Owls, eagles, and other birds of prey are unnecessarily dying by ingesting rats and mice that have been poisoned. Rodenticides are poisons designed to kill pest mice and rats but they have other impacts too. Second generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGAR) poisons are the worst.
It is these products that we are asking Bunnings to remove from their shelves.
SGARs work by causing internal bleeding, But when rats and mice eat baits poisoned with SGARs, they become poisonous themselves, harming and even killing other animals and birds that eat them. Studies in Australia have found SGARs in dead birds of prey, including Southern Boobooks and Wedge-tailed Eagles, and BirdLife Australia is currently researching impacts on Powerful Owls.
These household products have been restricted from general public sale in the US, Canada and EU. But Australian regulations lag behind and SGARs – including Talon, Fast Action RatSak, and The Big Cheese Fast Action brands – are available to purchase from supermarkets and hardware shops throughout Australia.
Bunnings has about half of Australia’s D.I.Y hardware market share and sells a larger variety of second-generation rodenticide products than any other major outlet.
Bunnings can remove a huge source of poison by choosing to take these products off their shelves and instead providing consumers with alternatives that are just as effective.
First Generation Anticoagulant Rodenticide products have active ingredients like warfarin. They work just as well as the SGARs but do not have the same impact on non-target species. Better yet, the most humane option for use around the house is the old fashioned snap trap.
Please sign our petition urging Bunnings to stop selling rodent poison products that are killing native birds and wildlife.
Once you’ve signed it, consider giving your local Bunnings a call to ask when they will take bird-killing SGARs off their shelves. Find your local store’s number with our handy tool.
Powerful Owl by John Prat