[Craig T]

Nobody wants to resort to poison if they don't have to, and the collateral damage is real. Rodenticide poisoning caused the death of a local mountain lion that was endeared to the area and under study because he was able to cross the 101 Fwy successfully several times. Poisoning also kills the coyotes which are the only successful predator of the ground squirrels in any numbers. In a residential control situation, traps or a pellet gun might keep them at bay, and poison can be avoided.

Unfortunately, when the problem gets so bad that if starts to affect commercial crops, then more drastic measures have to be taken. When avocado trees fall over in the wind because the squirrels have undermined the root system so badly, or a berry farmer's crop is unprofitable because of rodent damage, then poison is the only option.

I love all animals, and enjoy seeing bobcats, hawks, and owls on my property, but its unrealistic to think that farmers and orchard owners will walk away from their land and businesses to avoid collateral damage to a hawk or coyote. When a better solution comes up that saves the predators, everybody in my area would happily stop using poison.