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Tweed Shire Council is urging residents with rat problems to opt for first-generation rodenticides over their second-generation counterparts to help protect native wildlife across the Shire.
There’s no denying rodents pose a challenge for many households and businesses across the Tweed, leading many to resort to using rodenticides (pesticides), a group of commonly available chemicals used for effective pest management. However, the unintended effects of newer, second-generation products on native wildlife cannot be overlooked.
Council is launching a campaign asking residents to ‘Give a rats!’ about the environment and specifically the use of first-generation anticoagulant rodenticides following a successful Notice of Motion put forward by Councillor Nola Firth at the Council meeting in March.
The motion called on Council to advise the community of the benefits of using these first-generation anticoagulant rodenticides, to give guidance on how to identify such pesticides and to promote non-poisoning methods of rodent management.
“Council’s Give a rats! campaign is about educating our community about which rodent control measures are better than others in terms of their effect on our natural environment,” Cr Firth said.
“By giving a rats about which products you choose, residents are helping keep our local native animals safe.
“It’s vital we shed light on the significant benefits of using certain pesticides over others to help the community feel empowered to make better choices when considering rodent management, so we are better able to safeguard our native animals and the future of our environment.
“Although it may seem like a small thing, we can all do our bit when choosing a product like this – and it’s crucial to consider the potential harm we might cause to non-target animals, especially native species. In this special place where we live, it’s our job to look after our already endangered native creatures who eat rats – such as our beautiful owls.”
Cr Firth’s motion came after Local Government NSW adopted a motion at its 2022 conference calling on the NSW Government to legislate to ban second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs) in NSW and to advocate for a national ban on the retail sale of SGARs.
First-generation rodenticides work more slowly and break down more quickly, meaning owls and other wildlife are unlikely to die from secondary exposure to the poison. By contrast, SGARs tend to remain in animal tissues longer than first-generation ones – endangering animals that feed on rodents.
The benefits of first-generation rodenticides
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Proven effectiveness: first-generation rodenticides have a well-established track record for managing rodent problems and have been successfully used for decades. They offer reliable control of rat infestations with little risks to non-target animals such as native wildlife or pets.
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Less harmful to native wildlife and pets: first-generation rodenticides are less likely to be fatal if ingested by other animals while second-generation rodenticides pose significant risk to local wildlife and pets.
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Better for the environment: first-generation rodenticides have a shorter half-life than second-generation products meaning they don’t take as long to break down in the natural environment. This trait reduces the risk of residual poisoning of both native animals and local eco-systems, making them a more environmentally-friendly choice.
What to look out for
The active ingredients used in first-generation rodenticides are:
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coumatetralyl
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warfarin
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diphacinone.
The active ingredients used in second-generation products are:
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brodifacoum
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bromadiolone
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difethialone
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difenacoum
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flocoumafen.
These ingredients will be listed on the product label.
There are also other non-chemical measures that can be effective in rodent control, such as sealing up entry points, maintaining cleanliness around a property, disposing of garbage properly and regularly cleaning garbage areas, trapping and encouraging natural predators such as owls to inhabit your property.
Council has been using first-generation rodenticides across its services for many years, apart from in its sewer network. Council’s pest management team is currently investigating alternatives to using second-generation pesticides inside Council’s sewer pump station wells, with a report due to be brought back to Council soon.
Informing the community on issues associated with second generation rodenticides is just one way we can work together to reduce our impact on the natural environment and make sure the places we live work and play are safe.
For more information on rodent management visit tweed.nsw.gov.au/managing-rodents.
To find out more about rodenticides, visit the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) at apvma.gov.au/node/87226.
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