Background #

Beaver Pest Control Case Study #

Remote Digital Monitoring #

Beaver 24/7 is a digital remote monitoring system combining the use of digital traps, cctv and other monitoring tecniques with the goal of identifying and removing any causes of infestation. This is particularly effective in sites that have had long-term rodent activity.

This case study was carried out in a bakery with an ongoing mouse infestation. Activity levels flucuated week on week and more traditional trapping or baiting programmes were having little impact on the overall activity levels. The building was in a state of disrepair which was being blamed for the assumed regular reinfestation of the premises.

"Remote monitoring is a dynamic, innovative solution enabling us to have early detection of rodent ingress on sites and helping us understand activity patterns."

James Wood

Training Manager

Challenges #

Inconsistent Activity

The site had a long-term infestation but bait take and numbers caught in traps fluctuated greatly from week to week.
Variety of Ingress Points

The customer had not previously carried out proofing work leading to a variety of ingress points which made monitoring without technology more difficult.
Hard to Access Locations

There were a few hard-to-reach locations under commercial kitchen equipment that made traditional pest control measures unsuccessful.

Actions

Digital traps were installed to get real-time updates throughout the site. We then used the data to create a map of the areas of highest activity. We also carried out a full proofing audit identifying potential ingress points. Once enough data was accumulated motion cameras were placed in areas of highest activity. The footage we captured was analysed.

Results

Mice were discovered to have altered their behavior in a variety of ways to avoid control/ detection. The mice had limited their residence to one expansive void unreachable to humans. They were found to be heavily subsiding their diet with insects instead of leaving to scavenge on baked goods, rodenticides etc. The mice also appeared to be abandoning ‘thigmotaxis’ (wall-hugging behaviors) and utilizing a sense of smell much more than normal for translocation (avoiding most traps and bait boxes). There was evidence of a strict social ‘pecking order’ which forced sub-dominant members out where they were detected by traps or spotted by staff.

Root Cause Analysis #

The Beaver 24/7 system in this case formed a large portion of our root cause survey leading to long-term solutions.

Long-Term Solutions #

Our aim is always to provide long-term solutions to pest problems. Long term baiting is not best practice.

Solutions: Digital Monitoring #

Through data collected by 24/7 we were able to identify that doors and shutters were being left open regularly and allowing rodents to enter and this was picked up by traps being set off in these areas. 24/7 alerts us in real time therefore we were able to go to the site as and when catches were made and discover the site with doors propped open or shutters raised.

Door Discipline

Door discipline was addressed by staff management. The initial proofing survey identified numerous structural weaknesses which could be exploited by mice to gain entry.
Rodent Proofing

Works were conducted to reduce the rodent carrying capacity of the site. Smart traps and motion sensors allowed us to map areas of activity and work out where key harbourage likely was. This resulted in redundant equipment and the associated voids being removed.

The real time nature of reporting achieved by using innovative measures condensed the length of time taken to analyse the root cause of the issue and develop a bespoke solution for the site.