Second-generation anticoagulant rodenticide (SGAR) use in British Columbia was banned in 2023.

Melissa Hafting says, “We can’t stop fighting until there is a federal ban and the province removes or heavily restricts more of these exceptions.”

You can read up about how British Columbia birders won the fight one city as a time on her blog, Dare to Dream.

Halifax is the biggest city in Nova Scotia and happens to be where I live so makes sense to start here.

I don’t think rats are inherently bad, but certainly having them breeding out of control and getting indoors is a problem

The Norway Rat are intelligent and friendly critters.  In fact, the rats they sell at pet stores are simply a domesticated version.  Nevertheless, you don’t want a rat problem on your property and certainly not in your house.  Also, they don’t deserve to endure cruelty.  Poison is very cruel and kills other wildlife who eat the rats who have ingested poison.  This is not limited to Owls, but they are hit hard by this problem.  And Owls are excellent rodent control so why not let them deal with the problem?

The photo above was taken in my garden in the subdivision where I used to live.  I had always seen the odd rat scurrying across the street late at night but never sitting in my garden.  But during the pandemic everyone was backyard gardening, and the photo was taken when there were ripe fruit and berries in every yard.  You can’t blame them for showing up for something to eat.  Solution, pick things as they ripen or just before and be vigilant about it. 

I never hat a rat in my house in all the years I lived there and never saw them in the garden again.  But the house I moved to had rats in the crawl space.  The inspector missed this and I was not present for the inspection.  When I moved in, I noticed a bad smell coming from the vents in the part of the house that is over the crawl space.  I removed the panel to investigate for myself and discovered there was lots of rat crap and pee.  Yuck.  They were tunneling up through the ground and into the crawl space.  And they had a constant source of food from the apple tree next to it. 

I worked on the problem in stages and two years later no problems.  First, all ripe fruit must be picked.  No leaving any apples on the ground.  The deer used to clean them up, but the apple tree is fenced in now for my dogs, so this creates a new job for me to keep on top of.  Next step sadly was to kill the rats there were inside.  I tried to discourage them out but four of them remained and I used heavy duty snap traps to get them.  They were more expensive than the cheap wooden ones but very effective.  Instant death and they died with a peanut butter grin on their face so assuming died happy.  I hate for anything to suffer and hated to do this, but they cannot live in my home.   Next, I bought some heavy-duty steel wool at the hardware store that is designed for rodent control and filled the holes they were coming in through.  Then I disrupted the area by making it unattractive to them.  So, the area I thought they were tunneling through I dug around and removed hiding places.  We also got heavy wire mesh to rodent proof any areas in the basement we thought they could come through if they ever did make it back into the crawl space on the other side of the foundation.

The thing they loved the most about the crawl space was the pink insulation.  Just tons of square footage of comfy nesting material.  They had been in there for years.  I phoned several companies who deal with biohazard materials, and they all quoted 5 grand just to remove the insulation.  Sorry I don’t have that kind of money.  I was researching protective gear to do the job myself.  I figured for a few hundred dollars I could wear a respirator and biohazard suit and do the deed.  But then on top of it there would be no insulation.  And the insulation was not accomplishing anything anyway as the floor was freezing to my feet and the room always cold.  So I phoned a few insulation companies and found one that would remove all the old insulation for me and then spray foam the walls and put a heavy vapor barrier on the dirt floor for 3k.  Sold! 

About 6 months after that had been completed and I confirmed no more rats had entered the space I had a heat lead run from the heat pump into the crawl space through the foundation wall of the basement.  So now the space is conditioned, and the heat rises.  The room is much warmer, and the heating bill didn’t even rise.

