Massachusetts residents, business owners, and building managers can choose from a variety of management options to prevent and resolve rodent problems. By avoiding rodenticide, especially second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs), you can greatly reduce the risk of harm to wildlife as well as pets.
How to proactively prevent rodent problems
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Remove any sources of food rodents eat, especially bird seed and garbage.
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Close or repair any exterior openings that may allow rodents to enter.
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Secure any food for pets, poultry, and livestock in animal-proof containers.
How to safely respond to rodent problems
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Start with baited snap traps. They provide a faster and more humane death, and they are comparatively safer and easier to use.
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As a last resort, only use poisons enclosed in bait stations, and follow the product label instructions.
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If you hire a company, choose a licensed provider that uses integrated pest management approaches and avoids relying solely on poisons. Ask your provider for alternative options instead of SGARs.
Rodenticide consumption harms wildlife
Second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs) prevent blood from clotting, causing fatal internal hemorrhage. SGARs can poison wildlife in two ways: 1) primary poisoning when a non-targeted animal eats the bait and dies several days later, or 2) secondary poisoning when a predator or scavenger eats prey that has eaten the poisoned bait. Anticoagulants bioaccumulate, or build up over time, in animals that consume large quantities of rodents that have consumed these poisons. Secondary poisoning has been documented in birds of prey like eagles, hawks, and owls, as well as mammals like foxes, fishers, bobcats, and coyotes. In Massachusetts, secondary poisoning from SGARs were found to be the confirmed cause of death of two bald eagles in 2021 and a contributing cause of death to another bald eagle in 2023. SGAR poisoning also can be attributed to the non-targeted death of many of those other predatory species listed above. It is important to note that unsupervised dogs and cats are vulnerable to this type of exposure. In addition to impacts on animal circulatory systems, recent research in California indicates secondary rodenticide poisoning can compromise the immune system of carnivores, including bobcats, making them more susceptible to diseases such as mange.
Rodenticide use has become more restricted
Consumer retailers are now federally prohibited from selling SGARs, meaning most people no longer buy them for use at home. Current use of SGARs is limited to licensed pest controllers, as well as certain agricultural users. Except under highly regulated permitting conditions, it is illegal for anyone to place any poisons outdoors (including rodenticides).
You can help
Individual and community decisions on rodent management, such as removing or securing food sources and utilizing alternative control measures, can make a difference for wildlife species all around us. If you see wildlife showing signs of illness, please contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator for advice before taking any action. You also can help by sharing these resources with friends and family members.
More rodent resources:
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Researchers Investigate Rodenticides and Mange in Bobcats | US NPS (2017)
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Risks of Rodent Poisons to Birds of Prey (TuftsNow, 2020)
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How to Spoil an Owl’s Dinner (Massachusetts Wildlife, 2014)