Hopping mad

[Carol]

I feed the wild birds all year and usually at this time of year I get a visit from Rat(s) .   I try to deal with it myself by putting out a box containing poison (Bromadiolone).   This year I was having no luck so sent for the council.  £51 charged before the visit.   I noticed a box had been put down in the area frequented by the rat but it wasn't until today that I had a wander round my garden and horror.   The council had not only put the box down but had scattered the poison round every shrub and route the rat had taken.  This area was full of poison on top of the soil.   Are all council workers stupid?  Is this against the law?   I am trying to find out tonight and I shall be in touch with the Council for taking this reckless approach to my problem.  OK  the Rat has gone but have we also lost the wild birds and other creatures?    I am angry.   

:'(

[Carol]

[Unwashed]

Is this against the law?

Yes, in England it is, but I don't know about Scotland.  It's also pretty much impossible to find an agency who will give a toss.

In England it would be a criminal offence under (I believe) The Control of Pesticides Regulations 1986 and possibly also under the Environmental Protection Act 1990.  Both implement European Directives and so if they don't apply in Scotland you'll be sure to have your own legislation that has the same effect.

In England I think it would be inviestigated by the Health and Safety Executive rather than the Environment Agency, but I have no idea what agencies you have in Scotland.

Phone the council first of all as they might actually take it seriously, and then you might possibly get some from from the Scottish Wildlife Trust


Bromadiolone is a real problem, particularly from secondary poisoning.  Scavengers eat the dead and dying rats and ingest dangerous levels of the poison, usually less than a lethal dose, but enough to weaken them and make them susceptible.  Red Kites are particularly threatened by bromadiolone as they predate heavily on rats.

The Pesticide Regulations make it a legal requirement for anyone putting poison down to search regularly for the carcasses which must then be disposed of as special waste.  Newbury Town Council has been putting poison down for years and they don't bother to search for the carcasses because they told me it was too expensive.  It makes me so cross too.

[Carol]

Thanks for replying.  I am still mad and wondering who to contact.  After reading your reply I will not leave this alone.  If this Council person does this to me, he must be doing it all over the region.  At one time I could contact him direct but now all phone calls to the Council is centralised and only messges passed on to the various departments.  Who says the Councils are there to work for us?   going backwards I think.  Thankfully we don't have any Red Kites in the area although I believe we did have one only few miles from me and it was found dead.  Certainly plenty gamekeepers in the area. 

:'(