Poison Baits
PESTOFF® ferret paste is the only bait so far developed for use against ferrets. Other poisons have been considered for use against ferrets but are considered unsuitable at the present time.
Bait acceptance by ferrets varies seasonally: in a recent study using PESTOFF®, captive ferrets ate:
- most in February (summer) and May (autumn), and
- least in August (winter) and November (spring).
Changes in bait acceptance may be related to changes in diet, movements, and unwillingness to take bait in winter and spring.
Farmers in the 1999 workshops agreed that ferret trapping is labour-intensive, so that if the bait were cheap enough, poisoning would become and cost effective alternative. However they did not feel that the bait price was low enough for that to be the case yet.
Also, because ferrets do not die at the poison site, it is difficult to be sure how effective it is, or what type of animals are actually eating the bait (e.g. rats, cats, ferrets, hedgehogs).
Scientists recognise these limitations, but still regard poisoning as a potentially more cost-effective method of ferret control, because:
- there is no need to buy any traps
- more baits than traps can be put out in the same time
- a larger area can be covered.
Bait stations
Commercially made bait stations are available, but you can also construct your own with 6-inch clay pipes or wooden tunnels, for example.Bait and poison: the basic steps
- Think about the siting of bait stations.
- Continue baiting until no more bait is taken.
- If nearby ferret densities are high, ferrets may reinvade after 2-3 weeks. It is important to repeat the poison baiting if this occurs.
Back
to top 