During colder weather, it is common to see rats and mice in horse barns. This year we have had several clients call to ask about a large number of rats in their barns, wondering if this is a health hazard to the horses. Yes, this is a problem that must be dealt with for several reasons. First of all, rats and mice can carry and transmit many diseases to people and other animals such as salmonella, leptospirosis, and even rabies. Also, it has been reported than 100 rats can eat over a ton of feed in one year and that's enough to feed a 1000 pound horse for a year. And this doesn't even include the amount of feed that the rodents spoil with their urine and droppings. The USDA indicates rodents destroy over 2 billion dollars of feed each year.

So what can you do to decrease the number of rats and mice? Dr. Robert Wright indicates the best thing is to remove their food source. All grain and supplements should be kept in metal bins with secure lids in a closed room. Any spilled feed should be cleaned up and if possible, hay should be stored away from the barn. As far as controlling the rats already in the barn, many people have barn cats that can help with this. However, the cats can never catch enough mice to keep up with the population. Although trapping is effective, it is time consuming and probably the best method is the new live traps that can capture multiple rats in one trap. The other method is the use of poisons, which is effective but also very dangerous if you have barn cats. In summary, remove the rats' food source, rodent proof the building as best you can, clean up and eliminate nesting sites, clean up spilled feed, and practice good sanitation.