Arlington Officials Worried Rat Poison Could Affect Other Animals

ARLINGTON, MA – Rat poison not only poses a danger to rats, but to those that hunt them. Arlington officials this week spoke with Boston 25 about the potential impact of rat poison on other wildlife in the town.

A 2011 Tufts University study cited by the network found rodenticide, a highly potent rat poison, in 86 percent of the owls and hawks studied over five years. Arlington Director of Health and Human Services Christine Bongiorno said the town uses poison as a last resort, opting instead to kill rats with dry ice.

This year there were 148 complaints about rats filed with the Board of Health.

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