Grain in storage: why the bait must be grain-based
With tons of feed all around, the bait has to be more appealing than the feed.
Protecting a granary from rodents differs from protecting an ordinary warehouse in one fundamental respect: there is an unlimited quantity of high-quality food all around. Under these conditions, bait competes not with an empty space but with grain, and it must win that competition.
This is why grain-based baits are a logical choice at grain facilities. A rodent accustomed to feeding on grain recognises this type of bait as familiar food rather than a foreign object and takes it readily even when the store is full. Baits based on other ingredients are often simply ignored in such conditions.
The second consideration is the way the facility operates. A granary is periodically filled and emptied, machinery moves through it, and access to the interior is restricted for hygiene reasons. The main line of protection is therefore established around the perimeter and in technical areas: bait stations along the outer boundary, in basements and utility areas, along galleries and bucket elevators, and near potential entry points.
The third consideration is timing. The facility must be prepared before grain is loaded, not afterwards. An empty building is easier to inspect, clear of residue from the previous year, and dry; remnants of the previous harvest are often the source of problems affecting the new one. Monitoring points should be set up in advance so that the protection is already working by the time the facility is filled.
Regularity also matters: inspect every one to two weeks, replenish bait as it is eaten, and pay particular attention to points with consistently high consumption, as an entry route or nest can usually be found nearby.
