It is worth protecting yourself against field voles now

By: STA Date: 2024. 02. 28. 09:30

In several counties, field warblers multiplied strongly by the end of winter. The National Food Chain Safety Office (Nébih) draws the attention of land users: it is extremely important to assess the pest population on fields and in their surroundings without delay. With timely protection, the damage can be reduced, for which several preparations and forms of use are available to farmers.

(Photo: Pixabay)

In particular, the population of field voles increased by the end of winter in the fall corn fields, rapeseed, alfalfa and plantations, but their mass occurrence can also be detected in non-cultivated areas (e.g. ditch bank, field wind, ruderalia). Rodents cause heavy infestations in large areas, among others, in Bács-Kiskun, Baranya, Békés, Csongrád-Csanád, Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok and Tolna counties.

It is crucial that farmers assess the population of field voles in and around their fields as soon as possible

In the stage of overgrowth, natural population control is no longer sufficient against the pest, and delayed protection is ineffective against the increasing number of individuals, so the damage will not be mitigated sufficiently. Chemical intervention is justified in case of infection of 3-5 inhabited corridors/100 m2. It is particularly important that where rodenticide baits are used to protect against field voles, the T-shaped perches set out for birds of prey are removed before treatment. In the case of areas affected by surface treatment, the farmer must also notify the relevant hunting association before the treatment.

In order to prevent the development of resistance in the pest and to slow down the process – in accordance with the basic principles of integrated control – it is advisable to alternate the application of preparations with different modes of action and active ingredients.

Nébih