Threat of rats
Every year, these pests cause irreparable damage to livestock and agriculture. The damage amounts to millions. They eat grain reserves, infect large and small livestock, as well as poultry with serious infections. The greatest danger lies in the fact that rats can carry encephalitis and plague, which affect the heart and are often fatal. These diseases are quite easily transmitted through their bites and saliva that remains on the food of livestock.
In addition, rodents can spread hepatitis, giardiasis, worms, tularemia, etc. Moreover, in a domestic animal, signs of the disease often do not appear, as a result of which it is easily transmitted to people. Therefore, the fight against rats is so important for any economic entity.
The favorite habitat of these animals are barns, which are quite warm and always have food and water. However, such a neighborhood can lead to unpleasant consequences:
- infection of livestock;
- destruction of food supplies;
- damage to wiring, which often causes short circuits and fires;
- destruction of ducklings and chickens.
Failure to control pests can cause serious damage to your household. It is very important to promptly notice their presence and take measures to destroy them. These rodents reach maturity in the fifth week of life, after which they are already able to produce offspring. They usually have a new litter every month and a half, or even more often. In one brood there are from two to twenty individuals. It is already much more problematic to deal with such a number of pests.
Chemicals
Pesticides are considered very effective in the fight against such “guests”. They can be divided depending on their direction of action:
- intestinal agents, usually containing sodium arsenic, the rat needs to eat the poison;
- contact substances, they affect the respiratory system and burn the skin of rodents;
- fumigation complexes poison rats through their respiratory system.
As for the release form, everything is very diverse here: granules, powders, tablets, liquids, sprays, etc. Many medications need to be mixed with food; follow the instructions as strictly as possible.
If you decide to use pesticides, take care of your children and pets. Of course, the effectiveness of the fight directly depends on the initial quality of the poison, so it is advisable not to buy it secondhand.
An integrated approach to rodent control
To catch a rat in a barn, it makes sense to use several methods at once. If one does not help, another will be effective. The most popular methods include:
- Use of rat-catching cats . These animals are housed directly in the barn with the livestock. However, it is important to note that only special breeds of cats are suitable for such purposes. In addition, they are unlikely to be able to completely exterminate rodents. They are rather bred for prevention, as well as to reduce the number of pests.
- The use of folk remedies, such as ash, various herbs and mixtures , laid out in the corners of the room. The problem with this method lies in the fact that rats are rather cunning animals that over time get used to such poisons. As a result, these funds do not work on them.
- Decomposition of chemical poisons. They are presented on the markets in a large assortment, which helps prevent addiction in rodents. But these mixtures do not act immediately, but after ten to thirty hours. And dead animals are often difficult to find, which is why an unpleasant odor spreads into the room.
- Coating the surface around the bait with special glue. Rodents simply stick to the substance when they try to get to the food, and can no longer escape.
- Arrangement of mechanical rat traps. This method cannot be called effective, since it is very difficult to lure rodents into such traps.
- Use of ultrasonic repellers . Today this is one of the most effective and modern methods of pest control. The operating principle of such devices is based on the emission of ultrasonic waves, perceived only by rats. However, it is worth considering that the animals do not die, but simply leave a certain territory.
- Hiring specialists for sanitary treatment of premises. The method is very reliable, but expensive.
Tips and tricks
To prevent rats from returning, you need to follow preventive measures.
- Ventilate the room. This will ensure a normal microclimate and prevent the spread of infection.
- Use galvanized mesh fencing, fill the floor with concrete with fiberglass as a layer.
- Ensure regular trash removal and removal of leftover food.
- Store feed and grain in separate places that are equipped with protection from pests.
So, following the appropriate rules will prevent rodents from appearing in the barn (read the article here for the 10 best ways to catch a rat).
Popular types of poisons
The modern market provides a fairly wide selection of poisons based on various active ingredients. Among them are:
- Preparations containing aluminum and zinc phosphides. Such mixtures are very toxic and can cause poisoning to humans and domestic animals, so they are used with extreme caution.
- Poisons made from brodifacoum or flocumafen. They have good efficiency in relation to the low price.
- Agents based on α-naphthylthiourea . They are considered very effective poisons.
- Highly toxic strychnine and arsenic, banned in many countries. Incredibly difficult to find for sale.
Rat poison is available in several forms:
- Plastic mass of various colors. The structure of such a substance is similar to meat, due to which rodents readily respond to it.
- Liquids that are attractive to pests only if there are no water sources in the pigsty or chicken coop.
- Poisoned grains , popular due to their small size, as a result of which they can be placed without problems even in hard-to-reach places.
- Solid granules with poison. They are similar in appearance to dog or cat food, which is why they are kept away from pets.
- Gels spread on the surface in the desired areas. They attract rats well with their smell, but stains from them are very difficult to remove.
- Dry powders are not particularly popular among users because they are difficult to use. To prepare solutions from them, it is imperative to wear protective clothing.
