The Effort to Stamp Out Rat Poison

Over the last year, Audubon Western Everglades has partnered with Wisdom Good Works at several locations on Marco Island to try a well-researched product for rat control called Good Bites! The goal is to reduce the rat population on Marco Island while keeping natural predators, pets, and people safe! Thanks to Parks and Recreation of the City of Marco Island, we were able to test it at a very public location. Wisdom Good Works led a pilot project at Mackle Park and our amazing AWE volunteers monitored the feed stations weekly for an entire year. The end results are publicly available at https://wisdomgoodbites.com/. It was extremely successful with a 61% reduction of the rat population in an open system. With a lower population, rats were not as visible during the day as they were no longer competing for food sources. The rats were safe for all birds of prey and mammals to hunt. During this study, it became evident through city staff observations that the building had easy access points that needed to be sealed to keep rats out. No matter what product you use, prevention needs to be done first. This step is commonly skipped with basic pest control services with the focus being on extermination. Paul Trapp from Seal Em Out LLC worked extensively to fix entry points. He stated, "having vulnerabilities in combination with pest control killing rats repeatedly exacerbates sanitation issues. Poison accelerates the number of unique rats entering buildings and causes them to bleed and die in and around properties. Exclusion involves carefully inspecting every inch of the building's exterior to locate and repair potential entry points." Typically, Paul provides a one-year warranty with minimal instances of having to return to fix any issues.

After the year-long Wisdom Good Works' study, the city has chosen to use a deterrent at Mackle Park currently, but there is always an opportunity to return to using Good Bites. We hope to promote extending the use of alternative methods to all city properties to remove the at least 100 boxes of poison being used. The study has proven the success of humanely reducing a rat population to a desired level, especially in an area of high public concern. Trash management is another challenge, and we will continue to promote better management island-wide. Burrowing owls are just one of the iconic birds of prey we are lucky to have around the island. Due to their adaptations to an urban environment, mortality is found way more frequently than rural areas. Through a partnership with FWC, SCWDS UGA Lab, and the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, we were able to ship out 59 owls for rodenticide testing. 55 owls returned with various levels and types of rat poison within their systems. There is no safe poison. All poisons affect animals in different ways such as causing no ability to clot or neurologic symptoms, leading to increased car strikes. Prior to using any products, focus on prevention and exclusion of your building. Keep vegetation away from the perimeter of the structure, keep trash enclosed and inside, clean up debris, and ensure all access points are sealed.