When is Rodenticide Use Justified?
There are some rat control situations in which the selective and judicious use of rodenticides (rat poisons) makes sense. For example: • Some commercial food-processing plants are required by law or industry standards to have exterior bait stations around the building’s perimeter. • Warehouses and other buildings with loading docks often need bait stations because they have to leave the loading doors open for extended periods of time, making rat exclusion impractical as a complete solution. • There are many situations in which rats outside a building are a problem, even though the rats are not getting into the building. • Baiting for rats is sometimes required by government agencies to get a demolition or building permit. • Wide-area public health rat control programs often require the use of rat baits in sewers, storm drains, and other rat-prone areas.
