Dear Elected Officials: 

We strongly encourage the transition away from all anticoagulant rodenticides to safer alternatives.

Currently, the anticoagulant rodenticide poisons in use pose a great risk to pets, wildlife and children.  They include bromadiolone (aka “Contrac Rat Bait”); brodifacoum (“d-Con”); chlorophacinone (“Ratol”); difenacoum (“Di-kill”); difethialone (“First Strike”); diphacinone (“Tomcat”); and, warfarin (“Rodex“).  Anticoagulant rodenticides, both first and second generation versions, work by interfering with the victim’s natural blood clotting, causing a relatively slow death by excessive internal bleeding.  

Anticoagulant rodenticides can take up to seven days for a lethal dose to be effective, as the poisoned animal continues its daily behavior.  In addition, studies have shown that residues of anticoagulant rodenticides can remain in the deceased animal’s tissue for up to 318 days, further magnifying the risk of secondary poisoning of our pets and wildlife.  In the past eighteen months, Pinellas County has lost as many as eight great horned owls due to secondary poisoning by anticoagulant rodenticides, including a well-known owl family in Safety Harbor and a fledgling owl in Boyd Hill Nature Preserve.  Necropsy data confirmed these deaths resulted from internal bleeding due to anticoagulant rodenticides, with the Boyd Hill owl testing positive for BOTH d-Con and First Strike. 

The National Animal Poison Control Center and the American Association of Poison Control Center report over 50,000 dogs and up to 15,000 children are poisoned by these chemicals every year in the United States. This past October, the province of British Columbia, Canada, made its temporary ban of second generation anticoagulant rodenticides permanent after research showed secondary poisoning in up to 70% of some native wildlife. The House of the state of Massachusetts recently passed a similar motion.  In 2020, California enacted a temporary ban, with permanent review pending.  Local municipalities in other states are already switching to safer alternatives, including the Florida cities of Safety Harbor and Tampa, along with Hillsborough County.

We ask that you consider an integrated pest management program, a program that combines sanitation, exclusion (“rat proofing”), traps and, when necessary, non-anticoagulant rodenticides.  According to the Environmental Protection Agency, along with the National Pesticide Information Center, there are alternatives on the market considered to be as effective as the anticoagulant rodenticides but without the high risk of secondary poisoning to wildlife, and pets. Although they come with their own risks, we feel said risks can be mitigated through education and proper use.  We strongly request the transition away from the anticoagulant rodenticides currently used, to the safer alternatives.  

We hope that you will be leaders in environmental stewardship and take this step towards protecting our wildlife and public health.