Question from MCS
We recently discovered we have roof rats in our yard. A pest control service installed bait traps in our 6 citrus trees, utilizing bromethalin and brodifacoum. I am highly sensitive to pesticides and suffer numerous neurological symptoms after exposure. If I do not get close to the bait stations, will these likely cause a problem? Do you know of a safe and effective way to deal with this problem? I don’t want to cause environmental harm, but I was so stunned to find out we had this problem that I jumped into this type of treatment immediately. Thanks for all the help you provide on your website!
Debra’s Answer
Here’s a very thorough publication about roof rats and how to control them using habitat modification and trapping: The University of Arizona Cooperative Extension: Roof Rat Control around Home and Other Structures.
Please pull those bait traps! The rat poisons today are so incredibly toxic that raptors and other animals that eat those dead rats would likely die themselves. Death from poison is incredibly painful and slow. No creature deserves such cruelty, even rats. The only humane control is large snap traps that kill instantly.
Why are the rats a problem in your yard? The problem is when they enter your attic, and that’s where the snap traps come in. But most important, before they find your attic, have a quality contractor seal every minute crack in your home. Rats can enter through a quarter size hole.