(DC) (City Wildlife) Rat poisons don’t just kill rats—they ripple through the entire ecosystem. When predators and scavengers consume poisoned rodents, they too suffer the consequences of these indiscriminate pesticides. Despite the well-documented risks, anticoagulant rodenticides (a specific type of rodenticide) remain widely used. In California, a coalition of lawyers, scientists, and activists successfully pushed for a moratorium on these poisons, but the fight for ethical and sustainable rodent management is far from over.

True progress requires more than legislation—it demands innovation and a shift in how we think about urban wildlife. This talk explores novel approaches to rodent management, from fertility control to altering rodent behavior to reduce conflict without harm.