Year-Round Rodent Control: Protecting Your Bottom Line and Biosecurity

Rodents aren't just a nuisance—they're a significant and costly threat to your profitability and biosecurity. With constant access to feed, water, and shelter, your pig or poultry facility is prime real estate for rats and mice.

BY THE NUMBERS: THE TRUE COST OF RODENTS
Adult rats consume about one ounce of feed daily, but contaminate enough to cause total losses of up to two ounces per day, 46 pounds annually. Mississippi State Extension, Controlling Rodents on the Poultry Farm.

• Each rat costs you: $4-$8+ annually in feed losses alone
• A 200-rat infestation costs: $800-$1,600/year just in feed
• Plus: Structural damage, fire risk, biosecurity threats, and poor feed conversion

The Real Cost of Doing Nothing
A single rat consumes and contaminates about 46 pounds of feed per year. Using soybean meal at $300–$360 per ton — consistent with outlooks farmdoc daily, Prospects for Swine Feed Costs in the Second Half of 2025— a 200-rat infestation in a 2,000-head hog operation could mean $1,400–$1,600 in feed losses annually.

Beyond feed, rodents compromise biosecurity by acting as disease vectors, moving contamination from external habitats directly into your clean zones.

Know Your Population
Understanding your rodent population helps gauge the urgency of control efforts:

• Signs but no sightings: 1-100 rodents
• Occasional nighttime sightings: 100-500 rodents
• Nightly sighting, some daytime: 500-1,000 rodents
• Multiple daytime sightings: Up to 5,000 rodents

Combine these estimates with trap captures and bait station monitoring for a more accurate picture.

Three Essential Rodent Control Strategies:
1. Identify the population: Conduct regular night inspections with strong lighting, especially at sunset and sunrise. Check attics, crawl spaces, and feed storage areas.
2. Create a clean border around buildings: Keep perimeter vegetation cut back. Remove excess boxes, bags, and clutter that provide hiding spots.
3. Year-Round Baiting with Rotation: Follow a year-round baiting program, changing the active ingredients and bait textures. This rotation helps to reduce bait resistance.

With feed costs exceeding $300 per ton and heightened disease risk, proactive rodent control isn't optional—it's essential to protecting your investment. Learn more about rodenticides and bait stations.