Rodenticides are prevalent throughout Pitzer College’s campus. Pitzer’s Ground Management implements them to control the mice and rat population, which is growing due to the fact that we have eliminated natural predators (such as coyotes, owls and snakes) from our campus.

The current rodentcides used are made to kill these small rodents with a poison, slowly and painfully.Even though we only need to control the mice and rat population, animals like bunnies and squirrels are attracted to the bait as well and are dying the same slow death.

Due to complaints from staff and students, Pitzer has agreed to replace the rodenticides with snap traps, which are a slightly more humane way of controlling the rodents'  populations. However, this will not take place until July of 2015. Adult and baby squirrels such as the one pictured above die a slow and painful death every day on campus. Owls, coyotes and other predators die a similar slow and painful death after eating the poisoned squirrels, bunnies, rats and mice. Furthermore, the poison seeps into our soil when these bodies decay, and it affects our entire ecosystem.

We, as a study body, are demanding that all rodenticides be removed NOW, from the Pitzer College campus, not in a year and a half. They are unethical and unnecessary. 

The current replacements for the rodenticides are snap traps. However, another more ethical solution would be to create a larger population of natural predators of these rodents. To do so we could adopt a native wild cat for our campus, build owl boxes and encourage non poisonous snakes. Having natural predators keep the rodent population under control is a natural, ethical, and sustainable solution.

Pictured above is a baby squirrel that a group of students watched die a painful death over the course of a couple days. We are now watching one of his siblings do the same.

Please sign our petition to tell Pitzer College that you support an immediate removal of rodentcides.