Mouse Baiting
South East Air Ag – Loading Mouse Bait
South East Air Ag have baited hundreds of thousands of hectares for mice over the last two decades.
The amount baited each year is usually dependant on whether seasonal conditions are conducive for mice to breed.
Mice usually breed in areas where they find grain on the ground from the previous harvest and left unchecked will cause major damage to emerging crops that often will require re-seeding and further treatment. Mice can also cause damage to crops prior to harvest.
Both sterilised and non-sterilized wheat coated with zinc phosphide are used for bait.
Aerial baiting by South East Air Ag for mice has proven to be very effective for the following reasons:
- We use a meterate with a venturi spreader in conjunction with GPS guidance on our aircraft to accurately and evenly apply low rates of mouse bait.
- Application rates can be varied easily by as little as 100 gm/ha at the turn of a dial.
- Large areas can be treated in a short time.
- Areas inaccessible by ground are easily treated by air leaving no refuge areas for pests to breed in.
- Most importantly, aerial baiting is very economical.
Snail Baiting
South East Air Ag have been baiting for snails and slugs since around 2010 where they have become a problem for farmers in our area. Snails can contaminate harvested grain.
We have recently seen higher delivery standards introduced by CBH to reduce the number of snails allowed in growers harvested samples. A high number of snails in the sample will result in the load being rejected and the need for cleaning of the entire load that was to be delivered. This causes frustrating delays and associated cost impacts.
Snails and slugs can cause significant damage to seedlings, to the extent that re-seeding is often required.
Various types of snail bait are used, this generally depends on seasonal conditions, whether it is wet or dry and price and availability.
When rates as low as 5kg/ha are used, we use our meterate and venturi spreader. However, rates from 8 – 12 kg/ha are generally the norm. These rates are too high for the meterates’ capability, in which case the normal hopper door is used where the rate can be set by a vernier screw control in the cockpit of the aircraft. The venturi spreader is again used to ensure an even spread of bait.
Like mouse baiting, large areas can be treated in a short time. Areas inaccessible by ground are easily treated by air, leaving no refuge areas for snails to continue to breed in.
Snail baiting by air is very economical.
Talk to us about your mouse and snail baiting needs
Whatever your mouse or snail baiting needs, if you are located within the Esperance Port Zone, we are confident that we can help you. Perhaps you have another aerial application need? Contact South East Air Ag to discuss how we can assist you.
