RODENTICIDE IN THE MANOR ... May 22, 2023
 

Dear Residents of Monument Manor, 

 

We are writing to you to express our concern about the use of rodenticides in the neighborhood.  Rodenticides are toxic chemicals that are used to kill rodents.  However, they can also be harmful or fatal to wildlife, pets, and people. 

 

For some context, there are two main types of rodenticides: anticoagulants and non-anticoagulants.  Anticoagulants work by preventing blood from clotting, which can lead to internal bleeding and/or death of the rodent.  Non-anticoagulants impact the rodent’s nervous system resulting in respiratory distress and death.

 

Rodenticides can be harmful either through direct poisoning, where wildlife ingests the rodenticide, or secondary poisoning, where wildlife eats rodents that have ingested the rodenticide.  Rodenticides simply don’t play well with the local wildlife.  Many species can be affected, including coyotes, bobcats, roadrunners, hawks, and owls. 


 

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Mountain lion P-22 captured and treated for mange. Blood tests showed exposure to anti-coagulant rodenticides. 

Credit: Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.

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In addition to harming wildlife and pets, rodenticides are dangerous to people. In 2021 there were more than 3,000 cases of human poisonings, including at least 2,300 involving children, according to the American Association of Poison Control Centers.

 

We recommend you take the following steps to help eliminate the use of rodenticides:

• Utilize non-toxic methods to control rodent populations. These include exclusion, repellants, and trapping.

• Ensure that you are not creating artificial rodent habitat around your property such as standing piles of brush or other materials.   

• Ask your pest control service to use alternative methods to rodenticides.

 

Thank you for your time and consideration. 

Thank you to Diane Kuntz (Monument Manor resident) for submitting the original draft of this bulletin.

 

MMNA Board     

 

“Throughout California, the use of poison baits to control rodents has injured and killed hundreds or thousands of wild animals and pets.” 

- California Department of Fish and Wildlife    

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Article adapted from A Place Called Hope, Alternative to Pesticides.

https://www.aplacecalledhoperaptors.com/alternatives-to-rodenticides/

 

Also see video "Prey for Wildlife; Casualties of the Chemical War on Rats" April, 2023. Deborah Vatcher on Vimeo.

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