There is a resident Barred Owl who I assume keeps the population of rats in my yard under control because we rarely see any evidence of them.  We do see Deer Mice from time to time and I’m sure that is another reason the Barred Owl hands around.  We’ve also had a Short-tailed Weasel come through, as well the neighbours have seen Bobcat.  Assuming Coyotes would also come through occasionally as there are many in my area who are currently well behaved as they have a lot of existing corridors, sadly they are losing that over time, but I won’t go down that rabbit hole now.  We also have many Red Fox in the area and many Raptors such as Northern Goshawk, Northern Harrier, Merlin, and many others.  All these mammals and birds who ingest poisoned rodents would get sick and die as well. 

So why not let the animal kingdom look after itself?  The food chain works well in the wild.  We just need to keep our outdoor spaces tidy and not attract rodents.  So don’t provide food sources, be aware of water sources that may attract them, and be sure to keep an eye on spaces they could hide or make dens.

I think with poison you are never really addressing the key issues, and you need to continually use poison, and the problem is never resolved.  And all the critters who would do the work for you are now dead so it will definitely not get resolved on its own now.  Why would anyone want that?

I’m going to get in touch with Melissa Hafting or someone in her group to find out if their Owl populations are showing signs of recovery and ask for some advocacy tips.  There is no reason we can’t get rodenticides banned in Halifax, then Nova Scotia, and then the rest of Canada.  Who wants to help?

This old house came with rodent issues, which were never properly addressed by the previous owners.

There was just no way I would ever use poison.  Our property is surrounded by woods, so we have Owls and Hawks who frequent our yard.

We even have nesting Northern Goshawks.

And all those birds of prey eat rodents.  And all these birds of prey will die if they eat a rodent who has ingested poison.  Period. 

None of this nonsense of about second generation poisons being safe, that is simply untrue no matter what unscrupulous sales people might say.

Second Generation Anticoagulant Rodenticides. SGARS are the deadliest concoction of ingredients used to (mis) manage nuisance rodents.  All anticoagulant rodenticides kill birds of prey or other wildlife who eat rodents who have ingested poison.

So yeah, hard no for me.  And makes no sense anyway as the birds of prey will eat the rodents. And honestly I don’t want the rodents dying a miserable death from poison anyway.

So, rats were what we had to deal with.  Norway Rats are super cute and not much of a concern frankly if not in the house. 

As long as nobody in the neighborhood is using poisons that kill the Owls and Hawks then the rodent population will stay low as they are a source of food for raptors.  See, Mother Nature has a plan. 

I was unhappy to have to kill any critters at all but because the rats were so well established in our crawl space for many years, I had no choice but to trap them.  I killed 4 in total, and they all died super fast and happy with a taste of peanut butter being their last experience.  I got super strong heavy duty plastic traps that were specifically for rats.  You must use the right size trap (don’t use a rat trap to kill mice or a mouse trap to kills rats) so it works instantly and not cheap out on the wooden ones.  The last thing you want is an injured animal suffering.  It’s bad enough you must kill them so quick is best. Don’t use traps outside either, you run the risk of injuring or killing other wildlife and birds, and for the love of all things good never use a glue trap.

Rats don’t go very far from their nest.  And they like familiarity.  They like food and nesting materials.  Temperature is not as important. And because they stay close to the nest if they venture out they are quickly exposed to predators. So if you can discourage them from being close to the house that also helps nature take it’s course more quickly.

The crawlspace under my office has a dirt floor, and the rats were tunneling into the space because it had batts of insulation they like to nest in.  So, sealing the tunnels and removing the insulation were step one.  Of course, we tried trapping the rats first to hopefully encourage them to vacate the area, but again too well established so they ended up sealed in and trapped.  Then we removed the insulation which was no easy task.  Rodent urine is not good for you to breathe in so had to be done by professionals and I had the space spray foamed at the same time.

Also, the crawl space had some spots where rodents might enter the proper basement.  That would be a problem and thankfully none were coming in but picked up heavy duty steel wool that is designed for rodent control and sealed everything up and covered over with heavy poultry wire.

