Building a Better Treatment Protocol

Baits, traps and exclusion are essential tools for rodent control. How PMPs apply these and other control measures varies based on the type of rodent, level of infestation, customer preferences, technician preferences and other considerations. But no matter how you go about tackling the issue at hand, every rodent job begins the same way: with a thorough interior and exterior inspection.

“When you inspect a site, whether it’s commercial or residential, you have to look not only at structural issues but also the surrounding environment,” said Todd Barber, Barber’s Best Termite and Pest, Tallahassee, Fla.

“In southeast Florida, for example, the land can be swampy, so we look at the entire site around the property. If it’s in a residential neighborhood, we’re looking for a park, a body of water, drainage canals or a woodline close to the property. Any of those conditions can contribute to the overall rodent population in the area. Conducting that thorough site inspection in addition to your structural inspection helps you determine what game plan, what course of action, to use for rodent control,” he said.

Like many PMPs, Barber has found that structural modifications, exclusion and monitoring can go a long way in helping with long-term rodent control. For shorter-term rodent management, he uses everything from mechanical and glue traps to liquid, solid and fine-crushed meal baits, depending on the scenario.

“Rats get trap- and bait-shy, so product rotation is critical,” he said.

Judging from the small number of PMPs who reported experiencing rodenticide resistance — just 21 percent — and the broad variety of products they said they use (see accompanying chart), product rotation is a widely accepted practice.

“The key to successful rodent control is recognizing that there’s not a standard one-size-fits-all protocol,” Barber concluded.

“Each situation is different, each structure is different; it comes with its own nuances as to what you’ll need to do to gain control. There are protocols you put into place at a bare minimum, but to really solve the problem and keep the rodents away, you need to determine on a case-by-case basis what’s going to be best for that site.”