Out of sight out of mind?

Sorry for the late post this week. I’ve been in Washington, DC at the Federal Bed Bug Summit (http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/ppdc/bedbug-summit/2nd-bedbug-summit.html). The first day was packed with presentations from those in the know in the bed bug world. These presentations will be posted eventually. I posted a lot about bed bugs in January so I’m not going to go into details today. I’ll draw from the presentations and discussions for future posts. 

I mention where I was for two reasons. First, I want to give you all credit for stepping up to the plate on the bed bug issue. Of all the potentially affected sectors, the two that were best represented at the summit, from my observations, were affordable housing and the pest control industry. Hearing public housing agencies talk about how they have instituted bed bug control programs was so encouraging. It does seem that many PHAs are setting the standard for bed bug management in their local areas and for the country. Because of the nature of the pest, low-income housing will likely always be blamed as one source for the bed bug problem. I commend you for also being a source for the solution.

Second, I feel compelled to give an excuse for the late post because it appears that people really are following this blog! Since its inception on August 30, 2010 124 people have signed up to receive the posts by e-mail each week…not including my mom. In addition, the site has had well over 2,000 pageviews. I’m honored. Thank you. 

So I am posting today so that I will not be, as the title states: out of sight, out of mind. Speaking of which, how are your Norway Rats doing?

Back in September, in preparation for fall in the northern states, I posted about mice. Mouse control is pertinent in the fall because the little pests try to come inside to escape the cold, but ideally mouse control would be on your agenda for the summer. Knowing your enemy (in this case the mouse) and taking steps to prevent it is key to an IPM program. Ideally when temperatures drop, mice won’t be able to find their way in.

Similarly, winter is a great time for Norway Rat control in colder climates. Rats don’t hibernate, but they’re also not making lots of babies when resources (food, water, and shelter) are limited. So if you’ve only got a few rats this time of year, focus your efforts and get it down to none. In warmer climates, the same concept would apply during a dry season—or whenever resources are limited and the rats may be stressed. If you knock down a rat population when they are not stressed, it takes 6 months to recover. If you knock it down when resources are limited, it can take 12 months to recover. You quite literally can get more bang for your buck.

So here are your action items for February:

1.  Check all exterior bait stations. If left unchecked, rats will move into bait stations—stuffing them with comfy bedding material and not necessarily eating from the hotel bait buffet. And if there isn’t bait in the station, you literally are simply providing housing for rats.
2. Take a walk around your property and make note of plants that could be providing cover for rats. Think like a rat and note the plants you would hang out under. Shrubs that touch the ground provide harborage for rats. You don’t want to prune in the dead of winter, but you should before new growth gets going in the spring. You will see the benefits of this next winter when the rats are literally left out in the cold. For those of you who want to kill pests, but not plants—here’s some guidance on pruning: http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/dg0628.html

Have a wonderful Super Bowl weekend!

 

 

Reference for the population rebound info: 

Davis, D.E. 1953. The characteristics of rat populations. Quarterly Review of Biology. 28(4): 373-401.

Emlen, J.T Jr., A.W. Stokes, and  C.P. Winsor. 1948. The rate of recovery of decimated populations of brown rats in nature. Ecology. 29 (2): 133-145

FRANTZ. S.C. and D.E. DAVIS — 1991. Bionomics and integrated pest management of commensal rodents. Pages 243-313. In: Ecology and management of food industry pests. J. R. Gorham (Ed.). Assoc. Offic. Anal. Chem. Arlington, Va.

GARDNER-SANTANA, L.C., D.E. NORRIS, C.M. FORNADEL, E.R. HINSON, S.L. KLEIN, AND G. E. GLASS. 2009.  Commensal ecology, urban landscapes, and their influence on the genetic characteristics of city-dwelling Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus).   Molecular Ecology. 20 May.

GLASS G. E, J.E. CHILDS, G.W. KORCH and J. W. LeDUC.  1989.  Comparative ecology and social interactions of Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus)populations in Baltimore, Maryland. Occas Pap Mus Nat Hist.  Univ. Kans.; 130: l-33.

 

Comments

[James Butler]

I was at the bed bug summit and agree on your comments. It was a great opportunity for stakeholders to come together and I'm hopeful of the outcome. When I get a chance, I'll read your older posts. Keep up the blog!

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