The BC SPCA is urging the City of Burnaby to get tougher on the use of rodenticides on public lands or on private properties.
Dr. Sara Dubois, the chief scientific officer with the BC SPCA, has written a letter to the members of council asking it to reassess the use of all rodenticides and to “educate residents about the many harms to wildlife, pets, and people that can occur from using such poisons.”
“It’s not too late for Burnaby to be a leader in progressive measures to protect wildlife, pets and local greenspaces by prohibiting all rodenticide use on public-owned properties and looking at strategies to reduce use on private properties,” Dubois wrote, adding that the BC SPCA has experts ready to make presentations to the city on the issue.
Dubois pointed to the District of North Vancouver, which recently created policies to cease using all rodenticides on all district-owned properties, including new requirements for their contractors.
“Many municipalities in B.C. have already made a significant difference at a local level through recent motions or operational practices to end all rodenticide use on public-owned properties,” Dubois added.
The provincial government has temporarily banned – until January 2023 - the sale and use of three second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs) for 18 months.
“The SGAR restrictions are a major milestone for our province, and we hope that the change will become permanent,” Dubois wrote. “However, there are a number of exemptions and gaps that still leave a high risk of exposure for non-target animals like owls and other raptors, and even domestic cats and dogs.”
The government order includes:
- Restricting who can buy and use SGARs (allowed for essential services only)
- Requiring sellers to prevent unauthorized buyers
- Requiring that SGARs are only used as part of an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program. This involves identifying the species, determining their population level, identifying and sealing entry points, removing attractants and shelter, incorporating alternatives to rodenticides, and evaluating if the control measures are effective.
- Requiring proper disposal of SGARs
- Requiring record keeping for the sale and use of SGARs (for 3 years)
“The BC SPCA recognizes that, unfortunately, there are currently no fast-acting or pain-free rodenticides and therefore recommends that rodenticides only be used in limited cases of infestation when human health and safety are at immediate risk,” Dubois said. “If they must be used in essential service locations, precautions to minimize exposure to non-target wildlife and pets must be taken, such as limiting the length of time used and retrieving leftover bait. Alternatively, using snap or captive-bolt traps can provide humane lethal control.”
