[Vertebrate Pests] Protecting children from rodent baits, part II

During the previous two columns addressing this topic, we reviewed the issue of adding a taste deterrent (e.g., Bitrex®) to rodent baits to help stop a child from consuming enough of a bait to cause serious harm. We also reviewed the role of the homeowner in preventing pesticide accidents. Finally, we discussed the practices and procedures a pest management professional can employ to keep the number of incidences associated with professionally applied bait to an absolute minimum.

However, child-rodenticide incidences with professionally applied baits are extremely low. Most incidences occur with a homeowner’s unskillful applications of off-the-shelf (OTS) consumer-labeled products. Thus, this month, we examine the benefits and risks associated with the formulations, packaging and sales of rodent baits, as well as a few possibilities for further minimizing child/rodent bait incidences. Also, what else could further minimize child-rodent bait incidences? Because the majority of OTS purchases are targeted for mouse infestations around homes and apartments, this article focuses on the use of OTS baits for residential mice and not on DIY rat control. Many of the same safety principles still apply to both domestic rodents, however.

HAZARDS. Similar to professional level rodent baits, off-the-shelf rodent baits also are available to the consumer in several formulations. Some are sold as loose pellets in small boxes, some as "place" packs; and some as "block-baits" packaged in bags and boxes containing upwards of a dozen blocks. Additionally, buckets containing several dozen blocks or packets are available via hardware stores and garden supply outlets.

Among the different formulations, there are application subtleties of each that can significantly affect baiting hazards. In fact, certain formulations are inherently more prone to hazardous applications than others — especially applications by the lay consumer. Block and packet formulations, for example, do not come with any instructions clarifying to the user that the least hazardous application of these formulations is for them to be installed into protective bait stations. The instructions do direct the consumer to apply the bait into areas where rodents are active, but not in any areas where they can be reached by children or pets. If this cannot be done, the consumer is then directed to install the baits into bait stations. But how realistic is it to expect a homeowner lacking training and experience in pest control to understand what a bait box is, where to purchase them, what type is necessary, how many are needed and the procedures for their use?

Interestingly, any conscientious pest professional is apt to avoid applying block and packet baits inside a residential setting according to the directions as they appear on a consumer labeled product. Why? Because loose blocks and packets might not remain in the "inaccessible" spot where the applicator originally placed (or tossed) the bait. Rodents commonly pick up blocks and packets and carry them off. Sometimes, they drop or deposit these baits in a variety of areas, including child- and pet-accessible areas, where they can now easily be mistaken for a cookie or a candy bar or a bag of some type of goodies.

Pelleted bait packaged loosely into small boxes is considerably better in containing the actual bait. Still, loose pellets are prone to being spilled and rolling about. And similar to the blocks and packets, loose pellets are also subject to rodent translocation into people and pet accessible areas.

The irony in the use of consumer rodent baits not installed into some type of retaining container is that to a large degree whether or not the bait remains inaccessible to children and pets is significantly dependent on the rodents themselves. And thus, while the instructions clearly state that the bait is to be applied only in areas out-of-sight and out-of-reach of children, the applicator in fact loses control of the poison bait once it is applied in the manner as directed on the label.

BLAND VS. ATTRACTIVE PACKAGING. Sometimes I wonder if we might inadvertently pre-condition a child towards confusing rodent baits with everyday food items should a child encounter the rodent bait package after it has been purchased and brought home. For example, some colors used on food packages sitting on grocery shelves are no doubt designed to capture our eyes as we stroll up and down the aisles. But should the same or even similar colors be used when we are selling rodent poisons, especially when we sell the baits in the same stores as those in which we sell human food (commonly they are in or nearby the same aisles containing human foods and snacks)?

Brightly colored rodent poison bait packages may attract the eye of the adult shopper. But of course such packages will also attract the eye of a child when the product is placed into the grocery cart (should a toddler be sitting in the cart or tagging along), brought home and applied in some out-of-reach (but visible) area or stored on a "out of reach" shelf in the home or garage. And this may be especially true if the packaging of a rodent bait is the same color and has images of "critters" on the box similar to what some children’s food boxes have on them. The next time you go shopping, pick up a box of rodent bait and try to find similar colors and images on some candy, fruit snacks, grain snack bar, cookies and so forth.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS. Consumers using OTS rodent baits must rely on the written instructions as they appear on the box or the package of bait. Often the instructions are limited in text and are written in tiny fonts because they must fit on small boxes or packages. There is no room for elaboration, no specific details for different rooms, different infestations and so forth.

