Baiting the 3 Lines of Defense
By Patrick Lynch
VP of Sales-West
Bell Laboratories
Rats will travel 90 to 450 feet from their nesting area to their food source, and mice 10 to 30 feet. This
means rodents can gain access to a building from any number of entrances. It also means there are
many points to intercept rodents from entering a building in the first place. For successful rodent
elimination, using a combination of baiting and trapping to secure the three lines of defense – the
perimeter, exterior, and interior of a property, is a necessity.
As the first line of defense, place bait or traps along the perimeter of a property. BLOX bait can be used
100 feet from man-made structures when secured inside bait stations, and snap traps can be used along
fence lines and perimeters further than 100 feet from buildings. Placing bait and traps in tamper-resistant
bait stations ensures the elements and non-targets are kept out.
The second line of defense is the exterior of a building. Rodents tend to gravitate to warm air currents or
where food odors emerge. Optimal placement for bait and traps is in tamper-resistant bait stations
around entry doors and along the building. Depending on the severity of the infestation at the account,
this can be about 8-12 foot intervals for mice, and 15-30 foot intervals for rats.
Finally, the interior of a building is the last line of defense. To eliminate rodents, you will need to think
three-dimensionally (up, down, and to the sides). Rats will climb, mice will scurry along runways and both
will look for food sources. Place bait stations along rodent runways and where you see signs of rodents
such as by droppings, gnaw marks, or sebum trails.
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When baiting the three lines of defense, using a monitoring bait like Detex with Lumitrack at every
account can provide valuable information to you and your technicians. With Lumitrack, droppings will
glow under UV light after rodents ingest the non-toxic bait. This provides clues about where rodents are
traveling, living, feeding, and entering in your accounts.
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Additionally, monitoring baits with Lumitrack provide evidence on whether or not exclusion techniques
are working when bait is placed in exterior stations. If you find glowing droppings inside an account, it is
proof that rodents are still entering the structure, and gives clues as to where they are gaining access.
Monitoring baits are also useful in maintenance accounts by making bait stations more attractive to
rodents. When rodents grow accustomed to feeding in a station, they leave pheromone trails in and
around the area. This attracts more rodents to the bait station when the need arises to place toxic
rodenticides.
When choosing rodent bait stations for each line of defense, consider these three features:
Time saving: Time is money. Use stations designed for quick servicing; decreased service time means
more time in accounts. The extra time can be used to better inspect rodent activity, implement
exclusionary measures or to enhance profitability.
Versatility: Consider choosing a station that accommodates a variety of baiting techniques and
placements. A versatile station can hold snap traps and different bait formulations.
Design: Choose stations that blend into the environment or surroundings. Customers will be willing to
pay more for stations that are camouflaged in their environment.