What Are SGARs?
Second Generation Anti-Coagulant Rodenticides (SGARs) are a class of rodent poisons that lead to fatal hemorrhaging in rats by preventing blood clotting. Currently used in commercial bait traps as a method to control rodents, the poison can spread to other animals—including raptors and foxes—who prey on these rodents. These predators then develop painful and often fatal internal bleeding.
While federal law bans the retail sale of SGARs, these poisons remain legal—and widely used by licensed pest control professionals in Massachusetts. SGARs come in labeled black bait boxes and include:
Brodifacoum (Brand names Mouser, Ratak, Talon)
Bromadiolone (Maki Mini Blok, Contrac)
Difenacoum (Di-Kill)
Difethialone (First Strike, Hombre)
How SGARs Poison Our Wildlife and Communities
Although pest control professionals use SGARS to target mice and rats, these deadly poisons move throughout the food chain, with destructive consequences to the entire ecosystem.
SGARs work slowly: after ingesting bait, a rodent may live for several days, during which time it becomes more vulnerable to predators and scavengers. When a predator eats a poisoned rodent, SGARs pass into its own bloodstream in a process known as “secondary poisoning.” Just like a rodent that has ingested SGARs, a predator that consumes enough poisoned rodents will develop serious internal bleeding, leading to serious illness or death.
In recent years, researchers have documented an alarming number of predators sickened and killed by SGARS. Veterinarians at the New England Wildlife Centers report treating hundreds of poisoned raptors, foxes, and coyotes each year.
A recent study found that 100 percent of Red-tailed Hawks tested at a wildlife clinic in Massachusetts had SGARs in their bloodstreams. And a national study of 303 dead Bald Eagles found that 82 percent of the sampled birds had been exposed to rodenticides. Many of these birds died from other causes like collisions with vehicles, but exposure to rodenticides reduces an animal’s health and alertness, making it more susceptible to hazards.
There’s no way to precisely track how many predators have been killed by SGARs in the wild. But the anecdotal evidence suggests that we are systematically weakening species at multiple levels of the food chain.
What Is Integrated Pest Management?
The only way to permanently keep rodents out of an indoor space is through a process called integrated pest management—a combination of strategies that modify the environment and make it less attractive for rodents . IPM can be broken down into three steps:
1. Exclude Rodents: Rodents fit through holes as small as a quarter… therefore:
Seal any holes in roofs, basements, crawlspaces, and walls.
Use wire mesh extending partially into the ground to block off spaces under porches.
Seal opening around cables, pipes, and wires where they enter your space.
2. Starve Rodents: Rodents will eat almost anything!
Never leave pet food out for prolonged periods.
If you feed birds, only use small amounts of seed at a time.
Harvest all food in gardens quickly.
Keep garbage cans securely covered.
3. Target Rodents: Without food or access, rodents won’t last long. If you must get rid of
remaining rodents quickly, consider non-poison methods, such as:
Snap-traps: be sure to only use snap traps where they cannot be accessed by children, pets, or other wild animals.
Electronic traps: these instantly and painlessly kill rodents without harming other animals.
Rodent contraceptives: products that reduce rodents’ fertility, reducing their populations gradually over time.
CO₂ traps: These traps immediately and painlessly kill rodents by suffocating them with sudden bursts of CO₂ once they enter traps.
Never use glue traps—they trap rodents without killing them, causing immense suffering, and they often capture birds and other animals.
SGARs in Maynard
Federal law requires pest control professionals to place SGARs within tamper-proof bait boxes, typically made of black plastic and roughly the size of a shoebox. Pest control professionals generally place bait boxes in places with high rat populations, like basements, attics, alleys, or under porches. All bait boxes must be labeled with the type of poison they contain.
A Forum for Safe Rodent Control in New England
Mass Audubon brought together New England’s leading poison-free pest control professionals to discuss how to safely manage rodent problems. Watch to learn about their proven wildlife-safe pest control approaches.
Below are links to the resources that Mass Audubon shared in a follow-up email to the 800+ registrants.
Join the effort!
Send us your notes on the presence of external bait boxes on town properties.
Ask your vet if they have encountered any domestic pets impacted by SGARs.
Mind your own home: seal openings, reduce access to food waste, and try alternative trap methods.
— Information above provided by Mass Audubon. Learn more at Mass Audubon Rescue Raptor Campaign.
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