DEVELOPMENT OF A MODEL TO ASSESS RODENT CONTROL IN SWINE FACILITIES

At the request, and with the support, of the National Pork Producers Council we are conducting a comprehensive economic analysis of rodent control in swine production facilities. The authors represent an interdisciplinary working group that has been assembled to identify all necessary input variables and values associated with rodent damage and control. The working group consists of specialists in swine production, facilities management, agricultural economics, swine health, rodent control, the pest management industry, systems modeling, and distance education. We incorporated data from the scientific literature and personal experience into an interactive STELLA systems model. The model generates benefit-cost analyses and predicts outcomes of various levels of rodent control. Our simulations suggested that rodent damage and rodent control costs were minimized when US$350/month was spent on control. Further, simulations showed that net costs of rodent damage and control could be optimized at US$0. Eventually, the decision-assisting model will be made available to swine producers through Extension Agents and the Internet