There are also 4 mature apple trees in the yard.  And when I first moved in I was overwhelmed with home repairs so lost control of the apples on the ground so was actually feeding the rats. They were dragging apples into the crawlspace to eat.  Oh my.  So, I’m also much more mindful about that now and did a lot better this fall.  Made a few apple pies, and the rest went to friends with horses and the odd apple gets thrown in the woods for deer.  I’m not a fan of feeding wildlife but try to find some balance of course and if you leave them on the ground the deer eat them anyway so I just try to do my very best. And I figure a green bin full of apples won’t be good if a Black Bear comes through the yard either.

It’s been about 6 months and there is no sign at all that any rats have come back so problem solved.  Now the crawl space is clean and conditioned and heated too, so it makes the room above warmer, and there is nothing bad to breathe.  Money well spent.

I mean you could just keep paying 100 bucks a month for people to bring poison and never have your problem solved, or you can do things right on your own.

Depending on what type of rodents are entering your space, different solutions will be needed but it’s all the same.  Make it so they have no access.  Clean so there is no food or nesting material.  Trap the ones that are already in.  Lather rinse repeat as needed.

Any rodents that are outside will be very quickly eaten up by birds of prey.  And who doesn’t love to hear an Owl or see a beautiful Hawk fly by?

Our resident rodent eaters include Barred Owl, Northern Harrier, Northern Goshawk, Coopers Hawk, and Sharp-shinned Hawk.  I have seen all of them in my yard, here is a Sharpie doing a quick flyby.

I have seen the Coopers many times but not gotten a decent photograph yet.  I think it’s really neat I have all 3 Accipiters visiting the yard.

There are also Great-horned Owls in the neighbourhood although I haven’t seen or heard one since I moved in.  I saw them once at my other house about 2km away in Eastern Passage.

There are also Bobcats around, and we’ve seen a Short-tailed Weasel.  Of course, lots of Fox too.

Mother Nature has a plan.  It is possible to coexist in harmony and do as little harm as possible. 

Being a nature lover and hobby wildlife photographer, I want things to survive and thrive.  The most annoying critter we had visit the yard yet was a porcupine.  I mean they are cute and quite harmless but with two dogs that is not a creature I want hanging around my hard.  But just picking the apples from the tree the next morning sent him packing.

All creatures need to eat and have shelter.  You just need to do some research and stay a step ahead of things to enjoy a little wildlife in your yard.

Beautiful critters are all around and don’t generally cause much harm unless humans create problems.  So that means keep your garbage bins locked up, clean up fruit and veggie gardens.  Don’t use poisons.  And enjoy the results.

Back in the summer my partner and I heard about the evictions happening at the Halifax Library and went down to bear witness. Here are a few of the photos I took.

It was a huge turning point for HRM as it sparked a ton of attention (Turkeys from airplanes for sure) about the homeless crisis in the city.

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Things are definitely on a much more positive trajectory now and I’m so excited that the portables will open today (January 12) in Dartmouth!

Last night I watched the portion of the January 11th council meeting dedicated to the modular housing, and one thing that I thought was very positive was Tony Mancini’s suggestion that HRM has a summit on homelessness. My general impression from council is that the members want to help, and may be a few steps removed or naïve about the circumstances that some people live under so keep in touch keep conversations flowing and be kind. We need to build community. Maybe I watched too much Sesame Street in the 70s…I dunno but I digress…

Anyway, there are many great partner organizations to bring into the discussion as he mentioned, but there are also key individuals who could add a lot of knowledge.

Rachelle Sauve, is one person they may want to bring into the conversation. She moved to Halifax in the summer and in my opinion is a wonderful addition to our community of HRM with her strong background in grassroots anti-poverty work. She volunteers extensively at the People’s Park helping to distribute donations, being a friend to residents, and cleaning up the site. I personally think it would be very beneficial to invite her to any conversation the city or province wants to have about how to help the roughly housed population. I attended a workshop she conducted at the People’s Park this summer and it was incredibly informative and eye opening. Smart lady! There are a number of other people who volunteer at the park who may also be good to speak with about the situation on the ground and how the community can help.

