Rosemary Conroy

These 2nd-generation rodenticides are quickly becoming the DDT of our generation. Remember DDT? Rachel Carson wrote about what that pesticide was doing to our birds. She called it “Silent Spring.” And here we are again! Now its the increase of this new class of rodenticides that is spreading worldwide — and scientists and nature lovers like me are sounding the alarm. The evidence is pretty striking — our predators are being poisoned. And just like the disappearing eagles and ospreys and songbirds caused by DDT, there are consequences to their elimination from the food chain. Fewer natural predators, for example, means more mice spreading more tick-born diseases. And I don’t think that is a coincidence that rabbits are becoming much more common in towns across the souther tier of NH. Ironic, isn't it? The animals who help keep rats and mice in check are being decimated — which is leading to more squirrels, more rats, and more garden-eating critters like rabbits and woodchucks to explode in number. And it’s not just wild creatures who are harmed by these poisons — our beloved cats and dogs are also in danger. We have shown ourselves to be smarter than this and we can do it again. We stopped using pesticides like DDT and we can stop using these rodenticides. Our wildlife deserve our protection. I’ve heard a new acronym recently FAFO — which means eff around and find out. Well we are effing around with poisons that have the potential to change our state forever. Do we really want to find out what that looks like?