Warning that rodents are moving into farm buildings earlier than usual this year

Farmers are being warned to watch out for rodents making their way into farm buildings earlier than usual this year, as drought conditions and an early harvest reduce food, water and cover.

Technical and key accounts director at LodiUK Ross Goodman says the earlier harvest and prolonged drought period will displace rodents from habitats and drive them towards farmyards and buildings in search for food and water.

“Vegetation is very dry and, combined with crops coming in earlier, there is less food and cover available to rodents, which will push them elsewhere,” he said.

Goodman says this reflects a shift towards rodent pressure becoming less predictable, as extreme weather makes traditional seasonal patterns increasingly unreliable.

Pressure

“Farmers can no longer rely on the typical four seasons to predict when rodent pressure will begin,” he said.

“Measures need to be in place now to identify rodent activity before populations become established.

“Once you find evidence of rodents, that is the point to assess the scale of the problem and decide on the most appropriate control,” he added.

LodiUK says treatment should follow best practice, which means starting with the least-toxic effective option and taking the scale of the infestation into account.

“Assess the size of the infestation, where rodents are active and make sure bait can be used safely and securely.”