Rodenticide
What is Rodenticide?
Rat and mouse poisons, or rodenticides, were created to control the rodent population. They are highly toxic and pose a serious risk to wildlife and the environment.
The two most commonly used rodenticides are Bromethalin and Diphacinone.
Bromethalin
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Bromethalin acts by uncoupling oxidative phosphorylation in the brain leading up to a build up of cerebral spinal fluid.
This damage inhibits neural transmission and leads to paralysis, convulsions and death.
Signs that Bromethalin has been ingested include weakness and incoordination. The eyes begin to move involuntarily back and forth and the pupils become unequal in size. Hyperexcitability occurs followed by muscle tremors, increased body temperature, seizures, paralysis and death.
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The process can take anywhere from 1-4 days until death occurs.
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Diphacinone (Banned 2024)
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If you see a bait box with this poison, please reach out to us immediately so we can report it.
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Diphacinone is a super-toxic rodenticide anticoagulant. It is a slow-acting substance that block the synthesis of vitamin K necessary for normal blood clotting, causing the animal to bleed uncontrollably.
Signs that Diphacinone has been injested including bleeding of the nose, skin and mucous membranes with bruises as well as bleeding of the digestive tract with blood in the stool, bleeding into the kidneys with blood in the urine, flank pain, bleeding into other organs and skin rash with peeling of the skin. When ingested animals die slow and agonizing deaths.
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Glue Traps
Please do not use glue traps. While banned in other countries for its inhumane use, they are still allowed in The United States. Rats, mice and other animals such as birds, squirrels and lizards become stuck on a panel of glue and are unable to move. They are frozen in place until they die of starvation and exhaustion. These traps cause incomprehensible suffering, stress and irreparable injury while trying to escape.
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If you find an animal, bird or reptile on a glue trap the use of vegetable oil placed lightly around the species starts to loosen the glue. Use a q-tip to gently loosen the species from the trap. YouTube has instructional videos on this.
Black Bait box. Animal enters though hole to eat poison and exits through the hole.
Inside the bait box. Rodenticide is mixed with sugar or peanut butter to attract animals. The more bait boxes the more animals that are attracted to the area. What was meant to repel actually attracts.
Save Joshua Tree Wildlife observed a pack of coyotes pictured below by the West Entrance to Joshua Tree National Park. The first photo taken September 2, 2023 shows both coyotes young, healthy and vibrant.
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The after photos taken seven months later on April 8, 2024 are the same two coyotes in the exact area. Both coyotes are sick with mange and unrecognizable.
Before
After
Diagram from The National Park Service
Chart credit: Friends of Griffith Park www.friendsofgriffithpark.org
Bait Box Scam
Targeted and non-targeted animals.
Primary Poisoning - When an animal eats the bait directly. Targeted animals usually include rats and mice. Non-targeted animals can include white tailed antelope squirrels, desert squirrels and lizards. These animals either die slow agonizing deaths, or the poison is passed down to their babies.
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Secondary Poisoning- When an animal consumes an animal who already ingested highly toxic poison. This can include and not limited to roadrunners, owls, hawks, snakes and coyotes. Once the poisoned animal is consumed, the predator becomes poisoned.
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Tertiary Poisoning- When a predator consumes an animal that consumed another animal that consumed poison. This can include but is not limited to bobcats, coyotes, or foxes. For example a coyote consumes a poisoned roadrunner who consumed a poisoned white tailed antelope squirrel.
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Poisons are highly toxic and can stay in an animal's system for years. The poison is also passed in utero to the animal's fetus and through the mammary glands to her feeding baby.
Report Poison Violations
All bait boxes must be grounded. This means the box needs to adhere to the earth so severe weather does not over turn it and spill poison. Once poison is spilled it is spread throughout the environment affecting pollen creating insects, non-targeted animals, children and pets.
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All bait boxes must be labeled with which kind of poison is being used. Many poisons are illegal, thus the ingredient must be shown on the box. If you suspect an illegal use of poison please contact us or the San Bernardino Agricultural Commisioner's Office.
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All bait boxes must have a professional pest control company regulating the poison. The company's contact information should be listed on the label.
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If you see the improper use of poison, please take photographs, have the property address available and contact us. We will be happy to assist in reporting the violation to the San Bernardino Agricultural Commissioner's Office. Should you wish to report the violation personally, Please contact the department at 909-387-2105.