- Author: Niamh M Quinn
- Author: Roger A Baldwin
- Author: Carolyn Whitesell
With the passing of law AB 1322 in 2023 and the recent passing of AB 2552 in September 2024, the options for managing California ground squirrels using lethal methods in urban areas will be more limited. Despite these changes, there are still some viable options available for managing California ground squirrels.
Fumigants
Fumigation can be challenging in urban areas due to the risk of toxic gases leaking into buildings through burrows. However, some burrow fumigants can be used effectively if applied at a safe distance from structures. Be sure to consult the fumigant label for specific usage criteria. Fumigants are lethal to any animal residing within the burrow.
Beginning July 2023,...
- Author: Lauren Fordyce
The University of California Statewide IPM Program (UC IPM) has an exciting, newly updated resource to help you better understand pesticide active ingredients and the risks different active ingredients pose to people and the environment.
The Pesticide Active Ingredient Database is designed for urban audiences including the general public, Master Gardeners, nursery and garden center staff, pest control operators, landscapers, and more. The active ingredients included in this database can be found in many commonly available pesticide products in California. The database contains a variety of pesticide types, including...
- Author: Niamh M Quinn
Where is rodenticide exposure in wildlife coming from? Is it from use by residents or farmers? Applications by marijuana growers? Or from applications by qualified and trained structural pest control professionals? These questions are being asked by state legislators and regulators, special interest groups, and state pest associations across the country.
However, even though we don't fully know where all the exposure is coming from, action is already being taken to restrict the use of rodenticides in urban areas. In 2020, California legislators placed a moratorium on almost all uses of second-generation anticoagulant rodenticide. And local jurisdictions have also added restrictions to rodenticide use. For example, in...
- Author: Carolyn Whitesell
- Author: Niamh Quinn
- Posted by: Elaine Lander
- Author: Belinda J. Messenger-Sikes
- Author: Niamh Quinn
- Posted by: Elaine Lander
In September 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law Assembly Bill 1788, which prohibits almost all uses of second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs) statewide. Rodenticide products containing brodifacoum, bromadiolone, difenacoum, or difethialone have been restricted materials in California since 2014. They are only available for use by licensed pest control applicators.
The new restrictions are intended to reduce potential poisoning of nontarget wildlife. According to the text of the bill, scientific research and state studies have found rodenticides in over 75 percent of animals tested. From 2014 through 2018, the Department of Fish and Wildlife found SGARs...
