As a farmer, you are faced with the daily challenges of running a profitable farm. Livestock and crops are your daily bread and butter. Your daily tasks include keeping the environment safe and keeping your livestock healthy and happy. The last thing you need is a little critter chewing through bags of corn or the odd wild cat or dog thieving one of your costly animals.

What is considered a pest?

A pest is an animal regarded as something that can cause harm to animals, plants, or livestock. The main groups fall under rodents but also certain types of wild dogs, cats, or birds.

Is it legal to shoot pests on my property?

Using your PCP Airgun for pest control is legal as long as you are on your own property and not on municipal land.

What are the benefits of a PCP Airgun?

1. PCP Airguns are quiet, generally between 74 to 90 decibels, and with a good quality sound moderator that noise is further reduced to a hush
2. A PCP Airgun is highly effective from .177 caliber
3. Lightweight, starting at 1.27kg, airguns are easily carried

Using a PCP Airgun for pest control just makes sense. It is light, has a limited power output, and is quiet. Used with these qualities in mind, you can clearly see it has huge benefits.

What are the main types of pests in South Africa?

1. Rodents: they include the house mouse, black rat, and Norway rat. These critters eat just about anything. They live in nests. They are destructive in grain silos, warehouses, and houses.
2. Feral pigs (wild pigs), Monkeys, Jackals, and squirrels. (These animals cause direct damage to plants and agriculture. They eat away and take bites out of crops and waste huge amounts.)
3. Birds are arguably the worst group of pest species, including pigeons, sparrows, starlings, Indian Mynahs, and seagulls. These vermin are responsible for the loss of grains and plants.

Tips for successful pest control

1. Practice makes perfect. Spend some time on the range using different distances to improve your accuracy and make your rifle feel more comfortable. You want to have a guaranteed kill shot and not maim or wound. 
2. Do a recce. Look around, search for the signs of pests, and observe. This way, you can easily identify the pests and the way they behave in their natural habitat. Be patient, don't rush. Stand still; the pest will find it harder to spot you.
3. Use the natural habitat to conceal use the shaded areas, which is highly effective in remaining unseen.
4. Be aware of your body odour. Some pests have a highly evolved sense of smell.
5. Keep going out; a regular routine is necessary for pests.

It Is important to note that a balance will be achieved using a PCP Airgun for regular pest control. This balance is achieved by less crop damage, protection of livestock, and conservation of wild birds and their habitats. It is also useful in keeping pest numbers down without using toxic bait or chemicals, which could be a disaster for the natural environment.

Which PCP Air gun for me?

Choosing the right Air gun for the task will largely depend on which pest you would like to cull. Choose something not up to the task, and you will injure and most likely maim an animal. The object is to eradicate vermin as humanely as possible.

Rabbits

Just the mention of rabbits will have an agricultural farmer quaking in his wellies. 10 rabbits will eat as much as 1 sheep. They contribute to soil erosion and feed on seedlings.

For this kind of vermin, I recommend ;

The Kral puncher Jumbo 5.5mm synthetic

It has a muzzle velocity of up to 250 meters per second. Ideal for vermin removal. It is accurate and powerful. And can easily fit into a backpack. It has an adjustable AR-style stock for those long shots.

Mice and Rats

Most farmers have had extensive experience with rats or mice; they are destructive and very common. They are the most destructive during harvest and storing due to scavenging and gnawing. They will destroy structures to build nests and spread disease.

The problem with mice and rats is that they are small and don’t stand still for long. The best bet for the shooting of these pests is to lay a trap with bait. A mixture of blended-up soft cat food or anglers corn bait mixed up like a soup. They seem to love it. The rats and mice will feed and will stay stationary long enough for you to shoot them. A head shot or between the shoulders is the most humane.

For something like this, I recommend;

Evanix Black Leopard 5.5mm Pcp Airgun

with an air volume of 740cc, you will have enough power for these little critters it is sleek, and with the all-black stock and muzzle, it will easily be hidden in the shadows.

In conclusion, remember that no matter the vermin, it is always humane to spend some time getting used to your PCP Airgun to familiarise yourself with your weapon and improve your accuracy for a solid and humane kill shot.