Pesticide Usage in Scotland: Rodenticides on Arable Farms 2024

Executive Summary

This report presents the results of a survey of rodenticide use on 272 arable farms in Scotland in 2024, collectively growing 8% of the 2024 arable crop area. Data from this sample were used to estimate total rodenticide use on all arable farms.

Rodenticides were used on an estimated 39% of all arable farms in 2024, decreasing from the 52% reported in 2022 and 61% reported in 2020. Farmers conducted baiting on 39% of those holdings using rodenticides and applied 22% of rodenticides by weight, representing a decline in bait laid by weight compared to 2022 and 2020. The remainder was applied by pest control professionals (PCPs). In 2024, arable farms used an estimated 46 tonnes of rodenticide products, a 15% increase since 2022 but still below levels seen in earlier surveys. The products used contained ca. 2.9 kg of rodenticide active substance. As in previous surveys, almost all products used (>97%) were second generation anticoagulant rodenticides, although the non-anticoagulants cholecalciferol and alphachloralose were also recorded. No first generation anticoagulant rodenticides were encountered in 2024.

Bromadiolone remained the most widely applied active substance (25 tonnes of product applied on 54% of holdings). The percentage of farms using brodifacoum was similar to 2022 (12% and 16% in 2024 and 2022 respectively) but the weight of brodifacoum products used more than tripled from 4 tonnes in 2022 to 13 tonnes in 2024. The use of difenacoum products declined, with both the percentage of farms and the weight of products used in 2024 being less than in 2022 (7 tonnes and 14 tonnes, 29% and 37% of holdings respectively).

Approximately 78% of rodenticides were applied year-round, either permanently or in multiple individual baiting operations; a large increase from 2022 and 2020 (46% and 45% respectively). Winter and Autumn were the seasons with greatest use (34% and 25% of total product weights used respectively). As in previous years, grain-based baits were the most common product type (92%). A majority of holdings said that they were targeting both rats and mice (66%) with 33% targeting rats only.

Levels of permanent baiting rose in 2024, with 37% of PCPs and 32% of farmers not removing baits after targeted baiting periods. Open area baiting was conducted by 19% of PCPs but by only 4% of farmers in 2024. This question had not been asked previously.

Significantly more PCPs (94%) had attended a training course than farmers (44%). The majority of farmers and PCPs stated that they complied with all elements of rodenticide baiting best practice. In relation to farm operation, farmers who applied rodenticides were significantly more likely to be members of a quality assurance scheme, to have a grain store and to have livestock than farmers who did not use rodenticides.

This dataset is the fifth in this series since an industry led stewardship scheme was introduced in 2015. Levels of rodenticide use in 2024 are significantly lower than at the beginning of stewardship, both in the number of holdings using rodenticides, and in the amount of rodenticides being applied.