At any rate, governments are not really in the business of making things better, unless the voters ask for it. Community fixes things so roll up your sleeves and talk to your politicians too please.

Last week some of my friends gave me donations to bring to the people who are tenting in various locations throughout HRM.

Not everything I received was easily donated but I did get it all figured out and still working on finding more information.

If you drop by Meaher Park to bring donations make sure what you bring is something they can use as they have no storage space, no ability to cook, and unless it’s cold, no refrigeration. If you go by during the day there is a good chance you may encounter a volunteer from the community or a resident you can speak with. You can leave things there if nobody is around but be aware that the wrong donations are almost as bad as no donations.

Unless there is a direct request for the specific day cooked meals are not a good donation. If they are not eaten they end up in garbage and attract rodents and odors. Snacks like Granola Bars or other single serving snacks more useful.

$10 Gift Cards for places like Tim Horton’s or MacDonalds or anywhere else someone might get an inexpensive beverage or food and a chance to warm up also good, especially when it’s cold out. If there are places nearby that are open 24 hours also good for people to get out of the elements for a bit.

Specifically at the People’s Park they can use firewood. A proper firepit was donated by some firefighters and it helps keep the area warm.

For all the tenting sites or areas you find people who are roughly housed these are often very useful donations.

• personal care wipes
• garbage bags
• rubber boots
• paper towels
• socks
• underwear (long johns and tights in winter)
• warm gloves (not mittens)
• disposable gloves (for site cleanup)
• AA and AAA batteries
• Jogging Pants and Hoodies (mens Large often the winning size but inquire if you can)
• backpack (empty, with working zippers)
• handwarmers
• tents
• winter sleeping bags

All of this is fluid, and I recommend speaking with people on the ground if you are able.  I’m sure they could also use more physical volunteers from the community if you can spare a few hours.  

There are things they have too much of at the tenting locations, and no ability to store such as feminine protection, deodorant and other personal care items/toiletries that may be donated to other locations. I’m trying to find out who accepts these items and you could check with organization and food banks in your area as well.

There are a couple of spots where roughly housed people can take showers or do laundry. There are set hours which may change and appointments may be needed.

the Hub – operated by Shelter Nova Scotia

Ark Outreach

Adsum and Out of the Cold provide public showers and washrooms

Trying to find out who accepts pet supply donations for the roughly housed pet owners?

One thing that really irks me is that some organizations require people to have a fixed address to access services. I found this was the case with the Eastern Passage foodbank and have voiced my concerns and trying to find solutions.

If you check this guide from Feed Nova Scotia on how to find food in the province you will see they are quite under-represented in many low income communities.  If you type in your community in the locator, you may be surprised!

You really need to think outside of the box, and for the current times. Many things that worked years ago simply do not work anymore. 

Please get in touch with any information you have.

So what about the people who are still living in tents when it’s -10 and getting colder?  Good question that nobody seems to have answers to.  I’ve heard murmurs of frostbite circulating and would expect no less in January in Nova Scotia.

There will always be a very small percentage of the population who for varying reasons, will not come inside.  As of January 15th there are still 4-5 people sleeping in Meagher’s Park in tents, and the other 20 or so are still outside but who knows where.  Likely different spots every night near any wind resistant area or heating vent they can access.  I’m sure there are people who do have ideas about how to help these people.  Housing for all is the resounding answer from people who work with our marginalized population, and really shouldn’t we all have some type of housing?

CBC just posted an article about Finland’s success in ending homelessness and Finland is not the only country to have made great headway so there is hope.

I found Friends of Boston’s Homeless on a recent web search and wonder if we might start a similar organization here in Halifax?

