Love = Clean Food
by Colleen PaigeRotten and
contaminated fruits and food can make your horse very ill.
Fall and winter are when rats and mice like to make their home,
the stable.
Not only does the warmth appeal to them but so does the endless varieties
of food to munch on.
A plump rodent is a happy rodent, and, if you don't
quickly map out your campaign to protect your investments, a horde of them
can easily contaminate hundreds of dollars in feed and even damage any
electrical system by chewing and digging. Often, electrical fires are
caused by rodents, costing hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage and
tragically, animal loss of life. Being that these cute little furries
carry all kinds of bacteria and diseases such as, salmonellosis,
leptospirosis, trichinosis, and, in some parts of the world, rabies,
keeping them away from your animals and yourself is the best thing to do
to ensure the health of your horse and other animals. Rodents are like
little poop machines that have the potential to ruin ten times as much
food as they eat with their urine, droppings, and fur. They carry mites,
ticks, lice, internal parasites, and fleas which can be transferred onto
your horses and cause them much discomfort and infection. They can easily
make you sick as well. The US Department of Agriculture estimates that
over $2 billion in feed is destroyed by rodents annually. Remember, it was
rats that carried the bubonic plague, which killed millions of people in
the 1600's. Because they also like to feed on fruit that has fallen from
trees, never feed your horse fruit from the ground and especially rotten
fruit that may possibly be contaminated with fly eggs and other larvae.
Keeping the rodents out
If you live in wet environment with lots of rain,
you'll need to be vigil about keeping the stable dry. Keep sand bags
around the perimeter year round and dig trenches funneling water away from
the building. Rats and mice love to live where there's ample water supply.
Employ a building inspector, if you can, to help you find all the areas
of your structure that could be a potential entrance for rodents. Cover
all vents with a fine mesh screen. Caulk any holes in the walls. Use
insulation around all pipe openings and making sure all doors have kick
plates with no gaps larger than 6mm.
Keep
all feed in tough plastic or metal containers with tight fitting lids to
prevent rodents from getting at it. Also keep feed areas as clean as
possible by sweeping up any spilled grain at feeding time and removing it
from the area to a secure trash can. Do not sweep up spilled feed and
place it back into the feed container, as you may end up contaminating the
rest of the feed if rodents have been on the floor around the area.
It's very easy for them to chew through a bag of grain, so never store
more food than you can fit in a secure container.
Try also to store hay away from stables and feed rooms, as the seeds can
provide a good source of food for rodents. Hay should be kept elevated if
possible to prevent infestation and contamination.
Many people use cats and dogs specifically for catching rats and mice.
I don't recommend that as there is always a more humane way to rid
yourself of pests. Cats especially like to play with their catch, causing
great injury to their prey, prey that often gets away and sadly ends up
dying slowly. I use humane traps. It takes some work to catch those little
furry perpetrators and relocate them them, but at least they won't also be
a health threat to your cat or dog and you can rest easy knowing they
aren't suffering and dying under your floor where you can't reach them. |
