Farming and Agriculture
Farms and agricultural businesses face a number of different pest control challenges:
- ensuring the health and welfare of livestock and poultry
- protecting stored grain from rodents and stored product insects
- preventing the contamination of feed by a range of pests
BASF offers a range of insect and rodent control solutions to improve livestock welfare and productivity, protect stored harvest and safeguard biosecurity.
Usual issues
Livestock and poultry
Insects harm and stress livestock and poultry by harassing and biting them. Restless behaviour in cattle can reduce food intake, causing production losses. Pests routinely spread diseases among livestock populations. For instance, house flies transmit E. coli, Salmonella, and swine dysentery bacteria to pigs, among many other pathogens. Mealworms spread a range of diseases including Salmonella, E. coli, Newcastle and Marek’s disease to chickens, posing a real threat to the welfare of flocks.
Feed and stored grain
Rodents are a major concern on farms: a colony of 200 rats can eat and contaminate 20 tons of grain and feed in a year. Contaminated grain and feed can lead to disease in livestock and also in humans.
Agricultural buildings
Rodents, with their constantly growing incisors, readily chew through a vast range of materials. They gnaw through walls to access food and break down insulation and building materials to use for nesting. They are even capable of stripping electrical cords and cables, which can lead to equipment malfunction, power outages and in some cases, a fire breaking out.
Impact / risks
Sanitary risk
Pests pose a real threat to animal welfare and to food safety. Specific challenges include the contamination of stored crops by rats and mice and the spreading of disease to livestock and poultry by rodents and insects.
Pests found in agricultural businesses can also pose a health hazard to farmers and workers. For instance, rodents spread 200 human pathogens and carry 45 diseases.
Financial risk
Rodent and insect infestations can be costly for farmers and agricultural business owners. They can incur significant losses because of:
- feed lost to rats, mice and insects
- lower productivity of livestock and poultry infected by disease-carrying pests
- rodents attacking young livestock
- damage to housing and other facilities caused by rodents
Benefits to use BASF products
Highly effective solutions
Farmers and pest controllers operating in farms and agricultural businesses understand the specific challenges associated with the control of rodents and insects in agricultural settings. They know that they can rely on the proven efficacy of BASF control solutions to quickly target problem areas and avoid re-infestation.
Peace of mind
Farmers know that pest infestations can hit their bottom line and endanger food safety. By using BASF products they can be sure to benefit from the latest innovations in formulation and application for complete pest control.
