See the attached from Maya Davis Shemer
In the past week I have had two dead and dying rats on our property. I believe that this is due to the use of poison. There are better ways to deal with rats and poison is detrimental to our environment, other animals and birds of prey, and also to us! Please use another form of rodent control and read below for more information as to why you should not use poison.
Rats cause extensive damage to property, and carry diseases and parasites. Most people opt to use rat poison to rid their homes and properties of rodents. Before you decide to use this method, consider the dangers associated with rat poison.
Also attached is a pamphlet from LA County Public Health with more suggestions on alternatives to rodenticides.
In addition to the dangers mentioned in the attached there is the deadly impact of bioamplification. With any poison (insecticide, herbicide or rodenticide) the poison will enter the food chain: the weed/pest is eaten by a bird(sparrow/pigeon)/mammal(gopher/squirrel/cow) which is eaten by a secondary predator such as a bird (owl/hawk/black bird)/mammal(raccoon, cat, coyote, human), the amount of poison is amplified.
When there is even a small amount of pesticide in the environment, it will enter the bodies of the animals that are low in the food chain – ex. grasshoppers
2. Even though there is only a small amount of the toxin in each grasshopper, the mouse will receive a larger amount of the toxin in its body because the shrew will eat many grasshoppers.
3. When the secondary consumer is eaten (shrews), the higher-level predator, the owl will get all of its toxins, plus those of all the other prey it eats.
Then the secondary predator such as the owl will be poisoned and will suffer the same fate as the lowly grasshopper. Yes, this is why humans – at the TOP of the food chain ingest toxins meant to increase our health & instead do long term damage to us and our children.
Be careful what you put on your lawn or put out for “pest” control.
