Fear … and Mercury

Once again this year The Mercury has rolled out the fear campaign about rats and mice coming into your home, and once again they are advising that “it’s better to put bait or traps outdoors”.

( http://www.themercury.com.au/news/tasmania/cold-weather-brings-plague-of-rodents/story-fnj4f7k1-1226939195513 )

The Mercury ran an almost identical article in 2012, also advising that poison baits should be placed outside homes to kill rats and mice “before they make it inside”.

But just five days after the publication of the 2012 article The Mercury reported on Kirra the dog, who had been poisoned by a rat bait that was left outside. There was no mention or reflection on The Mercury’s advice to lay poison outside homes, given just five days before Kirra was poisoned.

I was always taught to lay poison baits where pets and children cannot get at them, or to use only the sealed-in wax baits for outside baiting. But, just like 2012, the current Mercury article makes neither recommendation, leaving readers to work it out for themselves.

Given that The Mercury knew about the poisoning of a dog just days after their 2012 article, it is shameful that they have again demonstrated zero care when promoting the dangerous practice of laying poison bait outside homes.

*Ben is known to the Editor

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