Jan 13, 2012 – Going Tubular
QUESTION:
My company will begin servicing a bird area of a local zoo for rodent control. Because of the large amount of current mouse activity as well as food competition, I don't want to use bait. My idea is to use 2" diameter pieces of PVC tubing cut 12" long, and put a tin cat glue board in it. What is your opinion on this idea?
ANSWER:
Your idea sounds like it could work, assuming the rodents are primarily mice. Two inches in diameter sounds a bit narrow for a larger rat to comfortably try to travel through, even though it could, and rolling a paper glue trap so that it fits within the tube and still allows the rodent to pass through it might be a trick. Perhaps a slightly larger diameter pipe? Just my thought. And, there are commercial rodent "stations" that could also be used for just traps or glue pads, and these would be more serviceable and formed so they could be secured to the soil or any other surface you set them on. If you did get a mouse or rat on the glue within the small PVC tube it might be difficult to extract it, particularly if it is still alive, and even though we may feel no sympathy for certain rodents there are plenty of people who do, and who would not want that rodent to "suffer" inside the tube. It would need to be dispatched quickly.
View past Ask Mr. Pest Control questions.
My company will begin servicing a bird area of a local zoo for rodent control. Because of the large amount of current mouse activity as well as food competition, I don't want to use bait. My idea is to use 2" diameter pieces of PVC tubing cut 12" long, and put a tin cat glue board in it. What is your opinion on this idea?
ANSWER:
Your idea sounds like it could work, assuming the rodents are primarily mice. Two inches in diameter sounds a bit narrow for a larger rat to comfortably try to travel through, even though it could, and rolling a paper glue trap so that it fits within the tube and still allows the rodent to pass through it might be a trick. Perhaps a slightly larger diameter pipe? Just my thought. And, there are commercial rodent "stations" that could also be used for just traps or glue pads, and these would be more serviceable and formed so they could be secured to the soil or any other surface you set them on. If you did get a mouse or rat on the glue within the small PVC tube it might be difficult to extract it, particularly if it is still alive, and even though we may feel no sympathy for certain rodents there are plenty of people who do, and who would not want that rodent to "suffer" inside the tube. It would need to be dispatched quickly.
I agree that using bait around exotic birds is not the best of ideas. There is always that slight chance that the bait could somehow get kicked out or dragged out by the rodents and left where birds could then peck at it. Whether or not you were at fault, if a bird dies during your control program the finger is going to point at you, and exotic animals in zoos are usually pretty pricey. Trapping within a secured and tamper-resistant station is better. The stations also may be able to be placed outside of the actual aviary itself, giving even more assurance that the birds cannot mess with your work. But, inside works too. Also keep in mind that fake "rocks" exist that are actually rodent stations, and these might be even more aesthetically acceptable within an aviary. They can be secured to the surface and various kinds of traps placed within them.
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