SGAR Scavenger Hunt: What should I do when I find a bait box?
Special thanks to Jim Joyce at Friends of Horn Pond for helping to review this blog. Jim is an expert on bait stations. His presentation provides more detailed information about bait stations and the SGAR brigade.
Intro - What are second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs)?
Second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs) refer to four chemicals pest management professionals (PMPs) use to target rats and other rodents: Brodifacoum, Bromadiolone, Difethialone, and Difenacoum. For more information, please check out this helpful article from the Safe Rodent Control Resource Center.
PMPs place these chemicals in bait stations (like the one pictured below) in locations accessible to rodents. The rodents consume the bait and die after several days away from the bait station. In this weakened state, the rodents become easy prey for predators like hawks, owls, foxes, and coyotes, which can then suffer from the resulting secondary exposure. Please check out Artemis’s origin story for more information about the devastating effects of secondary exposure to SGARs.
The need for accurate information concerning SGAR use in Plymouth
The remainder of this blog will focus on what you should do when you find a bait box (or what you think is a bait box) on public property. Please note: NEVER enter private property without permission to view a bait box. Further, NEVER tamper with or attempt to open a bait box.
Many models of bait boxes have traps inside as well as bait. More importantly, you do not want to be responsible for making bait more accessible to wildlife or pets. Please view this article from MSPCA-Angell for information on the risk SGARs and other rodenticides pose to pets.
Now that’s out of the way, let’s get down to business. Fair warning: Once you find a bait box, you may notice them everywhere. I know I do. This realization is a bit troubling and, at times, overwhelming. But, it represents the reality of the risk these poisons pose to wildlife and people. We must do the work on the ground to get a reasonably accurate assessment of the number, locations, active ingredients, and concentrations of rodenticides in bait boxes on public property in Plymouth.
Surprisingly, the Plymouth Department of Public Works does not keep this information after contracting with local PMPs to develop pest control strategies on public property. Accordingly, we are dependent on PMPs to provide this information, which is not a good situation. As many advocates will tell you, PMPs may not always be forthcoming with this information.
As a result, it’s up to us to provide some ground truth until the Town changes its requirements. You may be surprised by your PMP’s willingness to share this information and accommodate your request for a poison-free strategy. You’re the customer, after all.
I’ve found a bait box - What should I look for?
Bait boxes often have a label that includes contact information for the PMP and active ingredients and concentrations. This information is not required, but it may align with their internal procedures.
If you find a damaged bait box, please report it to the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR). Damaged bait boxes pose a direct threat to pets, children, and wildlife because they no longer provide a barrier between the poisons and the public. Accordingly, the safest action is to call MDAR’s Pesticide Enforcement Hotline at 617-626-1782.
If you find a bait box with a label, follow these steps.
Consider joining the SGAR brigade to report the bait box location. This project is an independent data set kept by rodenticide advocates across the Commonwealth. After creating an account, you can enter the data on your desktop or download the app for free from the App Store or Google Play on your mobile device. You can also use the app to report the locations of potentially poisoned animals and poor sanitation practices.
If you’re concerned about entering the most accurate information into the SGAR brigade dataset, you may also want to file a report with MDAR. REMINDER: These data are crucial to establishing a baseline for current SGAR use in Plymouth.
If the label includes an EPA number (like in the example above), go to the EPA’s Pesticide Product and Label System database.
Enter the number(s) listed. In the above example, it is: 12455-76.
On the next page, select the ‘Chemical’ tab, to reveal the active ingredient and concentration. Here, it is Bromadialone (concentration - .005%) an SGAR.
Add the information to the SGAR bridge database.
You’re done!
Next steps
This information provides a critical baseline for our efforts. Without an accurate representation of the locations, amounts, and chemicals currently used in Plymouth, we cannot offer a sustainable solution for the Town’s consideration. Thank you very much for your time!
Don’t forget to join us at one of our upcoming events to learn more.
Want to learn how you can contribute to this important research? Email us at rescueplymouthwildlife@gmail.com.
