Farmers can stop rodents from moving around their site after 24 hours and gain complete control in as few as seven days, just by choosing the right rodenticide, according to leading pest control manufacturer BASF.

When signs of rats or mice are spotted, it’s important that farmers act fast to reduce the risks posed by these common pests.

Having rats and mice active on farms comes with a host of issues, including:

A recent national rodent control survey showed that 92% of farmers have used rodenticides on their farm in the last year, but with so many rodenticide baits on the market, how do you choose which bait is best?

From anticoagulants to non-anticoagulants, and hard blocks, soft blocks, pellets, paste and grain available, is can be difficult to decide which is the most effective solution.

One of the most important factors to consider, though, is the speed of control.

Anticoagulant rodenticides usually take 21-28 days to control an infestation, which means that these risks of damage, loss and contamination continue to occur around a site for some weeks after the initial treatment.

BASF has introduced a new non-anticoagulant rodenticide, Selontra, to combat this, using the active ingredient cholecalciferol to stop rodents in their tracks.

The soft block bait causes death from hypercalcaemia; the accumulation of too much calcium in the blood. This results in rodents stopping feeding, on both the bait and any available food on the farm, 24 hours after consuming a lethal dose, quickly putting a stop to disease, contamination and damage to the site.

Sharon Hughes, BASF pest control solutions specialist, commented: “Not only does Selontra have a stop feed effect, causing rodents to cease feeding once a lethal amount of bait has been eaten, it is also effective on rats and mice with rodenticide resistance, non-bioaccumulative and readily metabolised by rodents, balancing performance and environmental impact.

"This also means that farmers’ valuable time can be spent focusing on their many other daily tasks.”

To help raise awareness of rodenticide resistance and encourage best practice across farms, BASF has launched a new digital portal offering farmers the chance to gain CPD points through an interactive rodent control training programme.

Find out more about Selontra and gain CPD points at click here.