03/26/2023
Say NO to poisons, choose non-toxic pest control instead!
This week our team received an adult Great Horned Owl that had been poisoned. With large pupils, instability, and the inability to fly/get around, this bird clearly was suffering. Our exam also showed that this bird was extremely emaciated, likely due to its inability to fly or hunt. While treatment is possible, when caught early, the bird unfortunately passed away within just hours of being in our care.
Exposure to rodenticides occurs when people use these chemicals to kill unwanted pests. Mice and rats, or possibly other animals, eat the poison, and then the birds eat the poisoned prey. Anticoagulant rodenticides work by thinning the blood and cause the animal to slowly bleed to death. A single feeding of an SGAR potentially contains enough poison to kill a rodent. However, it takes a few days for the animal to die, and in the meantime, they may continue to feed on the poison. During that time, they may be eaten by birds of prey, such as hawks and owls. Even after the animal dies, its carcass contains SGAR residues that can be lethal for scavengers.
For those looking for pest control solutions or hiring a pest management professional consider approaches other than ARs. Find out where the mice or rodents are coming in, plug up holes in the house or around windows, take away food and water sources, and clean out nesting sites—a process referred to as an integrated pest management approach. Your wildlife scavengers will thank you for it!
