Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings collection
Date of this Version
March 1988
Document Type
Article
Abstract
CONCLUSIONS (1) Exterior house mice (M- musculus) were the source (SOS) of 90% or more of the potential interior house mouse problems in these food warehouses and other buildings. (2) The use of a palatable bagged mouse bait inside a totally enclosed elevated mouse-sized bait station (MAJ-ik-BOX), along with self-setting multi-catch lever mouse traps (TIN CATS) "bunched" together at potential mouse entries safely and effectively eliminated an estimated 99% or more of the migrating exterior mice living or running next to the foundations of buildings. (3) The effectiveness of the "bunched" mouse-sized bait station/multi-catch trap in controlling 99% of the exterior mice greatly reduced the need for interior control procedures. (4) Bunching equipment at entries reduced the number of exterior bait stations and traps needed, saving service time, expensive bait, plus being easier and quicker to inspect and service. (5) Long lengths of foundation wall served as a "mouse funnel" to "herd" the surrounding areas' migrating mice to this "bunched" equipment. 6) Expensive glue boards and labor-intensive mouse snap traps, along with the expensive "call backs," were not needed for interior mouse control. (7) The use of toxic baits and toxic tracking powders placed among the palleted packaged proc¬essed food was not used. This use violates recognized Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) in the food industry. (8) Effective house mouse stoppage was accomplished with a minimum of tools and expense. (9) House mice (M. muscu-lus) were approximately 80% or more of the total interior rodent contamination problem for the food warehouses in the localized areas studied and surveyed during the six year period compared with the Norway rat (R. norvegjeus), which was only 20% or less. Facing the potential legal problems in mouse control, this system protects the PCOs and the food sanitarians from: (1) Loss of effective rodenticides due to lawsuits filed by the National Coalition Against the Misuse of Pesticides (NCAMP), because the rodenticides are exposed in tamper-resistant bait stations just as the label specifies. (2) FDA citations of clients or the food sanitarian employer due to interior rodenticide contamination or mouse contamination of food products. (3) A lawsuit for contamination by a rodenticide in the food by the general public. (4) Excessive costs to control exterior mice which have invaded the interior of the building.