Editing Rodenticide (section)

=== Alternatives to Rodenticides ===

Rodenticides have two important drawbacks: 1) they cause a delayed, protracted and painful death for the rodent 2) they bioaccumulate, so that any predator that eats a rodent after it has ingested the poison, will also be poisoned.<ref>Rat Poison’s Long Reach, Science, Vol 385, Issue 6705.https://www.science.org/content/article/really-scary-rat-poisons-wreaking-havoc-raptors-wildlife </ref> The effect is cumulative and can be fatal to the predator.  This decimates owl, raptor, fox and other predators as well as domestic cats and dogs. To address these issues, birth control for rodents has been introduced. The most commonly available, Contraceptol, has been shown to be effective at controlling rodent populations, particularly when coupled with environment modifications to make the area less attractive (remove food sources and minimize potential nesting sites). This form of birth control includes pheromones to attract both male and female rodents. After ingesting the contraceptive, the rodent experiences no discomfort, but cannot effectively breed for a month. If a large predator eats a rodent after it has ingested the contraceptive, it will not be harmed; at most it may experience a few days of infertility.  Therefore, contraception offers an environmentally safe, non-toxic, non-polluting, extremely effective and humane alternative to traditional poisons. 
 
There are a few drawbacks to contraception. Since it doesn't kill the rodent immediately, it takes longer to see results.  Both poisons and contraception need continued application to control the population on an ongoing basis, otherwise the rodent population will quickly rebound.