Rat Poison Killing Local Wildlife

Audubon Western Everglades' outreach to end the use of rat poison on Marco Island continues as we are consistently shipping out samples for testing to both Florida Fish and Wildlife and UGA's Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study. Along with spreading education about prevention and alternatives, we are working with the City of Marco Island to obtain a pilot program using a rat contraceptive feed under a knowledgeable group of scientists. The end goal is to get this less expensive and more effective product in the hands of all citizens and rodent control companies on the island while getting data to track success in lowering the population of rats without poisons. Since the end of 2021, we have sent out 64 freshly deceased bird of prey samples. Aside from burrowing owls, we sent off one barn owl (positive), one cooper's hawk (positive), one sharp-shinned hawk (negative), one eastern screech owl (positive), and one red-shouldered hawk (awaiting). We are awaiting the results of 11 samples. 48 total samples were positive with 44 being burrowing owls. Five results were negative with four being burrowing owls. The levels and types of poisons varied in each sample. Scientists are studying per species what amount is deadly. At any level, animals can be affected neurologically which can lead to increased car strikes. Minor injuries causing bleeding without an ability to clot can also lead to death. Other questions relating to the impact on their reproduction, eggs, and young have yet to be answered. Due to samples needing to be fresh, we have also kept a list of numbers found deceased we cannot send for testing with descriptions of where the carcass was found and if there are any predatory marks. We rely on reports from the public at our email owlwatchmarch@gmail.com. It is best to contain the carcass in a bag when found due to scavengers quickly taking off with the owls. Once in contact with us, we will ask questions such as if it is a banded bird and how fresh it is before we decide on the next steps. The Conservancy of Southwest Florida has also played a vital role in this process as some owls and hawks are taken to their wildlife hospital and do not survive. They have frozen samples for us to pick up and ship.

How can you help? Every citizen here has the ability to choose an alternative to rat poison for their own home and influence condos, hotels, restaurants, and other facilities to make a change in their rodent control. Most importantly, you need to figure out why you have a rat problem by looking at trash management, vegetation, and structure damage. Seeing a rat outside in Florida does not mean you have a problem and using bait actually draws rats to your home! Let raptors and large mammals do their jobs! Supporting birds of prey and mammals such as coyotes and bobcats is critical. FWC found 47 rats inside the stomach of one coyote! Hosting a starter burrow in your front yard not only provides a habitat for the owls but also gives you a free source of pest control. Starter burrow owners have watched the owls catch lizards, frogs, cockroaches, snakes, rats, mice, and a variety of other prey. Email us if you are interested in a starter burrow at owlwatchmarco@gmail.com. If the first steps of prevention are not enough, alternatives to poisons are detour gel deterrents, C02 traps, basic snap traps contained, and rat zappers contained. A containment trap where a poisoned rat does not back out to be eaten by an owl, eagle, or hawk is an option. Please do NOT use glue traps as this can catch all other wildlife including burrowing owls, and cause them to suffer inhumanely. As the population of birds of prey on Marco Island is declining, now is the time for us to unite together and protect them. Keep an eye out for our upcoming burrowing owl results from the 2024 nesting season.