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est, non-chemical means possible. Proactive maintenance professionals are turning to greener, more effective means of eliminating burrowing pests to minimize grounds damage, labor cost, as well as the associated risks and liabilities of handling poisons and traps in public areas. Use of Poisons/Traps The challenge for superintendents and maintenance crews is that poisons, the most common solution to address the problem for the past hundred years, are becoming increasingly unusable in public and even private areas due to environmental, regulatory and safety issues. These poisons come in varying forms, the most common being baited food, which carries inherent risks even if applied properly. "With poisons, you're not targeting a primary species," Lynch said. "Anything can get into the poison if you're not zeroing in on the pest. There can be a danger from residual chemicals." "The Rodenator concept is not only effective, but also an easy sell as an add-on service. There's no waiting for results, and minimal return visits." Ironically, a major hazard comes about when the poison is effective – the dead rodent attracts other predators, who themselves will be poisoned. Poison can also take the form of gas. Over the years, a common gopher poison is Fumatoxin, placed underground. For the gas to be contained, the moisture content in the Earth must be at a certain level and, if not, the gas escapes through cracks and not only does nothing to handle the gopher problem; it can be harmful to humans. Fumatoxin contains aluminum phosphide, a dangerous Federal-Restricted-Use pesticide. Trapping can also be labor-intensive, pose a liability risk in public areas, and leaves the rodent tunnel system open to re-infestation. Landscapers are finding success with a poison-free, non-chemical, pest-control method that delivers a precision underground shockwave to the targeted animals while also collapsing their tunnel systems to prevent re-infestation. Non-Chemical Solution Superintendents working to eradicate burrowing rodents without poisons or other harmful chemicals are finding success with Rodenator. It's a poisonfree, non-chemical pest control method that delivers a precision underground shockwave to the targeted animals while also collapsing their tunnel systems to prevent re-infestation. The Rodenator's shockwave instantly kills the burrowing rodent while also destroying the tunnel. Although it has drawn some complaints by PETA, the American Veterinary Medical Association considers death by concussion with sufficient force to be "a humane method of euthanasia." "The Rodenator concept is not only effective, but also an easy sell as an add-on service," Lynch said. "There's no waiting for results, and minimal return visits. By avoiding the repair and replacement of landscaping, we could save tens of thousands of dollars a year. The process takes just minutes with no residual dangers." In one fell swoop, the animals are extinguished and the tunnel system local to the hole is collapsed. This eliminates handling and disposal of the carcass, and prevents re-infestation of the tunnels by neighboring rodents. "Since the mixture is completely consumed on ignition with no chemi- cal residue, we often bundle it with our organic products and services," Lynch said. "It's a good fit for a public that's increasingly concerned about reducing chemical exposure." The process, in fact, is the only organic rodent-control method targeting burrowing pests without poison or labor-intensive trapping and is not dependent on external conditions. Compared to trapping and poison baiting, delivering an underground shockwave is effective and labor efficient. Legendary Landscapes has signed scores of customers to a burrowing rodent elimination service contract, typically on a bi-weekly basis to monitor and treat any active mounds or tunnels. To further increase operator productivity and comfort, a new R3 Pest Elimination System adds wired detonation up to 25 feet from the source, and 20 percent more power to the industry-leading Rodenator line, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary and has more than 20,000 units in the field domestically and internationally. "Though we're dealing primarily with moles and voles now, adding more power to the system while increasing operator comfort should boost productivity and help to eliminate bigger pests from gophers and ground squirrels to groundhogs," Lynch said. Visit www.rodenator.com or call 800-750-4553. WT Winter 2013 15

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