06/13/18
Rodent Control
Please remember that there are pets and children that could be harmed by poison. Any poison must be used in accordance with its labeling, ie specific to the animal you are trying to control. Some animal killers are much more toxic than others and should really be avoided.
VOLES! #$#@ Cashman Nursery (2017) had a free class on Voles. Thank you Cashman’s!! This has been an especially bad year for Voles. Typically population booms go in cycles of 3-5 years. If there is a mild winter and wet spring as these are ideal conditions for reproduction. The class was taught by Stephen Vantassel from the Lewistown branch of the Montana Department of Agriculture. It was a very informative class. Here is a link to the web site with more information.
Montana Department of Agriculture Vertebrate Pest website
On this web site there is a list of publications you can download in PDF. The one on Voles at the bottom of the list.
At the class he mentioned one that is least likely to have secondary poisoning issues. Please see below:
“The three toxicants I mentioned were Eraze AG (12455-131-3240), Ramik Greeen Mini Bait Pakcs (61282-23) and Kaput Rand & Mouse Bait (72500-6). Parentheses contain the EPA registration numbers. Suppliers can use those numbers to look up the product. Just a clarification on the Eraze product. You can have unintended kills with any toxicant, such as when the wrong animal eats it. I was simply noting that with Eraze and other Zinc Phosphide products the risk of secondary poisoning is practically zero. Secondary poisoning refers to what happens when a poisoned animal is eaten by another animal like a scavenger. With anticoagulants, the poison can transfer to the scavenger. But with zinc phosphide, it is usually liberated off so that the toxicant is not available to the scavenger feeding on the poisoned animal.”
** Remember whenever using pesticides follow the label because “The Label is the Law.”
Contact information
Questions are welcome
Stephen M. Vantassel, CWCP
Vertebrate Pest Specialist
Montana Department of Agriculture
625 NE Main St. Ste 3
Lewistown, MT 59457
406 538 3004 p