Influence of bait station design on bait uptake by rodents in poultry farms of Rawalpindi-Islamabad area, Pakistan

•We compared the bait consumption by rodents i) wooden double opening bait station ii) PVC pipe bait station iii) cardboard bait station iv) earthen bowl bait station made as safe as possible from non-target animals.•The amount of bait eaten from wooden double opening bait station was significantly greater than from the other three bait station designs.•Least bait was eaten from the cardboard bait stations.•Wooden double opening bait stations are essential tools for the application of rodenticides on poultry farms.

We compared the bait consumption by rodents inhabiting poultry farms of Rawalpindi-Islamabad from i) wooden double opening bait station ii) PVC pipe bait station iii) cardboard bait station iv) earthen bowl bait station (3.5 cm deep and 17 cm diameter) made as safe as possible from non-target animals. The consumption of bait from the four different types of bait placement differed significantly. The amount of bait eaten from wooden double opening bait station was significantly greater than from the other three bait station designs. Least bait was eaten from the cardboard bait stations. Wooden double opening bait stations are essential tools for the application of rodenticides on poultry farms.