Guardian Announces "No Rat Poison" Policy
By, Greg Scott
Oct 22, 2025, 11:43 AM
Guardian Announces No "Rat Poison" Policy
As part of Guardian's goal of becoming the most Eco-Friendly and environmentally responsible Pest Protection Service on the Space Coast, Guardian is officially committing to be a no "rat poison" service.
What does this mean and why are we doing this?
Even though Guardian has had a general policy of not using Rodenticide in its Rodent Control Program and seldom has done so in its past, this new policy is a commitment to not using Rodenticide at all, ever.
There are several reasons for this policy:
Rodenticide is an inhumane way to kill.
Rodenticide is an anti-coagulent, a chemical that essentially thins the blood, similar to the way blood thinners work in humans, but at a much higher dosage for the body weight of rats and mice. The effect is to make these animals bleed to death internally. This is a slow and painful death, sometimes taking days of suffering before the animal finally succumbs. Rodents are mammals, not insects. Unlike insects, they have the capacity to feel and thoroughly experience pain. Guardian will not be part of the knowing and intentional infliction of such suffering on one of God's creatures. While we do, regrettably, kill rats and mice who have invaded homes, we do so in the most humane and quick manner possible. rodenticide is neither of those things.
Rodenticide harms other animals.
Primary poisoning,
The first way is for other animals to access the rodenticide directly. Even with caution taken to limit this by placing the rodenticide in bait stations that are hard to reach, it does happen. Squirrels, cats and other animals can possibly access the bait blocks and eat them, making them sick or killing them.
Secondary poisoning.
This happens when an animal that preys on rats and mice, such as owls or hawks, cats and even dogs, eat a rodent that has not fully metabolized the active ingredient, secondarily exposing the animal and making it sick or even killing it. The danger is greater to mammals than birds but it exists in both.
Of course, we hate to even raise the subject, but it is a possibility that children can access and become sick from it. This nightmare scenario needs nothing more said except to say that no rodenticide use means this cannot happen.
Effectiveness of Rodenticide
Rodenticide is of dubious effectiveness. With natural resistance and acquired resistance, rodenticide baiting is problematic because rodents will eventually become more resistant to it creating resurgent populations in areas where it is used.
Inconvenient to bystanders.
Rodents who become poisoned will often crawl into some place that is hard to access and die, leaving behind decomposing remains, attracting pests and causing a horrible odor that can last for weeks. It is not uncommon to have a homeowner use rodenticide on a rat that ends up in the attic of neighbor, causing them problems they did not create. Often they have to call a service such as Guardian to find and remove these remains, costing the innocent homeowner money.
Guardian will continue to operate an effective and humane rodent control service, relying mainly on snap traps, glue boards, and live traps to do the work. These are very effective methods of rodent control and either kill the rodent quickly or, since Guardian always uses monitoring cameras, allows us to move quickly to euthanize the rodent in a humane fashion.
We do not criticize or presume to judge other companies and their methods for controlling rodents. But as for us and our company, we will no longer use poison to do so-ever.
Sources:
https://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/rodenticides.html
https://www.epa.gov/rodenticides/rodent-control-pesticide-safety-review
https://www.aspca.org/news/rodenticide-and-your-pet-what-you-need-know
