Farm Contractor & Large Scale Farmer
    Twitter LinkedIn
    • FREE Email Newsletters
    • About Us
    • Advertise
    • Subscribe
    • Contact Us
    Twitter LinkedIn
    Podcast
    Farm Contractor & Large Scale Farmer
    • News
      • Arable & Agronomy
      • Dealership News
      • Environmental Land Management Scheme/Policy
      • Event News
      • Health & Safety
      • Machinery
      • People
      • World News
    • Farm Machinery
      • Amenity & Maintenance
      • Cultivations
      • Drilling
      • Grassland Equipment
      • Harvesting
      • Muck & Slurry
      • Sprayers
      • Telehandlers
      • Tractors
      • Tractor of the Year
      • Tyres & Tracks
      • Whatever happened to?
    • Precision Farming
    • Markets & Policy
    • Profiles
      • National Arable and Grassland Awards
      • Company Profiles
      • Reader Profiles
    • Livestock
      • Beef
      • Dairy
      • Sheep
    • Magazines
      1. June 2025 issue
      2. May 2025 issue
      3. April 2025 issue
      4. March 2025 issue
      5. 2025 Tyre Developments supplement
      6. February 2025 issue
      7. National Arable and Grassland Awards supplement
      8. January 2025 issue
      9. December 2024 issue
      10. November 2024 issue
      11. October 2024 issue
      12. September 2024 issue
      13. August 2024 Issue
      14. 2024 Drills and Seeds supplement
      15. July 2024 Issue
      16. Cereals Supplement
      17. June 2024 Issue
      18. May 2024 Issue
      19. April 2024 Issue
      20. Tyres and Tracks Supplement
      21. March 2024 Issue
      22. National Arable & Grassland Award – Meet the Finalists
      23. February 2024 Issue
      24. January 2024 Issue
      25. December 2023
      26. Agritechnica Preview Supplement
      27. November 2023
      28. October 2023
      Featured

      June 2025 issue available now

      By Matthew TiltJune 2, 2025
      Recent

      June 2025 issue available now

      June 2, 2025

      May 2025 issue available now

      May 1, 2025

      April 2025 issue available now

      April 1, 2025
    • Events
    • Podcast
    Farm Contractor & Large Scale Farmer
    Amenity & Maintenance

    Advice for protecting machinery from rodent damage

    Matthew TiltBy Matthew TiltAugust 17, 20232 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email
    Damage on rubber of electricity wire in the car from rat bite

    Lodi UK has advised farmers to make protection from rodents for both storage and machinery a key part of a post-harvest strategy, as damage caused is often not covered by insurance firms and can be hugely costly.

    Pest control specialist David Reece said: “Baiting both inside and outside storage with a rodent control paste such as Harmonix® can control rodents in just seven days. This bait is one of the few non-anticoagulants on the market and therefore rodents have no known resistance to its cholecalciferol active ingredient.”

    According to the company, the speed at which Harmonix works makes it well-suited to tackling rodents before damage is caused. It has a stop feed effect in two to three days, stopping rodents from feeding and leading to control within seven days.

    “Rodents will seek food, water and harbourage following harvest, often choosing sheds where machines are stored. An integrated pest management (IPM) strategy is essential to prevent rodents chewing through wires to access food or places to nest, and baiting where necessary should be carried out to prevent or tackle infestations,” Mr Reece said.

    He added that any machinery with residual grass or grain still attached should be cleaned thoroughly before storage, and that monitoring for signs of rodent activity is as important as using bait as rodents can strike within a couple of days.

    “Cholecalciferol baits like Harmonix can be used both inside and outside. This enables farmers to bait in all areas of the farm and reduce the effect of rodenticides on non-target species such as wild birds or livestock,” he explained.

    While it might be more expensive than multi-feed baits, Mr Reece noted that cholecalciferol requires around 50% less bait in target areas and takes less time to reach control.

    “There is also the issue of resistance to consider. There are significant areas of the UK affected by so-called ‘super rats’ that have become resistant to the effect of bromadiolone and difenacoum. Therefore, using an alternative cholecalciferol bait will save time and money, whilst also helping to control the spread of resistant rats,” he concluded.

    For more information go to www.lodi-uk.com

    Tweet
    Share
    Share
    Pin
    Share. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email
    Previous ArticleMechanical weed control
    Next Article New NFU survey shows dairy farming under threat
    Matthew Tilt
    • Twitter
    • LinkedIn

    Machinery editor for Farm Contractor & Large Scale Farmer. Matt has worked as an agricultural machinery journalist for five years, following time spent in his family’s Worcestershire contracting business. When he’s not driving or writing about the latest farm equipment, he can be found in his local cinema, or with his headphones in, reading a good book.

    Read Similar Stories

    Stocks Ag to launch new hydraulic applicator at Cereals

    April 28, 2025

    Simon Richard expands Sauerburger range

    March 5, 2025

    John Deere launches new Gator UTV

    December 4, 2024
    Most Read Stories

    Industry responds to government spending review

    June 11, 2025

    Cefetra Group acquired by First Dutch

    June 11, 2025

    Cheffins to auction historic machinery collection

    June 11, 2025
    Farm Contractor & Large Scale Farmer

    The UK's leading agricultural machinery journal

    Twitter LinkedIn
    © 2024 MA Agriculture Ltd, a Mark Allen Group company

    Privacy Policy | Cookies Policy | Terms & Conditions

    • Farmers Weekly
    • AA Farmer
    • Poultry News
    • Pig World

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.