Red Tractor – and how you can keep your paperwork in order

Running a farm is busy enough, without taking time out to do the paperwork, but that’s where Pest Purge comes in.

Unlike the farmers, we quite like the paper trail and know how to fill it all in for audit, assessment and to keep your records updated and accurate.

If you’re doing it yourself, here are our top tips:

• Keep a solid paper trail of all pest control activities
• Risk assessments and method statements for all activities on site must be completed
• You must have an understanding of your activities impacting on the environment
• Your environmental risk assessment should be well-considered, considering:
• Where are the rodent problems and what are they?
• Know what the treatment is designed to achieve and how success will be measured
• Which protected species are present?
• The risk to non-target species should be identified
• Steps should be been taken to adequately control exposure of wildlife and the environment
• Know how to facilitate the safe disposal of dead rodents and rodenticide
• What post-treatment follow-up measures are required?
• What environmental management measures are appropriate?

If the farm is all organic or part organic, a statement highlighting how pest control will not compromise this organic status will be needed.

You will need a basic understanding of the principles of organic farming including crop rotation, green manure and compost, mechanical cultivation and pest control.

Empathy and an appreciation of farming, wildlife & the countryside harmoniously working together.

If all this seems a bit much, ask us to help you to get set up and your paperwork running to standard and regularly too.