Page 8 - ALG Issue 3 2023

legal matters
Rodent control on allotment sites
rodent control programme must
be carefully considered before implementation and regularly reviewed in relation to ongoing observations. Appropriate records of rodent activity, bait take and other control measures should be kept.
The Campaign for Responsible Rodenticide Use (CRRU UK) do
have useful information within their Code of Practice and also updates regarding hybrid resistance. Genes with resistance to anticoagulant rodenticides have been found in approximately 78%of the rat population and 95% of house mice.
https://www.thinkwildlife.org/code-of- best-practice/crru-code/
Liz Bunting
Legal and Operations Manager
Rodents pose a threat to people’s health, and to health and hygiene in animal husbandry. They may cause significant damage to commodities, especially stored food and other animal feeds; also, to the fabric of buildings and infrastructure, such as electrical cables, drains and sewers. In particular, rodents pose a risk to food safety and food hygiene because they are attracted to areas where food is grown and stored.
A range of statutory obligations with regard to pest infestation is imposed on local authorities, employers, landowners, and occupiers of land. Many other legal instruments refer to rodent infestation in different situations and impose a requirement to take the necessary steps to control and remove rodents.
When rodents are present either around or within poultry facilities, they are a significant threat to biosecurity. They can harbour and transmit pathogens
to poultry and subsequently to consumers of meat or eggs (in the
case of foodborne organisms), and allotmenteers. This includes Salmonella,
Campylobacter, Leptospira and Hantavirus.
Rodent infestation is always better prevented in the first place than removed once established. Therefore, the surroundings of the site should be free from areas that might provide harbourage for rodents. Buildings should be proofed as far as possible against rodent ingress, and the whole site operation should be conducted in a way which ensures attention
to cleanliness and that tidiness is maintained to deny rodents access to food and water as far as is practicable.
A regular system of vigilant inspection should be applied both around and within poultry areas, so that early signs can be identified. It is always easier and less costly to remove a small, developing rodent infestation than an established substantial one. Operations to remove infestations always require a systematic and integrated approach, whether applied by an external pest control contractor or volunteers who are appropriately trained and competent and certificated. Each aspect of the
records of rodent activity, bait take and other control measures should be kept
Avian Flu crosses over into foxes and otters
The Animal Plant Health Agency (APHA) found at the beginning of February 2023 that five foxes and four otters had tested positive for Avian Flu. These occurred in England, Scotland and Wales since 2021.
The infections in the UK are likely to have occurred due to the fact they ate dead wild birds or their droppings. This is important to consider as it illustrates the importance of pest management as a biosecurity measure.
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8 Allotment and Leisure Gardener