The risk of rodenticide exposure to wildlife

The control of rodents is necessary in agriculture and in other situations to prevent contamination of food, spread of disease and damage to buildings and machinery. However, the manner in which we control rodents can have serious impacts on other wildlife. Rodenticides (or rat poisons) are the most common and most effective means of rodent control but a wide range of wildlife can be accidentally exposed to these toxins, either by directly feeding on the bait or by feeding on an animal that has previously consumed the bait. This video shows the risks of exposure of rodenticides to wildlife in Ireland, how non-target wildlife species come into contact with the poisons and why we need to change our approach to rodent control to reduce the negative effects of rodenticides on the environment.
For further information on best practice rodent control, visit: www.crru.ie
This video was produced in partnership with the Heritage Offices of Galway, Mayo, Westmeath and Kilkenny County Councils with funding provided through the National Biodiversity Action Plan Fund of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

[@tpcassidy3035]

Thanks to a talk by John on barn owls here at our office site in Co Meath (some 10 acres) in 2013 we went rodenticide free. Alternative arrangement is more expensive (remote monitoring of physical traps) but so glad that John helped us make the change, and facilities management here are really proud of it too. Unfortunately rats/people and food dont cohabit very well so they do need to be controlled, but luckily the alternatives work. A nearby stud farm which has barn owls is also rodenticide free, here the cats (and barn owls) do the work.

[@johnlusby2886]

Hi Terrence, I am delighted to hear the impact of that site visit and well done for making the changes, and for encouraging others to follow, suit, as you say, it can be done. Well done for all your efforts through the Meath Branch lately.

[@freedude]

When you say there are situations where the control of rodents is necessary, do you have any examples? Indoors seems necessary, but I often see DCC laying poison in local parks?

[@johnlusby2886]

Hi Freedude, the control of rodents is unfortunately necessary in certain situations, for example where the presence of rodents can pose a risk to human health (spread of disease, contamination of food and water) and where they can take and contaminate food sources, however in many of these situations it is possible to modify the environment to make it less suitable for rodents, or to use more environmentally methods of control where control is indeed necessary, which in addition to trapping and shooting can also include encouraging rodent predators (see some examples of where this has worked here: ruclips.net/video/WWhV0BtBqog/видео.html). In some cases, the control of rodents is necessary for the protection of other wildlife species, such as where rodents can negatively impact the productivity of ground and burrow nesting bird species, particularly on off shore islands.