Reducing the use of rodenticides

 

In July 2019, District Council passed a motion declaring a climate and ecological emergency and calling for transformative action to be incorporated into strategic and financial planning processes.

In support of this direction, Council approved a pest management bylaw in December 2020 that restricts the use of rodenticides in all District-owned or controlled buildings and properties.

The policy is intended to reduce inhumane animal suffering, protect wildlife, reduce toxic materials in our environment, and safeguard worker health and safety.

About the new policy

Anticoagulant rodenticide baits are commonly used to manage pests, including mice and rats. These products are known to cause prolonged suffering in the animals being controlled, but they also cause illness and death among animals that eat the poisoned rodents, such as owls, hawks, and eagles.

The goal of the pest management bylaw is to significantly reduce or eliminate the reliance on these rodenticides where we have the legal authority to do so.

The pest management policy outlines the steps that a qualified pest management professional or service provider must take to manage pests on District-owned or controlled properties, and requires the development of an integrated pest management plan (IPMP), focussing on non-lethal pest management, such as education, attractant management, and access prevention (making it more difficult for rodents to enter).

If lethal control is ultimately required, the qualified professional can recommend trapping or other forms of population control that do not rely on anticoagulant baits.

The policy does allow for the use of rodenticide under very limited situations, such as where there is a risk to the building or occupants. In these cases, a permit to use anticoagulant baits will be required. 

Eliminating anticoagulant rodenticides District-wide

Rodenticide use is regulated by the Province of BC, and under current legislation, we are unable to enact a complete District-wide ban.

However, District staff continues to raise awareness about the concerns with anticoagulant rodenticides in order to encourage homeowners and business owners to voluntarily adopt methods of controlling rodents that are less harmful to other species.

Get more information

Other resources 

 

Was this page helpful?

Thanks for your input.