Modern equipment against the enemy
Rats are animals that have long learned to adapt to everything.
Sometimes traditional methods are not enough to get rid of them. Therefore, many modern devices have been invented that will quickly and safely exterminate parasites. They differ in shape, power and method of operation. For example, an ultrasonic repeller operating through an electrical network. Its sound is inaudible to humans. But the waves it emits are irritating to rats. It will be possible to get rid of them; they will simply leave the room themselves. Just remember that after a while they may return. Therefore, for prevention, it is worth turning on the device again after a few days.
If there are no sockets in the barn, then battery-powered devices have been created specifically for this purpose. Many modern devices react to noise and light and begin to work harder. There is a guarantee that living creatures will completely disappear. The instructions indicate that the complete disposal process lasts about three weeks.
This technique can affect people and other animals, if only one has an increased sensitivity to such things. You can easily buy such equipment in stores or order it on Internet sites.
Traditional methods of rodent control
The most common folk remedies include:
- Gypsum mixed with milk . Our ancestors used this method quite successfully. Preparing such a mixture is not difficult at all. To do this, gypsum is simply mixed with milk until smooth. The resulting “drink” is poured into a saucer and placed in the likely habitat of rats.
- The smell of machine oil, turpentine or gasoline is good at repelling pests . They coat all corners and crevices. But the use of these substances requires compliance with safety precautions, since they are flammable.
- Rodents prefer to live in comfortable conditions. Ashes sprinkled on the floor of the barn will cause them some inconvenience, since the rats will have to constantly clean their paws. This method often helps drive them out of their usual habitat.
- Sawdust mixed one to one with vegetable oil and a piece of bread can cause the death of an animal due to digestive problems.
- Placing blackroot tops near them will help drive rats . Its smell is unbearable for these animals, but does not cause any inconvenience to humans. For prevention, this plant is planted around the perimeter of the barn. Red elderberry and wormwood also have a similar effect.
- A mixture of sugar, flour and soda in a ratio of 2:1:1 has a detrimental effect on the stomach of pests.
- Placing broken glass or glass wool in holes and crevices can be considered quite effective.
Is it worth buying chemicals?
Although traditional methods usually work, commercial chemicals still provide better results. This drug has good ingredients and can quickly infect and kill rats. At any hardware store you can buy chemical preparations: aerosol cans, gels, powders or ready-made traps for rodents. The most common chemicals include the following: Plague Death, Raid, Storm, Goliath. To summarize this article, rats are not allowed to breed under any circumstances as it can lead to dangerous consequences. The most important thing is to act in time so that you and your livestock are safe, and you forever forget about the presence of harmful rodents.
Extermination of rats in a pigsty
The most popular habitats for rodents are pigsties, from which it can be quite difficult to drive them out. This is primarily due to the fact that most pest control methods are dangerous to pets.
Before getting rid of rats in a pigsty, you need to carefully consider your actions and the possible consequences they can lead to. When controlling pests with chemicals, it is important to ensure that particles of toxic drugs do not get into the food prepared for animals. Otherwise, this can lead to the death of even adult pigs. In addition, with this method, in the future the question may arise of how to get rid of the smell in the pigsty emanating from dead rodents.
If a decision is made to exterminate rats with the help of SES employees or a smoke bomb, the pigs must be moved to another room for a certain time.
The safest methods include the use of folk remedies, such as sprinkling the floor with ash and hanging plants with an unpleasant odor for rats. It is better not to place blackroot, elderberry and wormwood low, as they can end up in livestock feed.
Effective methods include the use of a special adhesive composition. It is applied in places inaccessible to pigs.
Ultrasonic devices that affect only the auditory receptors of rodents also cope well with their tasks. However, they are somewhat inconvenient to use because they require a power source. And those in barns are quite rare.
How to protect a chicken coop
Even after the rats have left the chicken coop, you should not relax. The rodents could return at any moment and this time the methods used in the past will most likely be ineffective. Therefore, as soon as the rodents disappear from sight, it is necessary to prepare the chicken coop and prevent a new invasion:
- If the floor in the chicken coop is earthen, then it must be strengthened . To do this, the top layer of earth is removed by about 40 cm and expanded clay is filled in. The expanded clay layer should be about 25-30 cm. A chain-link mesh with a cell size of 5x5 mm is laid on top of it and earth is poured on top. It is important that the expanded clay and metal mesh are not below the level of the foundation base. The floor can also be made entirely of concrete, and sawdust or sand can be used as the top layer.
- The walls in the chicken coop must also be reinforced. If they are not made of stone or brick, then it is necessary to strengthen them by caulking all possible holes, joints and cracks. Not only the walls, but also the roof should be strengthened.
- Even after the floor and walls of the chicken coop are strengthened, it is necessary to maintain cleanliness and order inside the building. This will help to detect traces of rodents in time if they somehow get into the chicken coop again.
