Arthropodcast hosts Bryan Baird and Scott Ballard spoke with special guest rodentologist expert Dr. Bobby Corrigan on a special episode recorded live from the WinField^® United Professional booth at PestWorld 2018 at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida.

Click here to listen to full podcast.

Rodents are everywhere. Rats, house mice, field mice. Where you find human habitation, you’ll find rats nearby. Leading rodentologist Dr. Bobby Corrigan knows rats. From the sewers of New York City and beyond, he’s been on the frontlines of rodent control for 35 years.
 

How do we control rats? 
“Who is winning the war on rats?” It’s a common question posed to Corrigan, and from his point of view, the rats are doing well.
 
Biologists rank humans as the number one mammal on the planet, closely followed by the house mouse in second and common rat in third. Rats associate closely with humans and take advantage of every mistake we make, especially with trash, clutter and litter.
 

New rat control products 

Rodent control technology has advanced rapidly in the last five years. Rodents are hierarchical, with dominant alphas and subordinate betas. There is learning behavior within the colony, says Corrigan, and researchers are still studying the intricacies of colony dynamics. With advances in remote sensor technology and rat cams, we can now better track rodent behavior and colony dynamics, including feeding habits, pathways and active times.
 
New sensors can detect adults and juvenile rodents. Sensor technology will soon be able to identify the difference between males, females and even species. Such advances help pest control operators know how, when and where to trap, track and bait.
 
Other products include exclusions such as Pur Black and Rodent Stop, rodenticide soft baits like Contrac and Take Down, T-Rex traps, ContraPest rodent birth control and Pro-Pell rodent repellent.
 

Why is rodent control so important?

Five million viruses can live in an area the size of a period dot at the end of a sentence. A mouse urinates and defecates up to 3,000 times in 24 hours – imagine the number of viruses shed by a single mouse. Pest management is so vitally important to control the spread of diseases, especially in sensitive areas like hospitals, homes, schools and restaurants.
 
“That which can be foreseen can be prevented,” says Corrigan, quoting Will Mayo of the Mayo Clinic. “We can foresee a mouse in a restaurant being a problem and making people sick. That’s our job as pest professionals, that’s what we’re hired for – prevention.”
 
Rat populations continue to grow worldwide on an unprecedented scale, says Corrigan. More people, more trash, more rats. Corrigan’s suggestion? Work together and always remember: “Sanitation is pest control.”
 
Looking for rodent control supplies? Shop and order online at winfieldunitedprotogo.com.
 

About Arthropodcast:

The Arthropodcast is a talk show for pest info on the go. Hosts Bryan Baird and Scott Ballard, both pest control operators, discuss all things pest, pest control, business, law changes and industry trends. Listen online at arthropodcast.com and connect on Facebook.
 

About Dr. Bobby Corrigan: 

Corrigan has been active in urban pest management for 35 years. He serves as a consultant specializing in urban rodent pest management on a national and international scale. Corrigan has published more than 160 technical articles in pest control and has authored and co-authored four textbooks and several book chapters. He has lectured in 46 states and 12 countries around the world. He has appeared in Time Magazine, the New York Times, National Geographic, the CBS Sunday Morning Show, The New Yorker, as well as multiple international radio shows and online magazines. Follow Corrigan on Twitter @rodentologist