By: Bell Laboratories
Pulse baiting is a term and concept that will become increasingly more important in rodent control. Pulse baiting is the use of a non-active monitoring bait to first diagnose activity in bait stations. Once activity is confirmed, an active bait is placed in the bait station. In rodent control, pulse baiting refers to taking the “pulse” of the account, since technicians will not face the same amount of rodent pressure throughout the lifetime of an account. As more and more companies implement Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs, it is important to keep in mind that you can’t have a successful IPM program without pulse baiting.
DETEX®, Bell’s non-toxic rodent monitoring bait, is one tool that Pest Management Professionals (PMPs) must have in their toolbox. Using a monitoring bait such as DETEX in an IPM program is essentially “taking the pulse” of the activity at the account. DETEX becomes the information gathering tool—providing PMPs with crucial information about where the rodents are going, where they’re coming from and the severity of the infestation. From this information, the PMP will be able to develop a decisive plan for where to install traps and bait stations, which will help in selecting the right bait. Consider using DETEX in rotation with an active bait as part of any rodent baiting program. By doing so, any PMP will be able to understand activity at the site by monitoring and tracking any new issues. In addition to acting as an information gathering tool, monitoring using also has the benefit of allowing rodents to accept the bait station as a trusted and safe environment. Due to the activity the station will accumulate the scent of rodent feces, urine, and pheromones. Pulse baiting is a tool that can help PMPs overcome customers who may not be comfortable using a rodenticide at first at their home or place of business.
When selecting which bait to include in your active bait rotation, Bell recommends beginning with a fast-acting acute rodenticide, such as FASTRAC® BLOX®. FASTRAC is Bell’s fastest acting BLOX rodenticide, killing rodents in as little as one or two days after they consume a lethal dose. We refer to this as the “knock-down” phase of the pulse baiting process—taking advantage of the rodents’ accumulated trust for the bait station as a reliable feeding ground. CONTRAC or FINAL can be used as an alternative to FASTRAC, when PMPs or accounts are used to baiting with second generation anticoagulants. This can be particularly effective in situations where rodent-bait shyness, palatability, or account preferences are concerns.
Once rodents have consumed the active bait and your account is at the agreed upon activity threshold, you now have the ability to bolster your program by implementing the next non-toxic monitoring step of the process, this will allow you to maintain your rodent activity baseline using trend analysis. It is our belief that future rodent control technology will soon make pulse baiting the industry standard.