Wet weather conditions during the Winter and Spring seasons have led to an increased number of rodents, including rats and mice, in the Morongo Basin. One way of dealing with the unwanted rodents is the use of a rodenticide, a toxic substance that kills rodents after they consume it. If you have pets, however, the use of a rodenticide should be very carefully researched. Reporter Andrew Dieleman explains…
In 2014, California’s Department of Pesticide Regulation banned the sale, and use, of certain rodenticides to consumers to protect both pets and California wildlife, but the poisons are still available to commercial exterminators. Many rodenticides stay active well after the rodent dies, so any animal that then ingests the rodent could be exposed to that same toxin. One Morongo Basin resident recently reported having to put down her dog after it ingested a rat that had been killed with a rodenticide. It is recommended that pet owners thoroughly research rodenticides, and check with their exterminator, before using them to ensure that the product is safe to use around pets.
