Transforming Rodent Management on a Commercial Poultry Unit

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Following a chance conversation at the local rugby club, the owner invited Wilde Pest Control to review the existing rodent management programme.

Although regular pest control visits were taking place, the customer remained concerned about rodent activity across the poultry unit and farmyard. 

Documentation produced during inspections often lacked sufficient detail, resulting in additional paperwork being requested during audit inspections.

The existing programme relied on only 16 bait points to protect five poultry sheds together with the surrounding farmyard.

A full assessment was carried out to determine whether the monitoring programme reflected the size, layout and operational risks associated with the business.

The site assessment identified several opportunities to improve both rodent monitoring and documentation.

These included:

• Limited bait station coverage across the site.

• Insufficient monitoring of likely rodent entry routes.

• Poor trend analysis.

• Documentation that failed to clearly demonstrate site conditions, activity levels and management decisions.

• Additional paperwork regularly requested during audit inspections to clarify treatment records.

Rather than making incremental changes, the entire programme was redesigned around the operational needs of the site.

The monitoring network was expanded from 16 bait points to more than 50 strategically positioned bait stations.

Every bait station was:

✓ Secured to paving slabs for stability and consistency.

✓ Positioned using evidence of rodent movement and site risk.

✓ Numbered and mapped for complete traceability.

✓ A structured bait management system was also introduced.

Instead of placing loose bait directly into stations, each bait allocation was sealed into 250 g bags.

This provided several important advantages:

• Reduced contamination from moisture and slugs.

• Accurate measurement of bait consumption.

• Improved trend analysis.

• Better understanding of rodent movement around the site.

• More consistent replenishment decisions.

Every inspection now produces measurable data that supports informed management decisions, trend analysis and audit compliance. 

During the initial review, the poultry unit was also managing a salmonella issue, making effective rodent control an important part of the site's wider biosecurity strategy.

Rodents are recognised as a potential vector for the spread of disease within poultry units. As part of the revised management programme, a structured rodent monitoring and baiting plan was implemented alongside the farm's existing cleaning and disinfection procedures.

Since introducing the revised programme, the site has successfully addressed its salmonella issue while maintaining rodent activity at very low levels. Although successful biosecurity outcomes depend on a range of measures, effective rodent management formed an important part of the overall strategy.

 The redesigned programme delivered measurable improvements across the site.

✓ Rodent activity reduced to very low levels.

✓ Monitoring data became significantly more reliable.

✓ Bait consumption could be accurately measured and analysed.

✓ The customer gained greater confidence in the effectiveness of the programme.

✓ Audit inspections became simpler through clearer, more comprehensive documentation.

Perhaps most importantly, instead of requiring multiple additional forms during inspections, one comprehensive inspection record now provides the information required for routine monitoring and audit purposes.

The revised documentation has received consistently positive feedback from external auditors, who undertake pre-audit farm inspections, for its clarity, structure and attention to detail.

"We had ongoing rodent problems and the documentation never really gave us a clear picture of what was happening across the site. Rob completely redesigned the monitoring programme, increased the baiting coverage and introduced a far more structured approach. The difference has been significant, both from a rodent control and audit perspective."
 

— M. H Davies

Successful rodent management is rarely achieved by simply increasing the amount of bait used.

Every site presents different challenges, including food availability, harbourage, rodent behaviour and, in some cases, rodenticide resistance.

By identifying the underlying causes of the infestation and adapting the management programme accordingly, long-term control was achieved while supporting the customer's biosecurity and ongoing business operations.

Effective rodent management on poultry units is about far more than placing bait.

A well-designed monitoring programme provides the information needed to protect livestock, support biosecurity, satisfy audits and identify changes in rodent activity before they become significant problems.

We don't assume. We investigate.