Poisons Used to Kill Rodents Have Safer Alternatives

Poisons Used to Kill Rodents Have Safer Alternatives

Page 5

Learn more Support RATS and the Hungry Owl Project. Log on to their websites to find out what you can do to limit secondary rodenticide poisoning in your area.

Take Action Don’t buy baits containing second-generation rodenticides. And if you see them on store shelves, urge managers to remove them. If they resist, give them a photocopy of this article.

Be heard Tell the EPA to cancel general-use registration of second-generation rodenticides. Email: Wasem.Russell@epamail.epa.gov. And cite Docket ID: EPA-HQ-OPP-2011-0718.

This story originally ran in the January-February 2013 issue as "Building a Better Mousetrap."

Magazine Category

Author Profile

Ted Williams

Ted Williams is freelance writer.

Type: Author | From: Audubon Magazine

Comments

I’m not sure you “should” use

I’m not sure you “should” use first-generation poisons, though I did mention them as an “alternative” and as specifically as possible. They are, again, baits with these active ingredients: chlorophacinone, diphacinone, diphacinone sodium salt, warfarin, and warfarin sodium salt.

Shame on you for advocating

Shame on you for advocating glue traps and drowning. Neither are even remotely humane. Glue traps especially are nothing more than slow torture. Snap traps and electric zappers are the only "humane" options.

Apparently you missed my

Apparently you missed my caveat about glue traps. As I wrote, you need to use them only inside, check them frequently and dispatch the rodents for humane purposes. Snap traps frequently catch rodents by the feet, and they starve to death. Which death would you say was more humane, 20 seconds in the water or a week in a snap trap?

Snap traps instantly kill the

Snap traps instantly kill the animal 90% of the time.

Those odds are a lot better than 100% misery/suffering on a glue trap!

Glue Traps

Ben: Why let a rat or mouse suffer on a glue trap? You don't need to, as I've explained. No sure why you find this so complicated. Personally, I prefer snap traps because I think they work better. But I check them often and promptly dispatch the leg-caught mice.

Add comment

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.