The Campaign for Responsible Rodenticide Use (CRRU) has said that an increase in rodent treatments during the pandemic may well increase residues of rodenticides in wildlife, amid reports of increased pest numbers because of the various behavioural changes resulting from the lockdowns.
Speaking to Pest magazine, Dr Alan Buckle, CRRU chairman, said: “If there are more pests around, then there are likely to be more rodenticides used if people, as they usually do, rely on them to control these pests. If more rodenticides are being used, then that’s going to mean residues may well go up, rather than the downward movement we want to see.”
Dr Buckle said that some UK universities have started studies to look for coronaviruses in rodents due to the close proximity between humans and commensal rodents, rats and mice.