Technology continues to have a major impact on animal production, and Motomco has introduced a new way to manage a critical aspect of biosecurity: rodent control.

Motomco iQ products integrate proprietary sensors into popular existing bait stations and traps, turning them into powerful tools for gathering data about rodent activity, the company said in an announcement.

Using technology developed by Motomco and its parent company, Bell Laboratories, producers will now know everything about where and when rodents are active on their operation. The data gathered by Motomco iQ products will provide valuable insight into the risks that rodents pose, giving producers the ability to evaluate and verify the success of their rodent control measures, Motomco said. When, where, and how much activity will no longer be based upon an "educated guess" -- it will now be known in extreme detail and will automatically be collected and archived to provide trend analysis and proof that a control program is working.

Applicators and technicians responsible for on-farm pest control will be able to know in real time where hot spots are occurring so more time can be spent addressing problem areas, according to Motomco. Thus, allowing every employee to be more effective and valuable.

Motomco said the Tomcat Titan iQ, Tomcat Bullet iQ, Tomcat Live Catch iQ and Tomcat Rat Snap Trap iQ are now available and will seamlessly sync with the Bell Sensing Technology smart phone app and portal. This first-of-its-kind rodent monitoring system requires no gateways or complicated and costly infrastructure to set up. Highly customized Bluetooth sensors allow data to be quickly gathered onsite from each iQ device and then uploaded to the cloud directly from a smartphone or tablet.

The product line is a complete rodent data gathering and management system, easy to use, with a cost basis that will allow it to be used at any agricultural operation.

“Motomco is extremely excited to announce the launch of our new product line, Motomco iQ. Our customers are always looking for ways technology can improve their operation, and iQ products will allow Producers to be much more effective and efficient managing rodent control on farms,” said Motomco president Kent Gutzmer.

Motomco iQ products will be available through Motomco’s nationwide network of distributors and animal health suppliers. Additional information on the products, as well as full training manuals and instructional videos can be found at www.motomco.com/IQ and www.bellsensing.com.