Criticism of Napa business park rodent traps spurs county investigation

Rodents in urban, commercial settings are nothing new, but the plethora of traps in the city of Napa has spawned an investigation by the Napa County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office.

“We received a complaint about a business park’s bait stations and currently have field staff looking into it, however, the investigation is still open and we cannot disclose specific details until it has been closed,” Tracy Cleveland, Napa County agricultural commissioner/sealer, said.

These traps are outside various office parks in order to keep critters from getting inside and to protect landscaping.

The Napa chapter of the Sierra Club, which filed the complaint, is concerned the poisoned rodents will in turn endanger other wildlife.

“I went around three buildings and found 30, 35 traps. What about all the other buildings in Napa?” said Yvonne Baginski, a member of the executive committee of the Napa Chapter of the Sierra Club.

Ultimately, she said, the local chapter wants businesses to find another solution to their pest problems. Since most of the traps contain poison to keep out rodents and other varmints, the fear is predators that eat the poisoned animals will in turn become sick and potentially die.

Adding to the urgency is that March 1 began Swainson’s hawk nesting season. These birds feed on mice and rats.

However, neither the Sierra Club nor the county Agriculture Commissioner’s Office has seen any recent suspicious wildlife deaths.

“In the event of wildlife kills, our department would work directly with the California Department of Fish & Wildlife. They investigate wildlife mortality, and will look for potential pesticide poisoning during a carcass analysis,” Cleveland explained.

On March 11, Cleveland said she hopes the investigation will be done this month, but said it could be longer depending on what is uncovered. What action her department takes depends on the outcome of the investigation.

“Inspectors are determining all of the structural Pest Control businesses that may have bait boxes or snap trap boxes in the locations indicated in the complaint. We are surveying the whole area,” Cleveland told the Business Journal. “We’re trying to determine who is servicing the boxes and what’s in them. We will be contacting any of the companies to do some outreach, and ensure compliance with laws and regulations related to structural pest control practices, including material used, proper labeling and clean up.”

This is the first case like this in Napa County that Cleveland is aware of.

The business of pest control

Sarah Pape believes one reason more rodents are infiltrating business areas is because they were chased out of their homes in the last several years from wildfires, with the most recent being the 2020 Glass Fire that burned 42% of Napa County.

Pape owns Armed Force Pest Control in Middletown in Lake County and has contracts in Napa.

She doesn’t believe pest control companies are a big threat to wildlife because the industry is so regulated.

“I believe homeowners or ranchers that throw rat poison on the ground are the problem. Those people are not regulated,” Pape said. “I think they are regulating the wrong people if they want to make a difference.”

Her business is about 40% commercial, 60% residential. One customer is Portocork in Napa, a supplier of corks to wineries.

“Bait stations are outside, and traps are inside. It’s part of our quality control to have a pest-free environment,” said Christina Ayton, Portocork’s office manager.

Animal feces in the building, she said, would contaminate the product.

In fact, outdoor baited rodent traps at food-grade facilities such as wineries and related packaging warehouses are specified under good manufacturing processes in federal law enforced by the Food & Drug Administration (PDF).

Voles and gophers are the problem at the 246-acre Napa Valley Commons campus of businesses that includes the Meritage Resort and Spa, Trinitas Cellars, La Tavola Linens, the 300SL Auto Museum and so much more.

“Historically, we have done very little rodent control. Every few years there is an outbreak of rodent activity and then we subcontract it out on a spot basis,” said Chris Waage with Advanced Property Management, which manages the business park.

He said in the last three to four months there has been a tremendous amount of damage to the landscaping, which has created tripping hazards on sidewalks with the piles of dirt.

Waage said Western Exterminator in Novato is monitoring the problem on a quarterly basis.

“We manage a lot of different properties. During the pandemic we have seen a lot more wildlife when there were less people,” Waage told the Business Journal, noting deer and turkey have been problematic elsewhere in Northern California. The Commons is the only property the company oversees in the North Bay.

Outside the Benchmark Wine Group building in Napa is another location the Sierra Club found traps. Lisa Andrews with the company would not discuss whether the traps are new, how many are outside the 15,000-square-foot cellar, or if there is an on-going problem.

Orkin is the outfit Benchmark uses to trap rodents. The corporate office was unavailable for comment.

Titus Felder with Fast Action Pest Control in Elk Grove would not name clients in the North Bay, but the Sierra Club said it has found its traps in Napa. Felder explained that the location, specific animal activity detected, and type of business dictate the device used — one with bait, the type of poison, or if a trap would be better.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, “Most rodenticides used today are anticoagulant compounds that interfere with blood clotting and cause death from excessive bleeding. Deaths typically occur between four days and two weeks.”

Environmental concerns and the law

“They put these boxes outside the walls of these office buildings, not inside,” the Sierra Club’s Baginski said of the various traps she has seen. “But outside is where the natural territory of rats is. In Napa Corporate Park there are fields and trees. They built offices in a wildlife area and now they are trapping these rats. The secondary wildlife issue is huge.”

Poisonous devices from pest control companies have a skull and cross bones on them, along with stating the type of poison being used.

The Sierra Club reports rodenticides such as bromethalin and cholecalciferol are listed on the contraptions being used in Napa.

The group says, “Bromethalin is a neurotoxin damaging the central nervous system. Cholecalciferol is one of the most potent rat poisons on the market. Once eaten, the poisons take one to three days to kill the rat. The rat experiences intense thirst, urination, lethargy and decreased appetite. That’s when they’re scooped up and eaten by other animals, and a chain of death follows.”

Devices designed for mice or rats are built so larger animals cannot enter them. They are also bolted into the ground so they cannot be removed by someone walking by, according to those in the pest control business.

Most operate with bait that lures the critter inside. It eats the poison and then leaves, dying elsewhere. The concern is their tainted carcasses become a hazard for any animal that eats it.

The state regulates pesticides, while it’s county ag commissioners who enforce the rules. The state also regulates the pesticide companies. Those companies in turn must register annually in every county they do business in.

“When using any pesticides, applicators must follow the label. The label is the law. (It) will indicate the setting for use, a commodity if applicable, recommended target pests, the rate of application and any personal protective equipment that needs to be worn by the applicator,” said Cleveland with Napa County. “A pesticide has to be registered with CDPR before it can be used, possessed or offered for sale in California.”

Pest control companies claim their methods are no longer impacting secondary wildlife.

Portocork shared an email from Armed Forces that said, “Armed Force Pest only uses caution-labeled rodenticides that do not have any concern for secondary poisoning. The only anti-coagulant baits we use are first-generation anticoagulant rodenticides in accordance with the manufacturer’s label as well as local and state laws.”

In 2014, the state Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) banned consumer sales and use of second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGAR) because of the potential harm to wildlife — like bobcats, mountain lions and owls — that were not the intended victim. However, at that time pest control companies could still use this type of product.

Even though California last year implemented stricter regulations concerning animal poisons, the state is not done studying the issue. The bill that took effect last year bans SGAR, at least for now.

“DPR has adopted various practices to reduce exposure to the pesticide beyond the target pests the pesticide is intended to address,” Leia Bailey, assistant director of communications and outreach for the California Department of Pesticide Regulation, told the Business Journal. “However, the purpose of DPR’s current re-evaluation of (second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides) is to address the concerns of secondary poisoning to wildlife.

“This re-evaluation could lead to mitigation such as changes to the label instructions for use or application or regulations, restrictions or limitations that limit impacts to wildlife, or it could lead to a cancellation of the product because of the adverse effects to the environment.”