Prevent Fall Rodents with Effective Grain Storage Management
The air is crisp, leaves are falling, and combines are in the fields. Fall and harvest season is finally here and it’s time to see if your grain storage management systems are up to par! While farmers are finally seeing the results of their hard work, they may be seeing something else; rodents. Not only do rats and mice have a strong presence this time of year, but they can also wreak havoc on a farm.
The impact of rodents on grain storage
Not surprisingly, stored grain is an ideal target for rodents, and most of the damage they deliver can be found around bins. Naturally, the first direct hit comes from consumed grain. Rats can eat 25 grams of grain each day while mice consume 3-4 grams. This may not seem like a lot, but when considering their explosive populations, it eventually adds up. With just a 22-day gestation period and reproductive maturity reached at five weeks, two rats have the potential to produce 2,000 descendants in a year. Additionally, what goes in eventually must come out. Rodent feces can lead to grain contamination resulting in lower quality grades and price dockage.
Damage to bin setups and equipment
Rodents can also cause damage to bin setups and equipment by chewing through wires. This results in short circuits, sparks, and fires. In fact, rodents cost US farmers over $8 billion each year in farm equipment repairs. It makes sense rodents consume grain for food, but chewing wires also? Turns out, their growth and development are to blame for the constant gnawing, a huge issue when it comes to grain storage management.
A pair of incisor teeth with a hard-outer layer can explain the extreme damage rodents are capable of. To add to it, their teeth are continuously growing at a rapid pace, and chewing keeps their teeth worn down to a comfortable level.
Farmer’s stored grain and equipment doesn’t have to fall victim to these pests. Motomco has a full line of products to stop rodents and protect farmers’ hard-earned investments. Stocking up on Motomco products is a must this fall season. See the chart below of effective grain storage management solutions.
Product Name | Product Information | Best Uses |
Tomcat Pails |
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Consumer Rodenticides |
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Tomcat Bait Stations |
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Tomcat Glue Boards |
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Tomcat Mechanical Traps |
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Tomcat with Bromethalin Pails |
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Hawk Pails |
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Jaguar Pails |
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To help your customers battle rodents this season, talk to your Stutsman TSM for more information on Motomco.
Ready to wage battle with rodents yourself? Find your localStutsman dealer hereand implement the right grain storage management solution for your needs.
Sources:
https://www.dtnpf.com/agriculture/web/ag/perspectives/blogs/machinery-chatter/blog-post/2018/09/07/mice-machinery
http://www.knowledgebank.irri.org/step-by-step-production/postharvest/storage/storage-pests/rodents-as-storage-pest
http://discovermagazine.com/2006/dec/20-things-rats
https://www.msdvetmanual.com/all-other-pets/rats/breeding-and-reproduction-of-rats