Zinc Phosphide Mouse Bait available under emergency permit

Emergency Permit PER90799

FEATURES

Mouseoff 50 is a new product being produced under an evaluation emergency permit that has 50g/kg of Zinc Phosphide as the active ingredient.

This dose is double that of normal mouse baits used successfully in Australia and Internationally for decades, but is promoted by CSIRO and GRDC, with limited supporting information, to overcome the occasional need to rebait. The need to rebait does occur infrequently but increases mouse control costs. It may be due to mouse re-infiltration, mouse re-breeding, superabundant local mouse densities that cannot be fully controlled at 1 kg/ha application rates, incomplete applications of bait (spreader issues, plane flying too wide swathes etc.) or possibly difficulty of mice finding bait if there is abundant alternative feed. On the last point we have seen excellent control even when abundant feed is present so the claim that alternate feed decreases bait effectiveness is currently speculative.

MOUSEOFF 50 , like MOUSEOFF 25 is prepared using irradiated sterilised high quality whole wheat grains in a specialised manufacturing facility design to ensure even and accurate application of the active ingredients. It is flavored to maximise uptake.

Mouseoff 50 is not intended to replace normal Mouseoff or Mouseoff Econobait as part of a standard baiting program.

For information on how the Mouseoff range of zinc phosphide based products work refer to our range Mouseoff brochure

WHEN TO USE MOUSEOFF 50

Mouseoff 50 is designed to assist farmers who have experienced a need to rebait fields several times in a short period with standard 25g/kg baits and who have investigated and resolved other causes of rebaiting including

• Application method

• Accuracy of application

• Reinfestation or migration of mice

• Wet weather when baiting

• Excess alternative feed availability

Farmers should also be aware that:

• Not all Zinc Phosphide based mouse baits are the same as the coating formulations and grain source differ

• The vast majority of landowners have obtained excellent control of mice with 25g/kg product over 2.5 decades

• Mouseoff 50 is not guaranteed to kill all mice, or avoid the need for reapplication or give superior outcomes to Mouseoff and Mouseoff Econobait

• Due to a more complex manufacturing process the lead time for supply of Mouseoff 50 is longer than Mouseoff or Mouseoff Econobait

• This is due to much high chemical handling needs for each tonne of bait and a current requirement to use smaller batches to achieve the higher loadings (equipment modifications are underway to improve production rate but are weeks away)

• All cereal producers also need to be aware that the inappropriate and untimely recommendation to use double strength product at a time of urgent need threatens the area of crop that can be protected as only half the normal quantity of bait can be made.

• ACCORDINGLY ACTA recommends that landowners use 25g/kg MOUSEOFF or MOUSEOFF Econobait where possible to avoid a supply problem and to speed the delivery of crop protection and to maximise the crops that can be protected

“It is better to kill all the mice once than to treat only half the affected area by killing half the mice twice.”

This approach will save more crops.