Does Rodent Control Affect San Diego Pets?

The active ingredient in rodent control baits, bromadiolone, has put pet owners in San Diego and all over the nation in fear of secondary poisonings to their pets. Secondary pet poisonings can be caused by a pet ingesting a rat or rodent that has consumed toxic bait.  However, studies have shown that under normal rodent control program situations, the risk of secondary poisonings to pets is extremely low.

Basically, the risk depends on the correlation between the amount ingested and the size and weight of the animal. Also, it is dependent on the pet’s sensitivity to the active ingredient in the rodenticide.  Fortunately, a single rodent cannot consume enough bait to kill a pet that has ingested the dead rodent; therefore, the pet would have to eat multiple rats to reach a dangerous dose.  Only a steady diet of the dying rats or rodents will cause the companion animal to ingest higher levels of the rodent bait.

But exactly how many bait-filled rodents would a cat or dog have to eat to reach a lethal dosage?

A study has shown that a 22 lb. dog would have to consume 77 ounces of bromadiolone (nearly 5 pounds) to be poisoned. A single rat consumes a maximum of less than an ounce of food (even less for mice), so the 22 lb. dog would have to find and eat 77 rats that are completely stuffed with bait.

A 4.4 lb. cat needs 35 ounces of bait product or nearly 3 dozen rats stuffed with bait for secondary poisonings to take effect.

However, secondary poisonings are not  impossible and the pet’s sensitivity to the bait will alter the numbers in the study results. Although, secondary pet poisonings are unlikely, Pro Pacific Pest Control takes precautions to protect your pets and other non-targeted animals (hawks, owls, etc.).

With our rodent control service, our technicians come out weekly during the service to quickly remove dead rodents and to provide maintenance and refills of traps and bait stations. This allows less time for pets to eat the rodents. During refills of bait stations, our technician monitors the quantity of bait placed to maximize the effectiveness against controlling the rodent population while minimizing the chance for excess bait to get outside the box.

We use a tamper-proof bait stations that securely store the bait product inside, therefore the baits are only directly accessible to the rodents. With our rodent control techniques and products, San Diego residents do not have to worry about harm from chemicals to their families or pets.

For an effective rodent control service or more information on protecting your pets from rodent baits, call (619) 531-9133.