All rat poisons are not created equal
By DEE CENTURY
Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation
Living with Wildlife Educator
SCCF applauds all homeowners who have decided to just say “no” to rodent poisons that can kill our eagles, owls, and bobcats that eat the rat that ate the poison. Killing all outside rats is impossible and should not be the goal, but using snap, or electric traps on your porch, or in your house is a necessity. Plugging up all the crevasses where rats enter your home is still the best rat control. You can pay your pest control company to do this.
But what about controlling rats at condominiums and homes that are overseen by management companies where “just saying no” to poisons is more complicated? More complicated because who is going to empty the rats from the traps once they are caught? Snap traps can be put in safety boxes outside just like poison can, but once again who is going to dispose of the trapped rats?
Some pest control companies also use a technique that monitors rat feed stations and only use poison when populations call for it, so poison is not always in the environment. There are also products put in bait stations that repel rats from around the structure. Talk to your pest control company about your options.
In cases where poisons are going to continue to be used, the kind of rodenticde used is very important. It was brodifacoum that was found in the blood of “Ozzie” the local eagle by CROW after his death. This same poison is blamed for other eagle deaths.
Tell your pest control service and management company not to use second generation “anticoagulants.” (Do not use these: brodifacoum is the most toxic, bromaiolone, difenacoum, or difethialone). The rats eat these 20-30 times before they die. They will be impressed that you know about these products. These are now banned for use by homeowners by the EPA, but pesticide companies are still allowed to use them.
Demand that the rodenticide is not a second generation anticoagulant. Bromethalin, which is not an anticoagulant and is much easier on the critter who eats the poisoned rats is a better option, definitely not perfect, but safer for wildlife. Other poisons that are not anticoagulants are cholecalciferol and zinc phosphide. Even the first generation anticoagulant, warfarin is easier on wildlife.
I hope this has helped if you can’t just say no to poisons, but these products all have risks. In California 78 percent of mountain lions, 84 percent of foxes, and 92 percent of raptors tested had rodenticdes in their toxin screenings. Our barn owls are gone, anyone seen a great horned owl lately? I wonder how much poison our island eagles and bobcats have ingested? Will the next poisoned rat be the straw that broke another local eagles back?
-Dee Century, Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation