Wildlife experts push for more barriers and less poisons for rodent control

MONTEREY, Calif.

All over the Central Coast, wildlife experts are concerned with what they say has been a rising number of animals falling ill or dying from exposure to common harmful rodenticides.

Local wildlife expert, Rebecca Dmytryk with Humane Wildlife Control Inc. says an influx in impacted animals lead to more government testing.

As of January 1st, a moratorium was placed on four harmful chemicals including: Brodifacoum, Bromadiolone, Difenacoum and Difethialone.

“This stuff is getting in our wildlife like DDT, it’s as bad as DDT which is causing the collapse of ecosystems, it’s stopping them from reproducing," says Dmytryk.

Now, Dmytryk is urging the removal of potentially harmful bait boxes with the banned chemicals and says barriers are a safer alternative.

In additions, she says property owners can check underneath their homes or buildings for holes in which rodents may be entering and blocking those holes.

Dmytryk says more than 130 Barn Owl Nesting Boxes have been spread out in surrounding areas to protect animals like gophers and rats from being eaten by owls.

Dmytryk says animal control experts are to start removing bait boxes containing the banned chemicals and says residents should report any of those banned bait boxes for removal.

For more information, visit http://www.humanewildlifecontrol.org

Dmytryk says more details can also be found on a Facebook page named Don't Take the Bait.