COLD weather will send mice and rats inside where they are not welcome to find warmth.

Rodent control in a stables or yard requires diligent management, especially at this time of year.

A stable or barn is the ideal place for mice and rats to make themselves right at home with shelter, food and warmth. There are many steps you can take to reduce the chances of a rodent infestation in your yard.

Feed storage

Although rodents are known to eat just about anything, horse feed is the ideal meal for them as grain and seeds are their preferred food source. Paper and plastic feed bags are no problem for rodents as they can easily chew through this to get to the feed.

Rodents can also make light work of plastic and wooden feed bins so it is important to store your feed in steel, rodent-proof bins with tight lids. Always make sure you close all lids properly after you use them.

Many horses are messy eaters and will spill their feed on the ground when they are eating. When you are mucking out, make sure you don’t just sweep these out into the yard or into your horses bedding. Lift up the feed and dispose of it in a secure bin. Keep a secure lid on your rubbish bin and empty it frequently.

Tack room

Although you may not keep any feed in your tack room, this is still an ideal home for rodents. Rugs, blankets and numnahs can make a nice warm nest for rats and mice.

If coolers or numnahs are not used for a long period of time and not stored properly you may get a nasty surprise of rodent droppings or a hole chewed through your equipment. Avoid this by storing all rugs, coolers, numnahs and leg bandages in tightly sealed containers when you are not using them. Make sure they are completely clean and dry before storing them to avoid mould.

Keeping your tack room clean and tidy is also good practice as less clutter means less places for rodents to hide.

Rodent control

Aside from taking the above steps to make your yard less hospitable for rodents, there are many other ways to control and get rid of rodents.

The most popular among horse owners is having a yard cat. This is an easy way to keep rodent numbers down all year. Jack Russell Terriers are also well-known for catching and killing rats.

Other options include setting traps or poison for the rodents but this can be a cause of worry for yard owners if there are dogs or other animals on the yard. The use of non-toxic baits should always be the first port of call. These include peanut butter or chocolate spread on a trap to catch mice.

Make sure you place them somewhere that your dog will not be able to reach and remember where you put all the traps in order to dispose of the mice afterwards.

You may need to seek professional advice if you cannot get your rodent situation under control.