The Avondhu

Pest control measures at IDA site a cause for public concern

MARIAN ROCHE

A number of local people have contacted Blackwater Animal Rescue in the last week, expressing concern about a large number of boxes containing suspected rat poison at the unused IDA site on the Dublin Road in Fermoy.

The popular walking site is something of a wildlife area, featuring a small pond and large areas of undeveloped land. Last Friday, witnesses saw pest control workers attaching the small black boxes to trees, fences, and life buoy poles. Since then, Blackwater Animal Rescue said they had been contacted by members of the public who are ‘ very concerned’ about the potential for cross-contamination between what is in the units, and pets or children.

“It’s a natural habitat for all types of wildlife, and especially for birds; different species of ground-feeders.”

Another person said that it was ‘appalling’ to think of this action being taken at this time of year “when you have birds nesting”.

When TheAvondhu visited the site earlier this week, the boxes are numerous and clearly visible. There are 11 that can be counted easily, with the potential for more to be under trees or hedging.

The IDA had not responded to queries from TheAvondhu at the time of going to print to explain why the decision was made to take pest control measures at the site. It is understood that Rentokil are the company who have been contracted to take the action. When contacted, Rentokil said that the company does not provide comment on individual sites.

However, one member of the public told TheAvondhu that she had had a conversation with the company in the last week. Told that the bait that is currently in the boxes is non-toxic, the intention is to see how much, if any, of the non-toxic bait is taken before putting down ‘real’ poison if necessary.

This action on rats, if that is what it is, follows reports that there were a number of bodies of deceased rats witnessed in a fenced-off housing estate across the road a number of weeks ago.

These were ‘all swollen up, with their legs in the air’, and one person expressed their doubt that the rats were ‘walking across the road to die’, inferring that the bodies had been thrown there.

The poor, much-maligned rat is widely discriminated against. However, it plays an important element of the ecosystem. The rat provides an important source of food for large predators like foxes, stoats and the barn owl, all of whom rely on the rat for their survival. As scavengers, they also clear dead plants and animal matter. However, they carry numerous diseases that are harmful to humans, including Leptospira, a bacteria which causes Weil’s Disease. Rats are also difficult to control, being both smart and developing resistance to poison relatively rapidly.

According to author Niall Mac Coitir, some legends surrounding rats is that Irish poets could banish them through the power of their verse. Another is that they could be asked to leave by letter, including a recommendation of where they could go instead!

AVON THE DHU

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2023-03-30T07:00:00.0000000Z

2023-03-30T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://avondhu.pressreader.com/article/281530820281778

The Avondhu (Ireland)