Considering that there are a myriad of residential environments, and that the baits are being targeted towards live mammals that have a feeding behavior that has been described by rodentologists as "unpredictable," how can baiting in and around occupied residences containing children, pets and rodents be simplified to a few universal directions?

It would make for a fascinating study to measure how closely consumers follow the directions as provided on OTS rodent baits (or any pesticide for that matter), or even how many consumers actually comprehend the directions and precautions as currently written on rodent bait packages.

MAXIMIZING SAFETY. As with many human inventions, there are benefits and risks to OTS rodent baits. In addition to those steps discussed in parts I and II of this column, can even more steps be taken on the part of the manufacturers to further minimize the number of children rodent bait incidences? I think so. And, I think these steps are neither impractical, nor would they cause the baits to become too expensive for those that benefit the most from OTS baits.

1. Offer only block bait formulations for off-the-shelf rodent baits and contain the blocks within baffled boxes. This would render the baits accessible to a mouse, but not accessible to a toddler’s fingers or tongue. This would not even have to be done via a plastic tamper-resistant bait station. Packaging design specialists (employing origami) could simply add a baffle or two on a semi-rigid, plastic-impregnated cardboard box. The baffle would dramatically reduce the chances of bait being translocated out of the box.

2. Print onto the box or package of OTS rodent baits international diagrams showing the correct and incorrect locations to install the bait in and around homes and apartments.
Consider the tiny instruction sheets that are printed and folded into 1-inch squares that are now included in millions of everyday products.

3. Interestingly, the safest locations to install OTS and OTC rodent baits inside residential environments are also apt to be the most effective locations for ensuring the rodents will find the bait. For example, a few mice in a home environment frequently forage in dark, protected areas — areas completely out of sight to not only children but to adults as well (e.g., behind and beneath the washer and dryer, in the back corners underneath the kitchen sink, up on the sill plate in the basement or crawlspace nearby where the pipes enter the first floor, in the attic, etc.).

4. Design poison bait packaging colors and images in the opposite direction of human food packages. Considering the consequences, why not go to extra lengths of separating as much as possible a box of OTS rodent poison from any other commonly used food item found in the grocery store? Why not take all measures possible to minimize the chances of confusing a child as to which box or bag in the shopping cart, or unskillfully applied in the home, is food or is poison?

Maybe all OTS rodent bait should be packaged in black, puke green or some other deliberately bland color? Is it truly necessary to "attract" the eye of the shopper needing OTS rodenticides with color or critter images?

There are additional safety benefits for using dark colors on rodent bait packages. A black, dark brown or dark green box placed into the shadowy nooks and crannies mentioned previously are much more visible in general in these areas than eye-grabbing bright colors in these same areas. The target application zones for rodent baits are usually dark areas; the package of bait is dark. Seems like safety logic to me. In fact, this is precisely the reason road worker safety vests and garments are those weird bright colors of bright yellow, oranges, etc.

5. Shouldn’t OTS poison bait packages be multi-lingual? Or contain within the package multi-lingual inserts? If only English (or if only English and Spanish) are available, then how are we to assume non-English speaking (or reading) consumers could possibly use such products safely? Diagrammatic inserts that show safe and unsafe placements inside residences, and or multi-lingual instructions (similar to what we now all see with our electronic gadgets (MP3s, cell phones, cameras, etc.) would certainly go a long way in safety.

BENEFITS OF OTS RODENTICIDES. Some might argue that perhaps the public simply should not have access to poison rodent baits. But for this pesticide (specifically), we cannot overlook the benefit OTS rodent baits provide to that sector of the public who may have a minor rodent problem and simply cannot afford a professional pest service.

In fact, in the balance of things, it may be that consumer-use rodent baits have protected millions and millions of families from rodent-borne allergens, food contamination, fires and diseases. And snap traps and other traps are effective tools, but there are cases where these tools are not effective or their use is totally repulsive to the homeowner.

SAFER SHOULD COST MORE. Of course implementing some packaging and formulation changes will mean reconfiguring things back at the factory. And manufacturing changes require some re-tooling and thus capital expenditures. But 15,000 to 20,000 annual calls concerning child rodent bait incidences is no small matter — especially for the frantic parents and caretakers who must go through resolving such incidences. (Nor does this address the thousands of pet incidences.)

Should the cost of the changes be passed along to the consumer? Of course. But amortized over the millions of units sold, the difference would likely be in dimes not dollars. And what consumer who wants both the benefit of OTS rodent solutions and the savings of a do-it-yourself approach would be opposed to a reasonable price increase that would further protect their beloved children or pets?

The author is president of RMC Consulting, Richmond, Ind., and can be reached via e-mail at rcorrigan@giemedia.com.