Up to 500,000 pounds of bait containing strychnine are used each year to kill pests such as prairie dogs, ground squirrels, meadowmice and pesky birds that eat agricultural crops, according to court documents. The poison is mainly used in the West, but also in some Eastern states. Santa Clara County Agriculture Commissioner Joe Deviney said it was likely that anyone who placed strychnine in a dangerous place accessible to birds accidentally did so without following instructions on the product label. He said there had been no more suspicious bird deaths since March, so the county`s letter could have been effective in educating landowners. Farmers and ranchers cannot use strychnine above ground to control rodents and other pests if the poison threatens protected wildlife, a federal judge has ruled. «This sensible measure to better protect our wildlife from these dangerous rat poisons should be adopted across the country,» said Jonathan Evans, director of environmental health at the Centre for Biodiversity. «When there are literally hundreds of safer and cheaper solutions on the shelves, there`s no reason to leave the worst of the worst poisons on the market.» In Minnesota, there have been documented reports of deaths from strychnine poisoning from 1978 to 1983 involving mallards, snowy owls, a red-tailed falcon, a gyrfalcon and a bald eagle, environmental groups said. Therefore, county authorities do not prevent owners from controlling their rodent problems with legal products, as long as they are used correctly. These products are heavily regulated by the federal Environmental Protection Agency, and Deviney said some rodent poisons have been completely banned from home and professional use in recent years.
Murphy said federal regulations require baits containing strychnine to be placed in such a way that only targeted animals are likely to eat the venom. Environmentalists said at least 24 states reported keeping protected wildlife that had eaten baits containing strychnine or the remains of other animals exposed to the bait. Since December, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife has been investigating the cause of death of two pigeons and a falcon in the Redwood Retreat Road area. Laboratory tests confirmed that the pigeons died of strychnine poisoning and that the falcon died after eating one of the poisoned pigeons, county officials said. U.S. District Judge Diana Murphy said Monday that the Environmental Protection Agency violated federal law by registering strychnine for aerial pest control. The Animal Legal Defense Fund works to protect animal lives and promote the interests of animals through the legal system with wide-ranging prosecutions. free legal advice to prosecutors; legislative advocacy; and resources for law students and professionals to advance the field of animal rights. aldf.org. Murphy said the EPA violated the Endangered Species Act, the Migratory Birds Treaty Act and the Bald Eagle and Golden Eagle Protection Act by registering strychnine. «Strychnine is a powerful poison and only a small amount is needed to kill a small bird like a pigeon,» reads a letter from the Santa Clara County Department of Agriculture and Environmental Management dated Sept. 18.
It is located on Redwood Retreat Road. «Strychnine is an over-the-counter legal bait designed for use against rodents, primarily ground squirrels and moles. It is currently intended to be used underground with a probe to ensure that strychnine is placed only in rodent tunnels. `- Pesticides containing brodifacoum, bromadiolone, difethialone or difenacoum may be used except by authorised pest control agents. 29.09.2020: Governor Newsom signs legislation to protect wildlife from supertoxic rat poisons – Centre for Biodiversity This strangulation law created by the pesticide industry must stop and give communities the choice to be FREE of all pesticides! However, she noted, «strychnine is not selective. It kills anything that takes a lethal dose. Mortality can occur in both «target» and «non-target» species. California`s ban on the use of second-generation blood-thinning rodenticides (SGAR), with a few exceptions, became law after California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the law on Sept.
29, which the California legislature passed Aug. 31. Check out our review page to hear what our customers have to say! «We took this approach to educate everyone and be careful,» Deviney said. «It is important to control rodents, and it is often necessary to control rats and mice. (Rodenticides) serve a purpose. Earlier this year, the California Fish and Game Commission voted unanimously to grant temporary conservation status to the state`s mountain lion populations and conduct a year-long study of permanent safety precautions.