently move unanchored bait stations out of place. Finally, vandals will find it much easier to move or steal bait stations that are not anchored.

There are a variety of features built into tamper-resistant bait stations that make them easier to secure. Punch-out holes on the bottom of the stations make it easy to stake or nail the station to the ground. Securing holes in the back of the station let PCOs secure the station to a vertical structure. A flat bottom with a textured surface provides greater surface area for adhesion to smooth surfaces like patio blocks. It also minimizes harborage areas for other pests. Methods of securing tamper-resistant bait stations may differ depending on the surface you choose to secure them to.

The author leads Bell Laboratories’ national team of technical representatives.

Tips For Securing Bait Stations to Various Surfaces

While the possibilities for securing bait stations are seemingly limitless, the more popular securing methods in the industry include: securing the bait station to a patio block, securing the station to concrete or asphalt, securing the station to the ground using a duckbill anchor or stake and finally securing the station to a vertical structure or pole. Let’s take a closer look at each of these options.

PATIO BLOCK. Many pest management professionals prefer to secure bait stations to a patio block. Not only does this prevent the station from being moved easily, it elevates the station to help keep it from sitting in standing water. A common concern with PMPs is that it will prevent rodents from entering the stations. The fact is that rodents will readily climb the short step to enter the station. Remember all rodents are excellent climbers and a 1- to 2-inch step is certainly not going to deter them. 

Major advantages to this method are its relatively low cost and flexibility in relocating stations to accommodate a shift in rodent activity. The stations can simply be moved to a more effective placement or removed due to a decrease in pressure without too much effort.

Securing the station to a patio block is simple. A textured bottom on the station will help the adhesive bond between the station and the patio block. Apply a construction adhesive, such as Liquid Nails, directly to the bottom of the bait station. Line up the back edge of the station with the edge of the patio block and push down. Lift the station up a couple of inches and then push it back down to its original placement. This allows the Liquid Nails to act like contact cement and will provide a much stronger adhesion. Again, make sure that the back edge of the station is flush against the edge of the patio block so it can be properly placed flush against the wall. This will prevent a rodent from bypassing the control measure by going behind it. 

Finally, pick up the patio block with the station secured to the top and place it in its chosen location. Tom Silvestrini, technical director for Pest Control Technicians, Norristown, Pa., recommends using a concrete screw as an additional securing measure to ensure that the bait station does not come off of the patio block after long-term exposure to the elements. When using this method, drill a pilot hole through the station and block before securing the concrete screw.

CONCRETE/ASPHALT. For some outdoor locations, it is easiest to secure the bait station directly to the ground. Among the tools that work on concrete surfaces, PCOs have a choice of anchoring bait stations with concrete screws, Liquid Nails or anchors. A pilot hole must first be drilled into the concrete before the concrete screw can be secured. PCOs can use a Hilti construction gun to drive an anchor into the concrete. Otherwise, they must first drill a hole into the concrete and then pound in the anchor. They can then secure the bait station with a wing nut that fits over the exposed threaded end of the anchor. This option allows for the station to be removed for cleaning and then re-secured.

On asphalt surfaces, PCOs can drive a barbed spike into the asphalt, place the bait station over it with the exposed spike end through the punch-out hole, and secure with a hitch pin clip, also known as a hairpin style cotter pin.

GRASS OR DIRT SURFACES. Stakes can easily be hammered through the punch-out holes on the bottom of stations. If no punch-out area exists, you must first drill a hole through the bottom of the station or risk cracking the station. Use caution with this method, however, since the stakes may be easily pulled out of the ground in moist soil conditions.

Duckbill anchors are a more permanent method of securing a bait station to the ground. First, use a steel driver and mallet or hammer to knock out the punch-out hole or drill a hole through the bottom of the station if no punch out hole exists. Next, place the steel driver into the hole in the anchor and hammer the anchor into the ground until just the top of the cable remains above ground. If the punch out hole is large enough, you can pound the anchor directly through the hole. If not, pound in the anchor and then thread the remaining cable through the hole. Set the anchor by wrapping the wire rope around the drive steel or inserting the driver through the loop in the wire and pulling up. The design of the duckbill anchor along with this pulling action will rotate the anchor into a perpendicular position. Once the anchor is set, simply secure with a hitch pin or the pin that is sometimes built-in the wire.

FENCE POSTS OR POLES. Perimeter baiting requires baiting along fence lines. In these situations, secure the bait stations directly to the fence posts. It is easier if you start with a bait station that already has securing holes pre-drilled in the back of the station. PCOs can secure the station to a fence post, chain-link fence, or other stationary object by placing a small section of chain or a U-bolt around the object and through the holes in the back of the bait station. The chain can be secured with a bolt, and a U-bolt can be secured with wing nuts. Once the lid is closed and locked, it’s difficult to move the bait station.

OTHER VERTICLE SURFACES. To attach a bait station to the wall of a building, PCOs can drill a hole in a block of wood and put a bolt through it. Then attach the wood to the wall with Liquid Nails, slide the bait station on the bolt, and secure with a wing nut.

Securing a station with a chain is an efficient means of securing that allows the station to be quickly removed for thorough cleaning. One company that utilizes this method is JP Pest Services, Milford, N.H. They recommend anchoring a number 38 sash chain to the wall with either a Hilti gun or a Tapcon screw. A short section of the chain then runs through the station and is secured by placing a hitch pin clip (a.k.a. hairpin style cotter pin) through one of the chain links on the interior of the station. Chris DelRossi, director, commercial division, for JP Pest Services’ commercial business, says that this is the best way because it allows the station to be turned upside down when cleaning. This is particularly important in food accounts because of the high standards required.

The options to secure tamper-resistant bait stations are limitless. It is not only the responsible thing to do; it reduces PCO liability, increases the effectiveness of the service and decreases bait station replacement costs.