Anti-plague action necessary

In this article, farmers were advised to act quickly in the fight against a gerbil plague, and a researcher gave instructions on how to use zinc phosphide to eliminate these and other rodents.

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Farmers who have not yet taken the necessary steps to combat the gerbil plague on their farms are earnestly advised to do so immediately, says J. Schoonees, a research officer at the Stellenbosch-Elsenburg College of Agriculture. Schoonees has just completed experiments on the use of zinc phosphide, a highly effective method against the plague, and has drafted recommendations of great value not only to farmers in the gerbilinfested areas, but also others across South Africa who are plagued by other rodents.

All extension officers in the gerbil-infested areas have been circularised with pamphlets explaining how to prepare the zinc phosphide bait. The first consignments of zinc phosphide are expected shortly, and it costs R1,90/ kg [about R160/ kg] delivered by sea from Germany, which takes about five to six weeks.

Schoonees has advised farmers who wish to order zinc phosphide to place their orders immediately with firms that have permits for importing the poison.

Not only is zinc phosphide cheaper than the strychnine bait used up until now, but it also gives 25% better control, according to Schoonees’s experiments.