Also there is a lot of talk about defunding the police these days and a lot of people don’t like that idea.  Often it’s because they are stuck in their sick desire for punishment that is deeply seated in culture (don’t let me go down this road it will be ugly) or just because they don’t understand what is really means.  The thing to focus on is refunding social services and letting police do policing, and let the people who have other expertise answer those calls for help.  The police are more than happy not to have to deal with non-police matters, I assure you.  

When doing a little research on poverty I came across the idea of the 3 P’s – Policing- Prisons-Poverty and it makes a lot of sense as they rarely produce good outcomes and are quite obviously interconnected.  You really need to get to people before they are on the street to make any headway.  

I am not comparing people to pets in any way but I do come from a strong background in animal rescue/animal welfare and a friend who was the director of a well known shelter used to say that by the time a pet is surrendered to us it’s on it’s last chance.  If it doesn’t get to us, it has likely run out of chances.

Nobody in Canada should be running out of chances.

The pandemic points out a lot of inequity in our systems.  We have the opportunity to do better so let’s roll up our sleeves.

One serious question though…where are the feds in this mess?  There are almost certainly federal regulations and tax structures that fuel the housing crisis.  Also, the CHMC gets in the way of affordable builds.  More top down think-tanking needs to be looked at not my area of expertise but I do love learning.

All the best for 2022…we can do this HRM!

Angela Granchelli

PS – cash is still king. You may not feel comfortable giving people cash, I don’t in fact. But you can give money to partner organizations who have boots on the ground and know it will get to people.

Out of the Cold

Adsum for Women & Children

Bryony House

Feed Nova Scotia

Shelter Nova Scotia

I was birding with friends from Newfoundland and New Brunswick at Hartlen Point yesterday. We found 63 bird species which is a huge list for one day. We found a flock of fall migrants right on the back of the golf course in the area that overlooks the water where Hartlen Point and Silver Sands merge.

The migrating flock included two Canada Warblers. Canada Warbler was listed as Threatened under the federal Species at Risk Act (SARA) in 2010. The SARA provides protection for individual Canada Warblers and their residences. Canada Warblers and their nests are also protected under the federal Migratory Birds Convention Act.

I snapped this photo from the golf course of Silver Sands Beach.This demonstrates how Silver Sands Beach and Harten Point are integrally connected. Hartlen Point, which is one of the most important migratory bird points in North America which people coming here from all over North America to bird each fall.

Mother Nature does not operate within survey boundaries, and to the birds and wildlife, the entire area is one and the same.As well, Rainbow Haven Beach and the Peter McNab Kuhn Conservation Area are quite close in proximity, from a coastal point of view. Even during the bird fallout of Carribean birds during Hurricane Dorian last September, the birds had a feeding loop from Hartlen Point to Rainbow Haven and Silver Sands in between. Many were able to refuel and get back home after a few days or weeks, and would have perished without those feeding grounds.

As you can imagine, Cow Bay Lake receives huge amounts of migrating shorebirds. Many of the same birds who are attracted to the Peter McNab Kuhn Conservation Area that borders Rainbow Haven Beach in the flats, such as Black-bellied Plovers. We do have protection for Shorebirds and other birds under the Migratory Bird Act that should be considered here.Anything that happens development wise has huge impact to the ecology of the entire area.

If you look at an aerial map from the perspective of a bird who has just migrated 3000km upon arrival this is all one big landing strip. Any wetlands near the coastal areas, such as the barrier ponds at Silver Sands, are precious freshwater to drink after a long trip.

In a perfect world, I would like to see the entire coastline of Silver Sands and Hartlen Point protected by a group such as the Nova Scotia Nature Trust.

Perhaps that is too lofty a goal, but there are stakeholders here who can invest in a community treasure for all to preserve something we can all be proud of for generations to come.Surfers, families, swimmers, dog walkers, birders, nature lovers, solitude seekers, and many generations from the community have enjoyed the Silver Sands Beach for many years and should continue to in peace and harmony.Environmental impacts to the area need to be taken seriously protection of wetlands and coastal areas need to be greatly tempered with the interests of developers.